Rave on, family style Wackydoodle Dance Party’s afternoon dance parties lets onetime club kids hit the dance floor with their kids By: AV Kitching Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Wednesday, Mar. 15, 2023

The dance floor heaves as the crowd shimmies and shakes, a sea of hands waving in the air in response to DJ K-Chedda’s exhortation. Twinkle-toed dancers, some dressed to the nines in sequins and twirly skirts, others more casual in joggers and colourful tees, engage in dance-offs.

The set list is banging, the crowd is on their feet and the vibes are immaculate. The feel is so nightclub.

Except it’s just 3:30 p.m. on a Saturday and instead of being in a dimly lit room we’re at Level 2 at Hargrave St. Market.

And most of the revellers here wouldn’t gain entry to a PG-13 screening, let alone a rave.

Welcome to Wackydoodle Dance Party, where parents share the floor with their kids and everyone has a grand time throwing around balloons as they bop along to Reel 2 Real’s Move It (although, let’s be honest, this demographic most likely recognizes the tune from the DreamWorks’ Madagascar franchise).

The brainchild of husband and wife Tim Hoover and Karli Colpitts, who go by DJ Co-op and K-Chedda respectively, these parties are aimed squarely at families with young children.

“We started it because we love DJing and we are parents of a toddler, with another one on the way. We wanted to do something that would be fun for us, for our family and for other folks who have kids,” Hoover says.

The couple, who have a combined 25 years of DJing between them, deliver a mix of Motown, hip-hop, funk and chart hits at their events. Saturday’s set list was eclectic to say the least, featuring Taylor Swift, KC and the Sunshine Band, OutKast and A-ha among others.

“We started it because we love DJing and we are parents of a toddler, with another one on the way. We wanted to do something that would be fun for us, for our family and for other folks who have kids.”–Tim Hoover

The free-to-attend two-hour extravaganza downtown is a clear hit; the space is rammed with pushchairs and strollers, there are balloons everywhere, and hordes of happy children, accompanied by their equally cheery adults, fill the dance floor in minutes.

Dancing with his wife and children, Justin Navarrete, 35, used to attend hip-hop parties thrown by Hoover, less sedate affairs that would run into the early hours of the morning. This late afternoon slot (the party runs 3-5 p.m.) is perfect for him and his wife, Stephanie, to get together with friends who happen to be parents and hang out.

“Tim used to play a lot of hip-hop and rap, stuff you wouldn’t hear or typically hear in a mainstream club,” Navarrete says, as the crowd around him goes wild for the Cha-Cha-Slide, clearly a hit with the under-sevens on the dance floor.

“Me and my wife enjoy listening to music, we throw it on a lot at home to try to get the kids dancing. It’s fun to do it here. It’s a good mix of child-friendly music but then there are also songs that the parents will recognize,” he says.

Maria Mikos, 32, also used to attend Hoover’s parties in her youth, with her younger sister Katina. On Saturday the siblings had brought along two new partygoers: Maria’s children — 20-month-old daughter Wyatt, and four-month-old son Wells.

“We used to go to those parties a long time ago. I would’ve been around 20 at that time. They were so fun,” she says. “Now I am here with my children. I think it’s such a great idea; it gives parents a good opportunity to go out and have a drink and get some food. They have this thing that they can do together with their kids. It’s different and a ton of fun seeing kids interact with each other in this way and also getting to interact with them like this. It’s a great idea.”

For Hoover and Colpitts these reactions are gratifying.

“I think parents like bringing their kids to these events because it’s an activity where the kids can be active and we are doing them in locations with a bar where parents can enjoy a drink,” Hoover says.

Tunes that prompt dancing, such as Chubby Checker’s Let’s Twist Again or Shout by The Isley Brothers are crowd pleasers, as is perennial favourite YMCA by Village People, which sees everyone, below 10 or otherwise, spelling out letters with gusto.

“When you play a kid’s party it’s not a matter of if you play, it’s a matter of when you play the YMCA. You don’t want to play it too early before the dance floor fills or too late so that people miss it. It’s kind of a special, finding the perfect moment to play it,” Hoover says.

For Navarrete, the opportunity to dance with his family was too good to miss.

“It’s great. My wife and I don’t get to go out a lot as we have kids now and I thought that this looked like fun. Tim always throws a good party and now he throws a good one for kids as well! We were there with a few friends, and we are talking about getting together again and meeting up at the next one.”

Hoover says he never envisioned his career going down this path. He still DJs events at clubs but the late nights no longer hold the same appeal.

“I love DJing and performing and sharing music; doing these parties allows me to continue to do what I love and to do it with the context as parents. I don’t want to be in a nightclub until two or three in the morning. It was fine when I was in my 20s or 30s but not so much now. With these parties our daughter Ellie comes and hangs out with us; it’s very important to us that she comes.”

“I think it’s such a great idea; it gives parents a good opportunity to go out and have a drink and get some food. They have this thing that they can do together with their kids. It’s different and a ton of fun seeing kids interact with each other in this way and also getting to interact with them like this. It’s a great idea.”–Maria Mikos

The children — mine included — are having a blast. Taylor Swift’s music is met with raucous cheers, drawing everyone back to the centre of the dance floor to jostle and jump. A conga line forms and enthusiastically snakes its way around the crowd. At first glance, if you didn’t know what was going on, it would look like any other night out. Except, of course, that it’s not.

Mottola Grocery downstairs has put on a special hot menu for today’s event and hungry partygoers’ troop down the escalator to tuck into mini burgers, popcorn chicken, vegetables, fruit and cookies. Fed, and watered, they come back upstairs energized and raring to get back dancing. The party continues unabated, some families stay the duration whilst others pop in for a bit. Curious food hall diners — the DJ console and dance floor are sandwiched between Gusto North and Saburo Kitchen — peek to see what all the fuss is about before retreating.

As festivities draw to a close, K-Chedda winds down with Let It Go from Frozen. It’s been another successful event; the kids tiredly swaying along, stifling yawns after an afternoon of hectic activity. With any luck it’ll be early bedtimes for all.

av.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

AV Kitching
Reporter

AV Kitching is an arts and life writer at the Free Press.

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