Brent Rosen Valley Beth Shalom congregant and Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) drama teacher Brent Rosen also owns and operates Dance Party Industries, a DJ company specializing in b’nai mitzvahs, weddings and school dances.
With schools closed due to the coronavirus outbreak, Rosen and his wife Rachel came up with the idea of holding an interactive dance party via Facebook Live for families with small children. The seeds of the event were planted after seeing celebrities performing concerts live on social media.
With an audio system, a microphone and his two children as his backup dancers, Rosen set up the event in his garage. More than 2,000 people tuned in to his dance party that included the Cha-Cha Slide, the Macarena and freeze dance. Even CBS television covered the event. He played a variety of songs, including the Black Eyed Peas’ “I’ve Got a Feeling,” Motown music and songs from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
“The idea is for families to take a break from the craziness,” Rosen told the Journal. “Maybe this is a time for the kids to get their wiggles out; to be out dancing and doing stuff in their living room.”
In the wake of the LAUSD school closures, Rosen said he and his wife have been trying to explain to their 10 and 5-year-old children why they are stuck at home. “We told them why we’re doing this, how soon we can do [normal] things again but we don’t know how long it will be,” he said.
The dance party was a welcome diversion and given its success, Rosen plans to host another one on March 25.
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