Center for New Media offers New Year's Eve dance

BETHEL -- The Center for New Media and the Arts will have a "sober dance" on New Year's Eve from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The center will be turned into a nightclub with a "party atmosphere," according to Stephen Snow, who worked in the 1980s as a bartender in some of New York City's hottest clubs -- The Palladium, Roxy, 4-D and The Red Zone, among them.

In Bethel the Center for New Media and the Arts will be transformed into a New York City-style nightclub, complete with a wild light show, fog machines, and music provided by DJ Steve Regan. The party gets kicking at 8 p.m. on Thursday. Though alcohol will not be served, the center promises a rockin' New Year's Eve celebration.

Regan, 56, of Manhattan, said he always comes ready with a huge arsenal of music in all different styles, but the type of music he plays will depend on the audience.

"I try to create a groove, but also take lots of requests and take it where (the audience) wants to go," Regan said.

There will be a light show and fog machines. Snow has booked Steve regan, an old deejay friend for the event, someone who played for Princess Diana, Tony Blair and Tina Brown, among other celebrities, so the dance floor will be in good hands. Regan began spinning professionally in New York City in 1980 and has kept crowds hopping ever since. He's played events for Princess Diana, Tony Blair and Tina Brown, among others.

In addition he worked five years of "Dancing in the Garden" at Tavern on the Green and ten years at the upscale club and restaurant Mortimer's, where he spun for the likes of Blaine Trump, Barbara Walters and Princess Caroline.

Regan said when working as a DJ you want to make sure one song flows into the other well. Even when playing requests it's good to keep the big picture in mind. "You want to find a place for it to fit into the program," Regan said.

But despite your best efforts sometimes a request, even one that seems reasonable, can go terribly wrong and kill the energy. Than it becomes a matter of "how fast you can get out of it," Regan said.

Whatever you request, odds are Regan will have it, whether it be techno, hip-hop, rock, reggae, country or even klezmer. In contrast to many DJs who specialize in a particular music genre, Regan describes himself as a musicologist "who loves every type of music."

Regan is unfazed by working with a sober crowd. He's worked nondrinking crowds many times before and said people still dance without alcohol and they "tend to be healthier and in a way more enthusiastic."

Plus, Regan adds, you don't have the downside. When it comes time to pack up his gear and go home there's no obnoxious person nagging him, "just one more! One more," Regan joked.

Regan spins at the New Year's Eve `Sober' Dance Party at the Center for New Media on Dec. 31 from 8 p.m. - 2 a.m. ($20 donation at the door.) The center is at 186 Greenwood Ave. on the 2nd floor in Bethel. Call 203-797-1786 or visit www.dv-arts.com.