Local, inclusive LGBTQ+ dance party Wiggle Room is a safe space to move

This is only the second Wiggle Room dance party to date. It’s said to be nothing but great music and vibes, with plenty of opportunity to show off your best — or worst — dance moves.

In other words, there’s always a little wiggle room.

Because of the all-inclusive nature of the event, especially in a time of heightened backlash against LGBTQ+ rights and safety, having a safe space for marginalized peoples offers visibility and solidarity within those communities.

“I believe that there is safety in numbers,” Khellie said. “The idea of this event is really to show people, who think we maybe shouldn’t exist, that we’re going to keep existing. We can’t be scared to be ourselves. I can’t stop being queer, just like I can’t stop being black. Wiggle Room is a space that is supposed to celebrate people that look like me and people that look like themselves. I just want people to know that they can show up how they want, and we’ve got their back.”

Historically, hip-hop has been a genre for people who need to be heard. The sound has always been about exploring freedom — to embody it, even if just for a night.

DJ BreezyEZ’s set will feature tracks from artists like Doechii, Megan Thee Stallion, and Leikeli47 — artists who embody the idea that black people are powerful, that women are powerful, and that there is power in hip-hop and R&B.

On top of shedding light on traditionally marginalized groups, Wiggle Room also highlights local artists “doing the thing.”

“Major artists are doing it; they’re charting, they’re touring. But there’s talent right here,” Khellie said. “There are people right here who can do the thing, and we just want to give them a space to showcase that.”

Tyler Dulaney-Brown, frontperson of TyeBee & the Buzz, caught Khellie’s attention with the music video for the single “Bad B*tch,” as well as at the group’s first performance at Yellow Cab last year.

“I thought, This person is ready to put it on the stage,” Khellie said. “They are a great performer, and we’re really excited to have them and to be working with them.”

TyeBee & the Buzz is currently working on its first EP. The album explores heavier topics, emotions and aggressions, through R&B, and more uplifting material and affirmations through pop — with a little alternative to taste.

“Being involved in the Dayton music scene is a light in itself,” Dulaney-Brown said. “There’s so much talent. Me just now starting only a few months ago and already being included, people realizing what I have to offer, it kind of means a lot. We all need to dance, and we need some sort of light, some sort of fun. We just deserve to have time to finally just let loose.”

Dance can and should look like whatever comes out of your body — a reassurance offered by Khellie B when I suggested I was a terrible dancer, and asked if that was okay.

“We want there to be space for you to shake it out, and just give yourself a little room to express yourself however you need,” Khellie said. “If you feel good dancing, the energy of Wiggle Room is to let it go.”

Brandon Berry writes about the Dayton and Southwest Ohio music and art scene. Have a story idea for him? Email branberry100@gmail.com.

HOW TO GO

What: Wiggle Room Party

When: 9 p.m. March 28

Where: Yellow Cab Tavern, 700 E. 4th St., Dayton

Cost: $5

Tickets: yellowcabtavern.com/event-tickets