Mar. 7, 2016
Hannah Harvey
[email protected]
Art is great medium for students to express themselves, but at GOCA, self-expression isn’t limited to just paint on a canvas.
GOCA is hosting Lunch Beat from noon to 1 p.m. on March 8 at GOCA 1420, located in Centennial Hall.
The formula for Lunch Beat is simple, according to GOCA director Daisy McGowan. The hour-long dance event has to be non-profit, include a one-hour DJ set, a healthy lunch and water.
The 10-step Lunch Beat manifesto, which can be found on the GOCA website, mandates that everyone must dance and that everyone at the event is each other’s dance partner. No one is allowed to talk about work, either.
Lunch Beat originated in Sweden, but was brought to Colorado Springs by McGowan in 2010. This is the third year that GOCA will be putting on the event.
“We typically do them downtown and at different arts organizations,” said McGowan.
Lunch Beats have been held at the Fine Arts Center and Colorado College, in addition to UCCS.
“We weren’t sure what the response would be bringing it here to campus,” said McGowan. “The first one we did, we had two campus DJ’s. That was our biggest Lunch Beat ever; that one had 140 people.”
Over 120 people attended last year’s Lunch Beat.
There is a wide diversity of people who attend from around the community, which is a large aspect of what makes the event fun for everyone, according to GOCA community cultivation director Nicole Anthony.
“It’s interesting because everyone who’s willing to go to a lunchtime dance party self-selects. They’re committed, they enjoy dancing, they like music. You have people of all walks of life,” said Anthony.
“An hour is a really long time to dance. At the end of it, you’re sweating, you have a lot of endorphins and you feel happy.”
The musical selection is also very diverse, providing something for everyone’s personal taste across genres and time periods.
“I always tell the DJ, ‘you need to have the music up tempo’ because there’s no time for slow songs,” said McGowan.
Lunch Beat is also a holistic event, meaning that it incorporates the UCCS community.
This year, The Flying Carrot, a literacy food group on campus that promotes food literacy and sustainability, will provide the healthy lunch for the dancers.
“This is about community building and healthy, sustainable lifestyle building as well. (Lunch Beat) is an opportunity to do something active and eat something healthy and delicious,” said Anthony.
GOCA is displaying Jenene Nagy’s exhibit, “Disappear Here.” Lunch Beat will try to incorporate some aspects of her artwork in its overall theme.
Students will be dancing where Nagy’s exhibit is, but they are not allowed to dance on the exhibit’s platforms. Selfies with the artwork are encouraged, according to Anthony.
“We want to get people in the space so that they can experience the art and be aware that we are this resource to have cool experiences on campus and downtown,” said McGowan.
Admission is free for students with UCCS ID if they register on the GOCA website. Online registration will be open until 5 p.m. on March 7.
The lunch is free to students, but they have to register online so that GOCA can ensure they order the correct amount of food.