Alan Grofe’s Fountain of Youth Is the Dancefloor

Most people use their age as an excuse to eventually hang up their rave jersey and retire from the party life. But Alan Grofe doesn’t think the date on your license should determine your sense of belonging.

We crossed paths with him earlier this month at EDC Orlando, and he had this kid-at-heart nature about him that made you forget he could have been anyone’s grandfather there. What’s more is the fact that he was dancing circles around a crowd nearly one-third his age and smiling to the point where it looked like his cheeks would be sore the next day. This was Grofe existing in his element, and at that very moment, it was easy to see why he’s become a source of inspiration to so many people in the scene who hope to be lucky enough to be living out their dream at that phase in their life.

“You have to decide that you aren’t going to care what anybody thinks when you dance.”

Instead of just his youthfulness from afar, we got up close and personal with Alan to find out the secret behind staying as full-of-life as he has.

You normally come to these events solo. Tell us what that’s like for you.
So much of dancing and this scene is kind of what you do yourself, anyway. You don’t dance with anybody anymore. I can just come and hang out, drink Gatorades and Red Bulls to keep my energy up, and just have a great time. I really love the reception I get, too… the [Facebook] comments—they’re all positive, about sorta the model I’m setting for older people. They want to be like me when they get older. That’s a common thread, and I’m very proud of that. I didn’t start out to do that; it just came with the territory.

How does it feel to be perceived as this huge source of inspiration?
It feels really good, because I know they appreciate it. I can see it in their eyes. I mean, it’s not my age; it bypasses that whole thing, and they just see somebody who is living out what they love.

What are the standout comments you’ve read about yourself?
A lot of them are, “I’ve met him. What a great guy”; “When I get old, I wanna be like him.” Then they post it to all their friends and say, “He’s like you in 20 or 30 years!” I wish there were more older people who can do it, but for the most part, they don’t know how to dance in it. Whenever I see someone older, they are just standing, looking out of place.

What do you think it would take for the older generations to want to attend these parties?
I think they’d have to be somehow convinced that they would be accepted, you know—somehow it wouldn’t be so odd to be out there with 20-year-olds. That has never bothered me. You also have to decide that you aren’t going to care what anybody thinks when you dance. If you are all uptight about what people are gonna think of you when you’re dancing, don’t come. Just come, and be yourself. I’ve seen older people, a few, who’ve done exactly that, but most of them come with their kids and don’t know what to do. They’re observers rather than participants, and I’m a participant.

How did you build the self-confidence to not care about what people may think?
Funny little story: The first time I went out with my son, the condition was, I couldn’t be near him. We went to a club in D.C., and I stayed away from him all night. It was getting late, so I thought to myself, “I’m gonna go over and say hi at least.” I went over and tapped him, and he turned and said, “Get away from me! They’re gonna think you’re a narc!” I stood out so much, even in the beginning! I really watched people dance, so I learned moves from them. Pretty soon, I could go and not feel so estranged from what was going on, and that’s carried forward. I was going to outdoor festivals in D.C. 15 years ago, so my experience with festivals goes way back. This is my third year here at EDC Orlando.

What keeps you coming back to these parties after so many years?
I think it’s a combination of things. I run—I do 5K and 10K races. I’ve been doing that for 25 years, so I’m in pretty good shape. And I’ve loved to dance since I was kid. I was in a dance troupe when I was 11—a ballroom dancing troupe of four little kids. We went all over the place. So, dancing and the music go together for me.

Is there anything beyond running marathons that allows you to keep up with the festival life?
I think the healthy lifestyle is really it—trying to eat right. It’s hard to do that, but balance the lifestyle with that, and then the aerobic aspects of life will keep you physically fit. I just ran a race in Tampa—the Buccaneer’s Treasure Chest 5K for breast cancer. I took 2nd in my age group, and I’m not built like runner. I’m not a 120-pound guy, but that encourages me. That’s what I tell people: I run so I could dance.

Do you have any advice for the youngsters who might be planning for the next 20 or 30 years of their life?
First off, I think you have to live your dream. I’m an entrepreneur; I’ve been that way ever since I got out of the mainframe computer business, and I’ve been an entrepreneur that whole time. Live your dream, be open-minded, try new things, don’t be afraid to dance your butt off—you know, at a club—that’s my advice for kids.