Brian F Nattrass, celebrating his 80th birthday at a festival with his daughter, discovered that dancing made him feel ageless. He had not danced in over 40 years but joined raves each night for three nights, dancing until 4-5am with strangers. 'I was initially afraid that the dance style I learned 60 years ago in the age of rock would look really out of it. But nope,' he wrote.
Overcoming self-doubt
Nattrass admitted to 'internalised ageism' and self-doubts before the festival, but his daughter encouraged him. 'She said: “Dad, you’ll do great!” So I went, and I did,' he said. He found that dancing felt 'so tangible and felt so right, and it was so energising'. He added, 'Once I started dancing and felt the beat of the music, I completely forgot my age of 80 years; I became ageless.'
Health benefits of raving
John Parry, a 63-year-old who goes clubbing or to festivals about 10 times a year, echoed the benefits. 'The shared feelings of euphoria with polite and kind people from every generation far outweigh the tiredness the day after,' he wrote. Parry, who has rheumatoid arthritis, is 'thoroughly convinced of the extended health benefits of raving for six-ish hours'. He concluded, 'If you like dancing, go dancing. It’s lovely.'
