The Hot Flash Rave: Dallas Women Are Flipping the Menopause Script

Women of a certain age are taking their nights back. Well, sort of. So long as they’re in bed by 10 p.m., feeling fresh and ready to tackle the world in the morning.

Perimenopause and menopause are trending. Social media — or perhaps society at large — has ripped the Band-Aid off the once-taboo fact of life for every female on the planet. Now, instead of women accommodating the thing, women are ready to party like it’s 1999, but with the A/C on blast, naturally.

Take Hot Flash Rave. Editor and writer Courtney Smith is hosting a dance party starting at 5 p.m. at Saint Valentine, a come-as-you-are cocktail lounge in East Dallas. This event is for women of a certain age who want to dance and be home by 10 p.m.

The idea is inspired by the Earlybird Dance Club in Chicago.

“My friend Jessica Hopper, a well-known music writer and documentarian whose Lillith Fair doc just dropped on Hulu, who lives there, posted about it, and I thought it was a great idea,” Smith says.

Smith’s Hot Flash Rave, an eponym for the wonderful hot flahses women experience during perimenopause and menopause, is for women who aren’t ready to quit dancing.

“The idea of dancing unhindered in a room full of other women just sounds so refreshing,” Smith adds.

And great news, the A/C will actually be on blast (low-60s is the rumor).

Smith, who was part of Eater’s layoffs in August, approached the owners of Saint Valentine, Gabe Sanchez and Ryan Payne. They were all in for accommodating this early dance party.

“Gabe suggested doing it on October 11 as counterprogramming to the TX/OU game, which is so clever,” Smith says. “They’re developing some special NA cocktails for the evening because during the hormonal fluctuations of menopause, it gets harder for our bodies to process alcohol.”

Naturally, there will be alcoholic cocktails for anyone who wants to partake.

“I also wanted to do this at Saint Valentine because they already have a natural wine list, with lower sulphates, and that’s the wine that helps me have far less of a hangover at this age,” Smith adds.

As an added bonus, James Beard-nominated chef Misti Norris’ Rainbow Cat pop-up is a new permanent resident at Saint Valentine. She’s offering a creative and evolving menu that some might say is an a la carte tasting menu reminiscent of her much-lauded Petra and the Beast, which closed last year.

The playlist will feature songs from the ’80s and ’90s, songs that women approaching menopause grew up with.

“There is so much about being middle-aged that is depressing, and part of it is that the world isn’t geared towards you anymore. I still want to dance, every now and then,” Smith says, who is 48 years old, and is particularly looking forward to dancing to Interpol’s “PDA” like only women are watching. “We can have our party and be in bed by 10 p.m.”

The dance party is open to all women, in menopause or just menopause curious. Hot Flash Dance Rave: Saint Valentine (4800 Bryan St.), Oct. 11, 5 to 10 p.m.