Winter months can make it challenging to keep children active and away from screens, but a local DJ duo has created an energetic solution that gets the whole family moving.
Luke Balzrina and Lan Liu, owners of Kid Boogie Down, bring DJ culture to families through dance parties designed specifically for parents and children to enjoy together.
"I've been DJ-ing for 25 years, and once I had kids, I realized there wasn't an outlet to bring all the cool stuff that I had learned and experienced as a DJ to parents and kids," Balzrina said.
The couple created events where families can enjoy music together in an age-appropriate environment. Balzrina, who performs as DJ Lukewarm, carefully curates playlists that include house, disco and pop music while ensuring all lyrics and content remain family-friendly.
"A lot of the genres we play take so much care and attention to making sure that the lyrics and the content is appropriate," Balzrina said. "The end result is parents can come and feel comfortable knowing that the music is good and appropriate and that everyone can still have a good time."
Liu focuses on engaging children directly during the events, inviting them onto the dance floor for interactive experiences that include bubbles and other activities.
Watch: Kids can dance away winter blues at family-friendly DJ events
"We're not just playing at the kids with music. We're really playing with them," Liu said. "I'm there to help engage them and invite them onto the dance floor where we can have fun."
The approach creates a chain reaction of participation, according to Balzrina.
"The cool thing about kids is they dance like nobody's watching. They don't have any of the hang-ups that some adults will have," Balzrina said. "Once kids start dancing, the parents sort of let loose, and they start dancing."
The business has become a family affair, with the couple's teenage children now helping at events by working registration tables and applying temporary tattoos for younger attendees.
Kid Boogie Down will host a Happy New Year dance party at The Cooperage this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Additional winter events are scheduled throughout the coming months.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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