Cass, Sarah
Get up on it
Issue #31
With her no-bullshit dance party, DJ and events promoter Sara Thurston thinks drama-free is the way to be, and the kids agree
By Jen Ng
Published: March 1st, 2007 | 12:00am
As a prominent Denver DJ (going by the club moniker “DJ Sara T.”), Sara Thurston was sick of dealing with typical nightclub nonsense from tough-guy bouncers, smug promoters, hipster elitists, and sleazy dudes on the dance floor. In April 2001, she decided to channel her frustration into action, creating Danceotron: Denver’s No Bullshit Dance Party, a monthly event that started in a warehouse and is now regularly hosted at the rocknroll-friendly Hi Dive club.
“I wanted a place to feel safe [in]. At Danceotron, you can dance alone, have a dance-off ... strangers dance with strangers,” Thurston says. Danceotron is about creating a fun and inviting atmosphere — sans attitudes and constraints. Partiers won’t find homogenous fashion or personalities at Danceotron. Whether they come in basic street clothes or arrive dressed to impress, everyone is there to dance to a universal language of solid beats. Thurston’s promotional tactics have always set the party’s tone, from early literature slicked with Mary J. Blige quotes about avoiding drama to her criteria for choosing guest DJs.
“The DJs have to be nice,” she says. Thurston has a steadfast rule against booking DJs who belittle or demean women, no matter how creative they are. And obscure music collections don’t impress her. Being a DJ at Danceotron is about getting people on the floor, so genuine enthusiasm for music is paramount. The formula has been received more enthusiastically than even Thurston herself could have imagined; Danceotron consistently attracts crowds numbering upward of 250 people.
When Thurston herself spins, she unfurls beat-heavy tracks with creativity and variety — ranging from synth, electro, and ghetto-tech to Miami Bass and ’80s hip-hop. With a hefty résumé, complete with experience as a DJ, promoter, tour and studio manager, and musician, Thurston admits she has encountered some element of “bullshit” at every stage of her career. What she didn’t anticipate was the friction and resistance from other DJs and club owners that surfaced during Danceotron’s development. “I didn’t realize doing what you enjoy — and doing it well — could be such a threat,” she says. “I try not to waste my time in proving myself.”
Thurston’s independent vision and resilience have earned her titles such as Denver’s “Best Dance/Electronic DJ” by the Westword, Denver’s alternative weekly, and “Best Underground DJ,” by the Denver Post. “When I was nominated for the first award, I was floored. I had no idea people were paying attention to what I was doing. When the [mainstream] press paid attention, I began to realize I was affecting more people than I thought.”
To celebrate Danceotron’s sixth birthday in April, Thurston will be doing a West Coast DJ tour in March. More information is available at danceotron.com and myspace.com/danceotron.
Comments
Please login to be able to comment on this article.
more