[Images courtesy of Morning Gloryville Leeds]
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been of the opinion that mornings are underrated; the whole day stretches ahead of you, your mind — if you’ve had a decent night’s sleep — is unclouded by Facebook and Gmail and Twitter, and, in that short space between waking and facing whatever it is you do or don’t do in the world, anything is possible.
Morning Gloryville shows that when properly appreciated, mornings can be a time of great things. From 6.30 to 10.30am last Wednesday, Belgrave Music Hall was taken over by people who’d flocked from all around Leeds and beyond to rave their way into the day. The difference between a morning rave and a night-time rave? It was fuelled by smoothies, raw vegan snacks and fresh coffee. Oh, and there was an area devoted to yoga. And a massage station. And a play area for the kids. Not to mention the dude handing out free stickers.
More than the babies in ear-defenders or the lines of yoga mats, what really made this ‘morning on the town’ stand out was that, in place of the cocktail of aggression, sleaze and desperation that fills the air when everyone is pissed, there was an atmosphere of genuine friendliness. No gurning, no twitching, no dilated pupils. Just smiles and laughs and, even from the likes of me, i.e. gangly, awkward and overly self-conscious on the dance floor at the best of times, some weird and wonderful moves.
Morning Gloryville began in London in 2013 and has since spread to New York, San Francisco, Berlin, Barcelona, Paris and Dublin. Founder of the event, Samantha Moyo, said besides being a vigorous workout, Morning Gloryville offers city-dwellers from all backgrounds, ages and professions a fun and healthy way to relax their minds and shake off their inhibitions.
Swapping the fun for a day at work was regrettable, but you know what? I didn’t mind. Yes, I was logging onto Outlook once again, but I didn’t have to wait until the sun went down to chat and laugh and move — I’d already done all that, with a generous helping of downward dogs thrown in. If art can rejig our attitude to life, this is it. I hope to see you at the next one!
Clare Fisher
For more about Morning Gloryville visit their website morninggloryville.com and for Morning Gloryville Leeds visit their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter @GloryvilleLEE
The next Morning Gloryville Leeds event will take place on Wednesday 22nd April from 6.30am-10.30am buy your tickets here
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