Body Talk: A place to freely express with intention

Meredith Depuydt created a dance series in Hamilton where everyone is invited to “intimate, high vibe” events. The second is Oct. 17 at Aquanova Brewing. 

Meredith Depuydt is a Hamilton-based event producer and founder of Body Talk, a high-vibe, curated dance experience centred around house music, movement, and self-expression. A lifelong lover of dance and music, Depuydt created Body Talk this year as a space for people to let go, express themselves freely and reconnect with a side of themselves they may not get to access very often. 

We sat down with Depuydt at Pier 8 the day after Supercrawl to learn more about her and what folks can expect from Body Talk Vol 2, taking place on Saturday, Oct. 17, 9 p.m. to midnight, at Aquanova Brewing on Frid Street.

Body Talk Vol 1 sold out, and as of this chat on Sept. 14, you’re 50 per cent sold out for Vol 2 on Oct.17. You said that Body Talk is something that you had to build because it was something you were looking for, but couldn’t find it. Could you say more about the origins of Body Talk?

MD: The reason I created Body Talk was because I’ve been continuously going to Toronto for so many events that are like this: dance parties where it’s normal to dance wildly and with reckless abandon, to just throw down, and also where you dress up with intention. In those spaces, you’re surrounded by people who get it. That was a gap in Hamilton’s nightlife scene: it didn’t exist. You can go to different kinds of clubs or some of the raves, but there’s nothing like Body Talk. It’s meant to be intimate, high vibe, and intentional. People are there for the sake of the entire experience. 

It’s bigger than just dancing, though. For me, it represents an extension of who I am personally. It’s my way of allowing others to experience what I’ve experienced. When I started living my life in that way that’s very expressed, not holding back, living boldly, I felt this shift in my life where I felt more magnetic and life felt bigger. I want people to have that. 

I’ve always been a big music fan since my 20s and moving forward, but it wasn’t always electronic or house. The owner of Sous Bas, Erica, was throwing dance parties at Pier 8 in August during COVID. It was called Sous Bay, every Sunday with a party and different DJs. It was at those events that I realized I loved house music. That led me to going to many more events that had house and EDM. 

Body Talk is just me. There’s no one else organizing them. Prior to Body Talk, I did throw dance parties as part of the Vitamin Dance Collective. It was me and three other women. Vitamin Dance started as a way to beat the winter blues, held in the early spring. We had one in Acapulco Alley (now Ringside) in May 2023, and then we hosted another one in collaboration with Hamilton Winter Fest, a huge rave inside Jackson Square. After that, I needed to bring my own vision to life and I needed to do it alone, so I created Body Talk. 

You described it as not ecstatic dance, not a club. No dress code, but there is a standard. Everyone’s a participant, there are no spectators, and crucially “you’ll understand when you get there.” What inspired you to build these elements into Body Talk?

I’ve noticed that when I go to a party that’s really intentional, they have made it clear to any ticketholders what the experience is going to be like. When you show up with intention, it raises the vibration of the event. You don’t have anyone who just drifted into the party: they bought a ticket. There’s no one there just to show up and get drunk and not dance. I’m weeding them out on purpose. If you’re clear on the type of experience you want to create, you get something amazing. 

Shy people can come to this, too?

Yes. It’s for everybody. All genders. Any adult age. I’m 47 and I have no intention of slowing down. We have to get rid of the stigma that when you’re a certain age, you have to stop partying. You can party. You don’t have to be a good dancer, either, because there’s no right way to move. 

If you are very shy and not comfortable in your body, but you want to go to this for the first time, any advice that could help someone to get confidence to buy a ticket?

I’ve gone to events alone and ended up meeting people, because many people do come alone. If you’re a bit shy, you don’t have to go the full gamut and wear something that’s completely out of your wheelhouse, but maybe pick one item of clothing that’s a bit out of the box and go with that. You also don’t have to dance in front of everyone, you can hang around. 

Do you have prompts for people on how to dress?

On Instagram, I gave people a visual guide. Truly, everyone who shows up is part of the scene. You’re not just showing up with random clothes, but something chosen with intention, that will help you feel yourself, but also very expressive. For the people who need help to start, the guide can give you some ideas. It’s not overly strict like a formal dress code, but it should be slightly themed. I wouldn’t want it to be a full Halloween party (laughs). I want these events to keep going, to get a little wilder each time, maybe develop it into something like a festival, but for one night only.  

Why is it so important to be fully expressed in our bodies?

For me personally, the reason it’s important to do that is because it connects us to ourselves, gets us out of our heads, out of our thinking brain. Our bodies are more about feeling and experiencing. When you dance, it’s a form of expressing yourself, and when you’re in that flow state, you’re more magnetic. Who wouldn’t want to be more magnetic? To want more good things to come to you?  Also, just being in that room where you’re among others who are also doing that same thing, you’re feeling the energy of that around you. It’s an uplifting experience. It promotes feelings of connection to others, well being. 

What’s one conversation or experience at the first Body Talk this past May that stands out in your mind?

The owner of the venue, Kevin at Aquanova Brewing, was working the event. He stopped me in the middle of it and said, “We gotta book more of these, these are so amazing!” The reason why was because of the people. The most compliments I got from those who attended the event were high vibe, positive people. 

What will be different about Vol 2?

Body Talk 2 is asking more of us. It’s asking us to go a little bit more playful, more “stopping being so well behaved,” a bit spicier, sexier. It’s the fall iteration. I’m asking the DJ to have a darker energy to it, sultrier. I want the lighting to be darker. I want people to show up in something really sexy. It’s going to be amazing!

NEED TO KNOW

Body Talk Vol 2
Saturday, Oct.17, 9 p.m. to midnight
Aquanova Brewing Company
67 Frid St., Unit 13, Hamilton. 
To learn more about and to get tickets, follow thebodytalkexperience on Instagram