If you’re looking for an inclusive, uplifting dance experience, the Co-Creative Center in downtown New Bedford could have what you want.
The “Body Body Body” Underground Dance events have been enjoyed by the community since 2017, and are currently happening on the first Saturday night of the month – events that last from 8 p.m. to midnight at the 137 Union St. space. The events are conducted by the New Moon Production Company, led by New Bedford’s Andy Anello.
The evenings will feature four acts – three resident deejays and a musical act. This Saturday will include deejays Anello, baye, and Neil Matheson, along with the music of the Providence band, Space Heater X. There will be free bottled water available, but no food or other beverages. A $5 donation is requested but not mandatory.
While the event encourages queer and marginalized visitors, it is not exclusive to any lifestyle. They promote the event as open to people of all races and sexes, ethnicities and income, with no homophobia, no body shaming, and no non-consensual touching.
“We’re trying to offer a friendly, welcoming space that’s very dance-floor focused,” Anello says. “These types of parties are a release for people. You may have had a stressful week so when you get on the dance floor you forget it all, have fun and kind of lose yourself. We provide a space for people to have that release.”
The parties feature a wide variety of dance music, from the disco-era to contemporary. The umbrella of styles includes a vast spectrum of electronic music, including House, Techno, Drums & Bass, along with an array of music made with synthesizers, samplers and drum machines. New Moon provides the sound system and lighting for the event.
“You don’t usually find parties like this outside of the larger cities like Providence, Boston and New York,” Anellosays.
The Co-Creative Center is described as a co-working hub for the community of social and creative entrepreneurs in the South Coast. It also presents music concerts throughout the year.
Another feature of the “Body Body Body” event will be the Marie Equi Zine Library. Owned and operated by New Bedford’s Neesh Savino, the library features an international collection of zines devoted mainly to queer art and culture. Visitors are invited to take a break from dancing to peruse and enjoy these hand-designed periodicals unique to the pre-Internet age. Savino has been collecting these zines for more than 25 years, and has been offering this unique pop-up installation at events since 2018. The library is named after New Bedford native Marie Equi, a renown physician, activist, and queer feminist.
“These zines are a way to share the space with people who like the atmosphere of the event but want to do something in addition to dancing,” Savino says. “It’s another way to engage with the community besides the unspoken aspects of dance and music. It’s a chill-out space for sharing interesting micro stories from every corner of the globe.”
There will be reading lights available for visitors and most of the zines are kept in plastic covers to avoid damage. The zines are non-circulating and are not for sale.
“Body Body Body” got its start in alternative spaces in New Bedford, including yoga studios, art studios, lofts, and storefronts. They currently put on 12 shows a year – nine at the Co-Creative Center and three outdoor events in the warmer months. This summer there will be two parties at Riverside Park in the city’s north end on the first Saturdays of July and September, with a tentative party scheduled at Buttonwood Park, known as the Roller Dance Party, in August.
“Everyone shows up for the purpose of the event, it’s different than a club or bar where people might just be going to have a drink,” Anello says. “People aren’t just happening upon it. They’re dedicated to the idea of the night which creates a really great vibe of community, and people get to know each other.
“If a space is safe for marginalized people, it’s safe for everyone.”
Sonic SouthCoast 