Monski Mouse Reviews

EDINBURGH WITH KIDS: 2016 Edinburgh Fringe

https://edinburghwithkids.com/edinburgh-festival-review-monski-mouse/

With ears adorning her head and a striking polka dot dress, the human version of Minnie Mouse is once again spinning disks at the Edinburgh Fringe. If you’re ready for a good workout – dancing like crazy with a mixture of music appealing to the young and old – Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco is the place to be.

Kicking off with ‘I feel good’ – Monski Mouse gets the Spiegel tent rocking at 11am in the morning. I didn’t think it was possible to find that much energy in the absence of coffee, but with the encouragement to leave inhibitions at the door – within minutes everyone within the tent was soon bouncing.

I loved that the music went from Katie’s favourite (I got that feeling) all the way to Thomas’ (Sleeping bunnies). No one can resist dancing along to ’99 Red Balloons’ or of course, resist joining a conga line. Monski Mouses energy is quickly infectious and there really is little option but to join in!

Of course, Monski Mouse is not a newcomer to the festival. Building on her international career as a quirky festival DJ, Monski Mouse created the Baby Disco Dance Hall in 2012. This is her fourth season at the Edinburgh Festival, playing 14 Fringe mornings. Funnily enough – it’s also the 4th time we’ve joined the party!

Some song’s are a little more organised in the show with Monski’s two dancers leading the audience in some moves. At times we were stomping around like dinosaurs, or jumping like bunnies. But all this was interspersed with the opportunity to go crazy and just freestyle. Katie loved being swung up and around – and pretty much stalked the dancers throughout!

Thomas admittedly was less sure. Whilst he adored sleeping bunnies he only really joined in with the dancing right at the end. He instead opted to hug like a koala throughout so my dancing skills were slightly hampered! It was interesting to see how different children responded as there were some the same age as him absolutely loving it. Some children just opted to run round but the great thing about the Spiegel tent is the space to actually do that.

It was lovely to see Mums, Dads, family friends, and Grandparents all joining in with the kids and evidentially having a good time. Although absolute props to the Grandma who had a baby riding on her back during the lion song!

I asked Katie following the show whether she liked it and her response was simple: I loved it because it’s dancey and I love dancing!

Tickets are still available for the rest of the shows – dates and times vary but all the details can be found on the Assembly Festival Page. Children under 6 months enter free, and at £7.50 for everyone else – it’s a good Festival bargain!

SEESAW MAGAZINE: Perth Fringe World 2019

https://www.seesawmag.com.au/2019/02/throwing-shapes-with-monski

Fringe World review: Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall ·

The West Australian Spiegeltent, 2 February ·

Review by Lydia Edwards ·

This rendition of her acclaimed Baby Disco Dance Hall was Monski Mouse’s debut at Fringe World but the Adelaide-based DJ is a seasoned performer, with stints at the Edinburgh, Brighton, Melbourne and Adelaide Fringes under her belt, as well as appearances at London’s Southbank Centre and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

It’s not surprising she has such an impressive resume. The Baby Disco Dance Hall – a music and dance party for under-fives and their parents/carers – is slick, seamless and, most importantly, a clear labour of love, honed over the last six years. From the moment my two-year-old daughter and I walked into the Spiegeltent in the Festival’s Pleasure Gardens, we felt welcomed and energised, bopping inside to the tune of the BeeGee’s “You Should be Dancing”. My daughter couldn’t wait to get going and squealed at the excitement of the dark tent, multi-coloured spotlights and soft round lanterns – or “moons”, as she joyfully termed them – arranged around the ceiling.

Whilst the atmospheric Spiegeltent is undoubtedly an exciting venue in its own right, mum-of-two Monski and her dancers could have staged their performance anywhere and achieved the same chemistry. Dressed in a 50s style rockabilly dress with her hair fashioned into two “mouse ear” buns, Monski is a bright, relaxed figure and has the rare gift of making both adults and young children feel at ease.

She’s an accomplished DJ, too, and it is just as easy to imagine her on the decks at a night club, which is undoubtedly part of her appeal. She deftly flicks from one track to the next, and the songs flow from high-octane to soft and slow, allowing parents and carers to whisk their little ones through the air one minute and hold them cheek to cheek the next. This was timed with a clear knowledge and understanding of children’s energy and interest levels, and Monski never dwelt on one theme for too long.

The songs ranged from all-ages favourites, such as “Shake it Off'” and “Rock Around the Clock”, to under fives’ hits like “Rockabye your Bear” (popularised by the Wiggles), at which almost all children (and parents) let out a shriek of delighted recognition. Aided by Monski’s instruction, each song enabled children of different ages and stages to participate, dancing closely with their parents or clapping along independently. Her two engaging aides were positioned directly below her on the dance floor, demonstrating steps and dancing directly with the audience. None of the three ever seemed to be “trying too hard”, as can often be the case with children’s theatre and music, and their naturalness was a key part of their charm.

Monski and her crew seemed to understand that the music and atmosphere may be overwhelming for some small children, and consequently the audience was not pressured to interact. Perhaps because of this, though, everyone did: and whether you were throwing shapes with abandon or swaying quietly off to the side, this was a chance for introverts and extroverts alike to connect. The session ended with a freeform conga line around the stage, allowing the audience to get a closer look at the rest of the “mirror tent” with its intricate décor and significant history.

My daughter danced around the Pleasure Gardens after we left the tent, miming the moves for “Rockabye Your Bear” in the late afternoon sun. Thanks, Monski: she’ll sleep well tonight.

Monski Mouse’s season at Fringe World has finished but head to www.monskimouse.com for more info about her shows.

PIGEON PAIR AND ME: London Underbelly Festival 2013

https://pigeonpairandme.com/review-monski-mouse-baby-disco-dance-hall.html

The playground circuit is a novelty, when you tour it with child number one. At sing-song time, there’s a certain appeal in witnessing a sea of little ones, sitting amidst grown-ups clad mostly in Boden-inspired outfits, all singing along to Wind the Bobbin Up.

By the time child number two comes along, the ever-present whiff of dirty nappies, and the dreariness of Old Macdonald sung for the millionth time takes the pleasurable edge off what used to be a wholly charming experience.

Which is why I loved Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall, when we went along to London’s South Bank this weekend.

Given that Gwen and I had such a good time at Monski’s set last year, I knew that we’d enjoy the musical environment. It’s different enough to the standard playgroup fare to please us grown-ups; but friendly and perky, perfectly pitched to get the under-fives jiggling on the dance floor.

And jiggle, they did.

In fact, as well as bopping and grooving, Austin and Gwen spent a lot of time racing around the sprung dancefloor of the South Bank’s Spiegeltent. Just like all youngsters, in the discos I remember from days of yore.

The pace was set by Monski’s spirited dancers, who greeted us at the door and bopped their way through everything from Sleeping Bunnies snooze to high-octane Charleston.

Monski, aka Monica, an Australian DJ with a mouse-ear barnet and polka-dot frock, kept the energy levels high with plenty of new(ish) and old tunes. She somehow made it seem normal for a load of under-fives to body-pop along to Beyonce’s Put a Ring on It; and for the adults in the room to crawl around on all fours to Love Cats by the Cure.

I’m sure my self-conscious 17-year-old self would have been mortified by such behaviour (and, back then, I was far too cool to do anything other than slink around the room when the Cure was spinning on the decks). But it felt like a bonding moment: Austin and Gwen (who said Love Cats was her favourite part of the set), taking it in turns to ride on my back, while I flung off my inhibitions to shuffle on all fours around the floor.

If you want 45 minutes of entertainment for the whole family, Monski Mouse’s gig is a good choice. At £8, it’s pricier than your average children’s singalong session, but it stands head and shoulders above any local playgroup. You can even buy grown-up drinks at the bar outside, and sup them at the booths lining the edges of the dance floor.

Austin and I left the disco beaming after a rousing finale, complete with pogo-ing, of Toy Dolls’ Nelly the Elephant (Gwen, buoyed up by the conga, had already done a runner into the forecourt of the Spiegeltent). On our way out, we caught a glimpse of some of the other offerings for this summer’s festival at the Southbank – always an alluring place.

I’m sure it won’t be long before we’re back.

THE BAREFOOT REVIEW: Adelaide Fringe 2014

https://www.thebarefootreview.com.au/menu/theatre/119-2014-adelaide-reviews/867-monski-mouses-baby-disco-dance-hall.html

★★ ★ ★ ★

DJ Monski Mouse is onto a winner. This show is a fantastic 45 minutes of throwing civility to the wind and prancing around like a kid, meaning that unlike lots of children’s events, it’s fun for everyone. Kids love to dance, parents love to dance, and parents love to watch their kids dance - let’s face it, it’s very, very cute!

The Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall is a wonderful experience that’s designed especially for the under-fives. It’s been devised with the admirable aim of nurturing a love for music and dancing and encouraging playtime between children and their carers. From her booth on the dance floor, DJ Monksi spins a great set of familiar songs and nursery rhymes that will keep you on your feet.

Accompanying the tunes are two dancers who mix with the crowd and provide both energy and cool dance moves to follow. The pillowed areas around the edge of the dance floor provide a perfect place to take a break when you’ve gone a bit too hard. Whilst aimed at the less mobile young ones, you’ll appreciate leaning on pillow or two for a breather because you’ll be on the dance floor shaking it with the best of them.

One of the true joys of children is that through them, we are given opportunities to regress a little ourselves, and at this show you’ll be pushed to work out who’s having more fun – the kids or the adults!

When: 23 Feb, 2, 9, 10, 16 Mar

Where: Paradiso Spiegeltent

Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au

HUE ME HAPPY: London Underbelly Festival 2015

http://www.huemehappy.com/review-monski-mouses-baby-disco-dance-hall-2015/

REVIEW: Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall 2015

5th June 2015

Last Sunday the four of us went down to London’s South Bank to go to Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall at the London Wonderground. This was the 3rd year in a row we have been (read about last year) and was very much looking forward to it!

The disco is the baby of DJ, producer, clown school graduate (Paris’ Ecole Philippe Gaulier no less) and mum of two Monski Mouse (aka Australian-born Monica Corduff-Gonzalez) who developed the Baby Disco Dance Hall along with early childhood theatre practitioners. The experience takes pre-schoolers and their parents on a journey where they can dance like bunnies, cats, trains and Egyptians and generally let off steam. Monski Mouse’s ‘retro eclectic’ DJ style takes in tracks from swing to latin, pop, 80’s classics and rocking nursery rhymes (we love that there is something for everyone) and she also has a revamped set list for 2015.

From the moment you step into the darkened, circus tent, the music is on and Monski Mouse is in her stripey DJ booth on stage welcoming you in to the disco and encouraging you on to the dance floor. We took our buggy in this time as it was raining and left it in a buggy area by the bar (yes a bar, selling soft and alcoholic drinks and giving out free water too). Previously we have got a booth to sit in in but this year we all planned to be on our feet dancing so forego that. We did base ourselves next to the cushioned baby area but Imogen did not want to sit down and ran straight in to the gathering crowd on the floor to boogie!

Seren enjoyed dancing with Imogen though I’m not sure how much Imogen enjoyed being pulled around! After a while Seren wanted to go to the front to be nearer to Monski Mouse and her dancers who were leading the dancing moves. We danced to our favourites from last year including Nellie The Elephant, Sleeping Bunnies, Roar Like A Dinosaur and Rock-A-Bye Bear with the children copying the actions from Monski and her dancers.

The new tunes kept things fresh including Groove Is In The Heart (which the mums loved dancing to!), Rock Around The Clock and Pharrell’s Happy. Towards the end Monski played the Dirty Dancing classic, I’ve Had The Time Of My Life and Seren enjoyed being swung around by Andy for that.

The 50 minute set was soon up and Monski Mouse got down on the floor for the last song. Seren was slightly in awe of her and seemed to think she was related to Minnie Mouse, telling her on our way out that she had a Minnie Mouse at home.

We headed out into the fresh hair (it gets hot in that tent!) to rest after our dancing and have tea at nearby Giraffe before our tube journey home.

Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall is at the London Wonderground until the end of September – last year’s run was a sellout so buy your tickets now! The disco is aimed at under 5’s and is suitable for babies too (we took Imogen aged 2 months old last year). All shows are at 3pm and tickets cost £9 per person (inc. booking fee). Slightly cheaper family tickets are also available and babies under 6 months old do not need a ticket.

Review: Monski Mouse’s Baby Cabaret at Assembly

5 STARS

http://www.edfestmag.com/kids/kids-reviews-kids/monski-mouse-baby-cabaret-claire-smith-review/

Those familiar with Monski Mouse will know her Baby Disco show is a total delight and an essential Fringe experience for the under-fives. Now the smiley lady with the retro frock and the Minnie Mouse hair has created a brilliant cabaret for pre-school children. There’s live guitar music from Mike Dr Blue, songs and dances from Gaulier-trained Amy Gwilliam and Richard Crawley, and cabaret superstar Dusty Limits.

Cushions, carpet and rugs are spread on the floor of the beautiful Palais De Variete spiegeltent, while a circle of chairs is arranged for those who prefer to sit. It’s utterly delightful to watch even tiny babies and shy children join in as Monski Mouse and her collaborators sing, dance and show us how to do the actions.

The lighting is low, the music not too loud and all the performers speak in gentle voices, using simple language. There are well known songs, like ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’, alongside original numbers. There are also puppets, jokes and moments of utter beauty.

This is the perfect introduction to live performance for little ones. Everyone is allowed to find their own rhythm, no one is left out and everyone leaves with huge smiles on their faces.

Monski Mouse’s Baby Cabaret, Assembly George Square Gardens, 1-15 Aug, 11am

Monski Mouse’s Baby Cabaret | Adelaide Fringe | Review

March 8, 2020

New Decade, New Show! Introducing… Baby Cabaret!

by Ashleigh Grant

Wiggly, giggly fun!

Are you wondering where you have seen this smiley woman with the adorable Minnie mouse hair before? Monski Mouse has been tearing up the dance at the Adelaide Fringe since 2012 with her popular under 5, Baby Disco! Well, it’s the beginning of a new decade and Monski Mouse and friends are back with an additional show for all the little fans!

The show begins with the parents and children finding a comfortable spot amongst a sea of carpet, rugs, and pillows splayed out in front of the stage. Chairs were also available at the back for those that preferred a seated position. The layout easily allowed all guests to see the stage with enough room for the little dancers to boogie.

After a few fun vocal warm-ups, the musical cabaret of nursery rhyme classics, originals, puppetry, and the fun began! Song starring blackbirds, elephants, and fish were all covered by the harmonious vocals of Monski Mouse and her collaborators along with the talented Pablo on guitar.

As Monski Mouse describes, some songs are sung ‘to you’ and others are sung ‘with you’. The audience is encouraged to sing and dance along as the performers model various actions. Children excitedly clapped along to classics such as ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It’ and ‘The Wheels on the Bus’. Parent’s giggled along to the well known Amy Winehouse song ‘Rehab’, as it was cleverly reworded to describe the relatable life of a strong-willed toddler.

After the last song, the performers took a bow, whilst the audience clapped and thanked them for the show. Outside the venue, Monski and her friends were outside handing out stickers and posing for photos with their excited little fans.

Monski Mouse’s Baby Cabaret was an enjoyable performance to introduce children to the experience of cabaret. The final show is on Saturday 14 March at 11am.