Rissa Garcia: The BounceFM Interview
Tell us about your party Dancing Room Only.
Well, Dancing Room Only started as a concept back in 2015. We started out very small, with the first event being in the back room at a bar called the Grahm in Williamsburg. After that we held one in the Halcyon Shop space at Output Club. Fortunately months later, the stars aligned and I had an opportunity to do a somewhat monthly Thursday event at Cielo, which lasted a little over a year but we wanted to do some weekend nights as well so we decided to bounce around to other clubs. We’ll be at Le Bain every once in a while at the Standard Hotel, Black Flamingo, and most recently we partnered with our friends at Forward Disco and had Mood II Swing at Good Room, which turned out to be a really great party.
What was the inspiration behind the party?
For me, it was going out, seeing the crowds or even videos online, and people weren’t dancing. They were more focused on the DJ just staring at them in awe or filming. So to combat today’s more standing room only club experience I decided to create a brand called “Dancing Room Only”.
When you go to a party like 718 Sessions (which is my favorite party and one of my inspirations) it has that old New York City vibe. You have people from all different walks of life, age groups, cultures, etc. …..everybody dancing and having a good time. You don't see a lot of videos being filmed throughout the crowd. Everybody's connecting with each other. You look across the room, they're smiling, you’re smiling and you’re on the same level…..they love the music and they’re there to just dance, and that's it. And that’s the kind of party I truly enjoy and want to try to continue for generations on.
For me, a lot of that was missing in today's parties; the younger kids were experiencing music and club land in a different way. They're not there so much to dance, they're there to just be there…. because it's cool or “lit” as they say. But they're not experiencing the party, they're with their phones, posting every five minutes letting everyone know how cool they are…lol. It's not so much about the music and dancing so much as the DJs or event name and the hype surrounding it.