The benefit now known as IndepenDANCE was started in 1994 by Rob Levy and the Men of 161 Ocean Walk. The party began at a time when the Pines was just re-emerging from the gloom of the HIV epidemic, which is why the Fire Island community and the health and well-being of the gay community have been a key focus of the event. The genesis of the party was an attempt to recapture the creativity of earl
ier days of the Pines, big theme house parties with costumes and sets, such as the infamous 1983 Hollywood Party at Reflections when Liza Minelli flew in by helicopter, to try to re-animate parties in the Pines. The first party was called The Gold and Silver, with the party being invitation-only even though 42nd St in 1998. The party turned into a benefit for GMHC in 1999 for Shine and was held at 161 Ocean Walk until 2001 when Kent Hargis and the Men of 126 Beach Hill (Utopia) began hosting and co-producing the event. For a couple of years (2001 and 2002) the party was thrown jointly by the two houses. When Kent and the housemates at 126 Beach Hill moved to Reflections in 2003, the party Became a staple on the island, with the IndepenDANCE name formally given to the event, which in the past had been known individually by the names of each theme party. Hollywood was the first of those at Reflections, commemorating 20 years since the legendary Hollywood party mentioned above. The event was such a success that the house is now often referred to as the Hollywood house in commemoration of these two legendary house parties. An integral part of the history of the event belongs to Susan Morabito, who donated her services and graced the turntables for the first 11 of the benefits, providing attendees with an unparalleled musical journey throughout the years. That tradition was passed along to Warren Gluck in 2006, and now to Tracy Young to begin a new tradition in 2007. Also in 2007, IndepenDANCE became a 501(c)(3) charity in order to solicit larger sponsor donations and distribute grants to more LGBT organizations including GLAAD, The Brent Varner Project, and the Pines Care Center, and others. After completing a spectacular 20th-anniversary benefit in 2014, Kent decided 2015 was a good time to expand the roles of others involved with the benefit. Fellow Reflections house-mate Chris Chin joined the foundation board and focused on fundraising, finances, and administrative logistics of the benefit. Guy Smith, who handled lighting for many years, expanded his role to everything creative - concept, set design, promotion, etc. Each year, the sets have gotten bigger and the costumes more outrageous. While the cast running the event has evolved over the years, the core group has remained and grown (Rob Levy continues to attend every event with the best costume), helping to maintain the spirit that has kept it going strong for nearly 3 decades.
