Dancing for Japan
Written by Steve Weinstein
03/22/2011
The dance community is uniting behind an organization called Red Dot Relief to provide money and raise awareness of the continuing disasters caused by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The group is working with Peace Boat, a Japan-based international non-governmental group that promotes peace and environmental concerns. Peace Boat has direct routes wthin Japan.
According to the press release, “Many DJs and dance acts worldwide describe Japan as one of their favourite destinations due to their never dying support for dance music and their warmth towards people.” Red Dot is asking people to promote the effort via social networking sites, email blasts and word of mouth, as well as donating a part of artists’ fees. They would like club owners to provide a bucket for donations at their events.
What’s interesting about this effort is that it marks one more step in actually creating an international “dance community.” As clubs become more and more integrated (as far as sexual orientation) and more and more gay clubbers go to mixed or even straight events (such as Victor Calderone’s parties in New York), there is more intermingling. It’s become time the gay producers, promoters, DJs and dancers become more active in the wider DJ community — and this seems like as good a place to start as any.
