With the days getting colder, darker and, in true Bristol style, wetter, you might be feeling like you need an injection of warm, healthy fun. Well, luckily for you, Shake Awake arrived this week to do just that!
The brainchild of four third years in 2013, its mission is to respond to the alcohol-fuelled, often chemically enhanced nights that us students are so famous for. It aims to promote a healthy lifestyle, where you can dance and be yourself without alcohol to keep it interesting. It hopes to bring together a diverse mixture of people, giving them a positive shared experience as a community and creating conversations that can drive positive change. This message is further enhanced through the involvement of charities such as STAR, BVDA and Coppa Feel. Basically, it’s clean clubbing for the body and soul.
(Photo credit: Facebook)
With such a big dream behind it, did the event live up to its goals?
Resoundingly, I have to answer yes! Not a morning person, I felt pretty sick when I set my alarm for 7am (the event opens at 6.30 for those early birds out there, but I knew an alarm set any earlier wouldn’t stand a chance against my finger on the snooze button!). “Think of the free massage” I told myself. Fast forward 7 hours and I felt even sicker when it went off. Sleepily donning my gym kit, I headed to the Anson Rooms.
Bleary eyed and a little scared of anyone who could put more than 2 words together at this time, the sight that greeted me was overwhelming; rows of yoga mats, crazy lighting and people dancing their socks off to loudly blasted music. Fast forward just five minutes, however, and I was dancing front row with the best of them, avocado smoothie in hand.
The energy of the event was infectious. DJ’s Bisco, Silver Tongues and Bobby Lost played a steady soundtrack of feel-good classic tunes that kept the atmosphere even livelier than their three-piece yellow suit and head-to-toe leopard print garms. After dancing up a sweat – dancing’s actually bloody tiring when you’re not fuelled by alcohol – calming kundalini yoga sessions and free massages, provided by Bristol Uni’s very own Massage Soc, were on hand to calm me down.
When I started to feel peckish after my early start and questionable dance moves I tucked into yummy vegan food, “Smash! smoothies”, and free “Vita Coco” water and popcorn. Delicious!
Walking home we all noticed how energized and healthy we felt. It was a great kick start to my morning and a real burst of energy on a grey and miserable Wednesday. To top it off, my calorie counter app told me I’d burnt 430 calories on the dance floor. Not bad for before 9am.
Look out for Olivia Everist and Rosie Finney’s next Shake Awake installment arriving in December.