In 2021, Frankie Casillo noted a feeling of "sweet relief" on the dance floors he captured, as we were finally able to gather to dance again. This year, the Berlin-based photographer has observed what he refers to as "full power," an energy that, for him, has felt even more potent than the parties he attended before the pandemic hit.

It's been a difficult year for dance music, as it has for society at large, with global issues creating a strain on resources not only for organisers, but punters too. In a year that saw more festivals going ahead than ever before, attendees had to be more stringent with their purchases, with many promoters noting an (anxiety-inducing) increase in last minute ticket buying. Casillo has also noticed a rise in the number of promoters who may have hosted one or two parties in previous years, but who are now putting on several, bigger and more expensive parties year-long. Each weekend there are more events taking place for dance music fans to choose from, in addition to the cost of living crisis meaning there is increasing demands on disposable income and affordability.

But despite the challenges, we dance onward come rain or shine, gathering, in Casillo's words, in our "full power." There's no better place to shake off the trials of day-to-day life than in the resolute embrace of the dance floor, a place where people come together to move freely and connect with their communities.

Casillo's 2022 body of work documents bedraggled festivalgoers in ponchos dancing in the rain, vast drum & bass crowds with their lighters up, punters taking a breather with a quick game of chess on their phone, or doing a handstand against the wall in between sets. There are intimate close-ups of people who dance in sync with one another, like Eris Drew and Octo Octa, and crowd surfers flying over a crowd that feels like family at Escape to Olganitz. There are bright, garish outfits, striking locations, writhing silhouettes, breath-taking lightshows and poker-faced security guards.

As you prepare to see in the New Year with people you love, perhaps also on a dance floor you love, this year-end collection of photographs captures the spirit of dance floors in 2022, as we look excitedly towards the dance floors that await us in 2023.

RE-TEXTURED

This year's RE-TEXTURED was my first time at Printworks. I enjoyed it so much, what an awesome venue. It has a raw feel to it and I love the really high ceilings and the great production. This party, hosted by Krankbrother, welcomed a really stylish and diverse London crowd. I took one of these shots with flash and I love this person's expression. It's not bored or angry, it's so candid. This person wasn't pretending to be anything they're not. I also love the framing, as well as how you can tell it's the beginning of the party as there's not much going on in the background.

Gala

GALA is one of my favourite festivals in the UK, it feels like a happy and safe place for all the ravers. This candid image was taken moments before the Sue Veneers Club crew stepped on the Pleasure Dome stage to deliver a colourful and powerful dancing performance. I'm always so impressed by what positive energy great dancers give on stage–it's not something we see very much in Berlin.

Draaimolen Island

This picture was taken eight or nine hours into a day of constant rain. It was tough for the Draaimolen team, but they still pulled off an amazing event. For the first couple of hours, people seemed a bit uncomfortable, but later on, nobody cared about the rain. We were so fucking wet. Donato Dozzy was closing the festival and, honestly, the moment he started playing the rain stopped. The last set, no rain, it was amazing. It was actually really emotional, quite magical.

XXL at Parklife

One of the things I've been getting into shooting this year is security. This person was intriguing, they had that expression all the time, whether I was shooting them or not. Some security staff get so involved, for example at GALA, where they really buy into the party. But some of them don't get involved at all. This person wasn't hating it, per se, but they had this very unique expression.

Tresor 31

Tresor 31 was a beautiful and carefully curated exhibition and run of events which celebrated the club and Berlin's techno boom which began in the early '90s. It was a full experience that included film, soundscapes, installations, archival materials and also a photography archive which really represented, for me, the reasons why I do what I do. Big love to Laurens, Harry and the wonderful Tresor team who keep challenging themselves.

Stone Island presents Amsterdam

I love the framing here, the feathers and the texture. The C2C team curated this party and it was really refreshing, seeing a big brand like Stone Island present such an amazing lineup (Romy, Blackhaine, Elena Colombi, Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul and more). Usually, big brands will target more headline acts, but this one was different and in an amazing location. It was a really pleasant surprise.

Holy Pink

Holy Pink is a free party hosted by the Draaimolen team during The Tilburg Funfair, the largest fair in the Benelux region of the Netherlands that lasts for ten days. It's a huge celebration in the city and the first Monday is known as Pink Monday. Everyone gets dressed up, ideally wearing some pink. It's a carnival for the LGBTQ+ community. What I liked most about it was the range of people who were there. People of all ages, including kids, some in costume, some in their normal clothes. Some of them knew exactly where they were headed and others just stumbled upon the celebrations in their city, which made for a lovely vibe.

Escape to Olganitz

The Nachtdigital team know how to put on a party and Escape to Olganitz was no different. For me, it's the best outdoor festival in Germany because of the size and the organisation. The team could go bigger but they don’t because they want to deliver a certain atmosphere and feeling of connection. By the second day, you know everyone and everyone knows you. It's just perfect, the best experience, there's nothing like it. They're doing a winter edition too at an old school holiday park, it's going to be unique. I'm so excited.

Teletech Festival

Anton and Tom, the Teletech founders, began with small parties in Fallowfield in Manchester and now they run the biggest and wildest techno nights in the UK, like XXL at The Warehouse Project. This year they hosted the first Teletech Festival. It began as three stages in a car park which had an industrial feel. As it got to evening Teletech closed the outside and opened a massive indoor room with amazing production. It felt like a whole new event, which was a powerful twist for a day which was already a success.

Gabber Eleganza at Pukkelpop

Sometimes I don't expect too much from really big festivals as they can feel a bit much, but Pukkelpop, which is huge, was organised so well. The Gabber Eleganza performance had dancers which really set the crowd alight. Even though their set was in the afternoon, people were really going for it, you can see the stage was completely full. I don't belong to the gabber scene. When I meet them, they are mostly Dutch or from the north of Italy where the scene has always been strong. So it's a discovery for me, which I love. I learn about a new niche within my world and discover a new community. I think one of these shots shows being in a community in a funny way, with all the wristbands. I've never seen so many! The person was really proud of it, they wore them like a souvenir.

Draaimolen

If I had to pick one festival, Draaimolen would be it. It really is my favourite. Even in shit weather, it's perfect in so many ways. One of these shots is from The Chapel stage. This year, they had two chapels, changing from stage to stage for alternative performances. I've seen a few festivals do something similar this year. I think it's effective because it means the crowd is mixing up all the time. It gets people moving around and experiencing the space in different ways.

You can also see I've been interested in close-up portraits this year. I wanted to do something different and get closer to people. It's a different look for my work as I always want to be improving and challenging myself.

The Ape Birthday

I mean, just look at this shot, the main room at The Warehouse Project is just so massive. I'm not from the UK, I live in Berlin, I'm sort of clueless about something I don't experience everyday—like the UK drum & bass scene—and I love to get a feel of the British touch and see how people party across different cultures. I love seeing that in the flesh.

XXL

I think these shots of XXL's techno party at The Warehouse Project have so many layers to them. This party is just huge—big production, big lineup, thousands of people. It's just big. Big and wild.

No Bounds

I love No Bounds. I love Liam [O'Shea] and what he does. One of these shots was taken of the light bath—a light meditation with different musicians who provide the soundtrack. I tried it once and I was shocked at how the brain processes images in such an intense way without drugs, with just lights and music. I didn't know that was possible, I tried it once and I went deep, I was tripping. The other shot is from the new location for No Bounds this year. I loved the church, where I saw Blackhaine and Blawan, among others. It was a place for really powerful performances, I find unique

C2C

C2C is one of the major Italian festivals. The first night was hosted in a beautiful big room with stunning floors which is part of the university, with the following nights hosted at the usual location, Lingotto Fiere. There's maybe 12,000 to 15,000 people under one roof experiencing this amazing lineup. I saw Blackhaine again. I love what he's doing, I've shot him six or seven times this year. The following day was a bit more commercial, with acts like Bicep. The festival is a great combination of avantgarde music and headliners that can make sure such a big space is filled.