All across the country, Baby Loves Disco is slowly but surely transforming the hippest venues into child proof discos as toddlers, pre-schoolers and parents looking for a break from the routine playground circuit let loose for some post naptime, pre-dinner fun. Make no mistake, this is NOT the Mickey Mouse club, and Barney is Banned. Baby loves disco is an afternoon dance party featuring real music spun and mixed by real djs blending classic disco tunes From the 70s, & 80s guaranteed to get those little booties moving and grooving.

This latest and most unlikely dance craze was started in the States and pulled over the pond to debut in London and Manchester this September thanks mostly to a tenacious Manchester Mum that took it upon herself to bring the original family dance party to the UK where she will be hosting and running the show.

The fun spills out from all corners of the coolest clubs in town: bubble machines, baskets of instruments, a chill-out room (with tents, books and puzzles), diaper changing stations, a full spread of healthy snacks and dancing, LOTS of dancing (and yes, the cash bar will be open for mommy and daddy!). But at it’s core, baby loves disco is a community event that brings kids together with kids and parents and parents together with parents, guaranteed to be the best time you've had at a kids event.....

Baby Loves Disco started out as “just something different to do with our kids” says BLD co-founder Heather Murphy, the professional dancer turned “momtreprenuer” who never in her wildest dreams could have imagined that she would soon be labeled a “visionary” (the New York Times) and the founder of a “certified cultural craze” (ABC news).

It was only three years ago in a tiny dance club in Philadelphia were Murphy worked as a waitress and put on the first official Baby Disco party which became an underground sensation and eventually caught the attention of New York City music producer Andy Blackman Hurwitz. “My entire family walked out of Baby Disco with huge smiles – it was easily the most fun we ever had at a ‘kids’ event” says Hurwitz, the father of two boys and also a noted record producer and children’s author, “the only thing I could think of was ‘we have to do this in New York’ simply so that we can invite all of our friends!”.

And while starting a new business venture was the furthest thing from his mind, the event took on a life of it it’s own. Soon after debuting at the fabled Club Cielo in Manhattan’s Meat Packing District during September of 2005 the party very quickly became one of those New York City “overnight sensations”. By the second party the New York Times was covering it, by the third party Japanese news crews were showing up, and very quickly thereafter the word started spreading around the country (and the world!). “We had a rinky-dink website and started getting emails from mothers (and some dads too) begging us to bring the party to their towns” explained Hurwitz.

With motivated Moms (and a few dads) clamoring to get in on the action, Murphy and Hurwitz began to test the waters outside of their home cities. As Hurwitz explains “One mom in particular (from Boulder, Colorado) was so persistent that she went as far as to find a venue for us and then sent us a petition from 200 moms in her ‘mommy group’ begging us to come, so I basically said ‘okay, we'll come, but you have to run the party”. And so Hurwitz went out, brought the whole kit with him, hired some great Djs, set up the party, showed these local moms the ropes, and when he left, these moms went on to run the event every month (they received part of the profits) and that's how it started to spread.

And continues to spread! Now in over 22 cities across the U.S., ever single Baby Loves Disco starts the same exact way - by a mom (or dad) “signing up” to launch and run the party. This grassroots approach has been vital to BLD’s success and is clearly part of the overall story here – selling out events all over the country without any real advertising or marketing – just riding the wave of the parent brigade which is precisely how BLD came to the UK – through a tenacious and passionate Mum from Manchester – Naomi Timperley who Hurwitz credits for “single handedly bringing this party to the U.K”. After connecting with Hurwitz via email Ms. Timperley (the mother of two) went out and found the right venues, the right partners, and started spreading the word the way all BLD events are spread – one parent at a time.

So what’s the big attraction? BLD seems to have found the right mix of fun for kids AND for parents – something very rare in children’s entertainment. While non-driving parents have the option to indulge in a cocktail at the cash bar, enjoy a massage in the Mums lounge, or simply dance to great music, the Kids are free to roam the patented “chill out zone” that’s loaded with puzzles, games and books, graze on the healthy organic snacks (which are always in reach), sip on juice boxes or boogie down with Mom and Dad. Dance contests, product sampling, socializing and more – the blend of fun at BLD seems to have hit a chord with kids and parents alike. Another Part of the success of BLD is it’s authenticity: “we wanted to keep the events ‘real’ – with real Djs and real clubs” says co-founder Murphy. Indeed, BLD’s stateside DJ list reads like a “who’s who” in the Land of Djs including King Britt, Cosmo Baker, DJ Logic, DJ Eleven, DJ Ayres and many more. The clubs include….Cielo in NYC, Ruby Skye in San Francisco and Club Firestone in Orlando. Does a 3 year old know that he or she is in a famous dance club? “No” says Murphy, but clearly they do know they’re in a cool new environment and the ‘wow’ factor when they walk in the door is clearly evident.”And the number one overheard comment from parents is always “gosh, I haven’t been to a real club in YEARS!”.

At its core, Baby Loves Disco is a community event, hosted by local parents, that brings kids together with kids and parents together with parents. Not to be left out, hip grandparents (who may actually remember grooving to disco in their youth) are also getting into Baby Loves Disco. At the recent launch in Portland, a Philadelphia grandmother traveled cross-country to join her daughter and grandkids.

Baby Disco created itself in November 2004, when my son, Max, was a toddler. It was the sum of all of my parts (mom, modern dancer, choreographer, & caterer) all swirled together in one place and time.

As a new mom, I was shocked by the amount of organized, commercial crap made “just for kids.” The Zoo was a nice place to visit but it was hard to find anything very healthy to eat amidst the plethora of blue frozen drinks and junk food machines. The commercialism just seemed gross with the “Tastycake” and “Dodge-Chrysler” displays and gift shops that were so well-placed and eye-catching that our visits often ended with me saying “No” about 50 times in my many mama-voices. The Children’s Museum, though wonderful to Max, left me feeling a bit out of the loop (with experiences that had very little adult resonance). It too, had its own junk food machines and gift shop to avoid. I was really surprised at my own disappointment, as I thought for certain that we would be “regulars” at these family-oriented places.

I started thinking about my own ideas of family fun, and began threatening my mama group with a dance party in my living room. I envisioned healthy treats, good music and no dumbed-down kid junk. I wanted a real opportunity to have fun dancing together without skimping on the big people. It took me a while to really do it and by the time I was ready I realized that my living room would be too small. I approached my (then) boss at the restaurant I worked in a couple evenings per week about throwing a baby dance party in his upstairs club on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. It was a bit of an “off” question, but he agreed as long as I could cover the costs of staffing, etc.

I bought egg shakers, play scarves, pillows and a bubble machine. I stocked a “chill-out space” with books and simple toys and bought a bunch of low-sugar and healthy snacks for a kid buffet. I got an actor/friend/DJ (DJ K-Tell) to bring his amazing stock of disco and rare 80’s records to spin at the party. I bought some balloons, made a diaper changing station and opened the club at 2pm on a cold Saturday in November. I prayed that 35 people would show-up, and in the end, over 100 turned-out. “Baby Disco” was born!

After a month or two to think and organize, Baby Disco was launched as a monthly party at Fluid Nightclub in Philadelphia. The owner, Tony Schiro, embraced the concept wholly by having the club triple-cleaned and supplying adult munchies from his restaurant, the Latest Dish. He even went so far as to replace the carpeting in the club to make it nicer for the little ones. Tony took me shopping for goods at the restaurant supply store and offered to picked-up the balloons every month in his SUV.

A year later, I met Andy Hurwitz at a Baby Disco party and after a 45 minute conversation we agreed to partner-up, re-name the event “Baby Loves Disco” and take it to New York City. We launched there in the fall of 2005. Baby Loves Disco has soldout at the Manhattan location every month in 2006, so far. Folks e-mail us with lots of positive and appreciative feedback and those who hear about the event through the grapevine ask when we will bring it to a city near them. Baby Loves Disco is currently a coast-to-coast event with locations in Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Boulder, San Francisco and LA. We are expanding as quickly as two people can and we are working very hard to maintain our signature vibe and aesthetic while also trying out new ideas and creating relationships with agreeable sponsors.

Baby Loves Disco is an urban experiment and experience that challenges many norms. We have all kinds of families who participate. Baby Loves Disco serves as a meeting ground for parents, friends, family and caregivers of young children. It is a place to chat and be social while dancing with the little ones. It is a place to read a book to a toddler in the “chill-out space.” It is a place that embraces public nursing. My favorite feedback/comment so far has been one mother telling me that event was a “complete release” for the whole family.

Baby Loves Disco serves the priorities of the family by refusing to accept that parenting is an isolated experience. Baby Loves Disco strives to create a resonant experience for all in the sprit of sharing music and dance. As humans we are only a sum of our experiences and memories. Baby Loves Disco embraces an urban culture of parenting that remembers and celebrates our histories as people and shares them with our children in a safe and fun way.

The decibel level is around 80 dbl and the music played is mostly classic disco and lots of more contemporary, yet clean, favorites. The bubble machine is a crowd favorite as are the egg shakers and scarves. The fare for parents and children is a plethora of gourmet and mostly organic snacks, thanks to the sponsorship by local stores such as Whole Foods, Fresh Direct and Wild Oats.

I believe that Baby Loves Disco is so successful because it was started by parents, for parents and that the event seeks to be a grassroots, back to basics, family event that also has a lot of hip appeal. The combination of “clean” and “cool” is a difficult balance to strike but very desirable to younger parents who don’t quite buy the old fashioned notion of trading in your old life once parenthood hits. We’ve started a real business.

Andy and I are both excited that we have created stay at home jobs that we can manage in our own way and time. I have been able to quit my part-time restaurant job and take a comfortable maternity leave from my performance life. I have created a job that my kid can come to and have fun with, and that my husband finds exciting. We are psyched to employ moms as our “hostesses” at our events and we are currently creating a “giving plan” to donate a percentage of our income to children with terminal illnesses. Andy is excited to start working on a CD of original Baby Loves Disco tracks, spun by some of the best, A-list DJs. I’m dreaming about how to weave the presence of child dancers-to-be and DJs-to-be into our live event experience, as positive peer-influence and fun-makers.

Andy is the music man-the mover and shaker of our efforts with his many “industry” talents trickling down from his other lives as partner in “Ropeadope Records” and creator of “Baby Loves Everything.” I’m the dancer who does the follow-up, interviews, bookkeeping, and emailing while making sure all of the venues are supplied with egg shakers and bubbles.We really love working and collaborating together (and comparing notes on our kids!).We strike an amazing balance of similarities and differences in energy and approach-a bit of yin and yang at its creative best.

I remember sitting in front of the computer with Max nursing in my arms as I researched cloth diapering options and I laughed at all of the advertisements claiming that mothers could “start your own, stay-at-home business” not believing it could be a possible option for myself. And now, I sit in front of my computer, doing my work and just marvel at what this small idea has become. I have more work than I can handle, another baby due in August and I can only wonder what child # 2 will inspire.