Let's Get Physical

Surrounded by new condos and townhouses, the warehouse at 35 Strachan in the King St area is the last hold-out. It too is destined to be turned into a new development soon. In the mean time, it houses a number of businesses including prop storage for the Clay and Paper Theatre. Thursday night, Maylee Todd took over that space to hold an under-the-radar party for the video release of her new single Baby's Got It.

Looming over the party goers were giant puppets from Clay and Paper. Someone had hung 2 wooden swings from ceiling pipes. In one corner, multi-coloured vaginas were being sewn from felt as merchandise. Men channeled their inner 1985 dude in day-glo t-shirts and shorts, even if they weren't even alive back then. Women mostly went with tight peek-a-boo clothes.  In a large circle of whooping people, dancers strutted their stuff: hip-hop, 80s retro, 70s disco, and even glowing juggling balls.

Maylee eventually started Sweatshop Hop, an old dance/aerobics session that she used to lead, inspired by her collection of aerobics vinyls. Everybody gathered to stretch and dance to her instructions. However, it was clear that Maylee wasn't your typical GoodLife Fitness instructor. Squats became "Shitting in the Woods" and arm workouts turned into "Punch Tall Guy in the Crotch". She simply started making up moves including The Leg Hump. Then everything got sexy: sexy hamstring stretches, sexy splits, sexy bicycle kicks accompanied by mood-setting moans and suggestions.

It was appropriate, then, that when her video debuted it was also sexy: bright red lipsticks, flirtatious posing, and Madonna-esque dancing. A good chunk of people left afterwards, but the rest remained to dance to more music being spun by Circle Research.