Prospect High School graduates Laura Baginski and Susie Lee turn back time in many ways.

They are co-founders of the Earlybirds Club, which describes itself as a “dance party for ladies who have something to do in the morning.”

Now the club is bringing one of its dance parties to the suburbs for the first time on Saturday, September 7, at Durty Nellie’s in Palatine.

Laura Baginski (left) and Susie Lee are co-founders of the Earlybirds Club.
Courtesy of Laura Baginski

The parties take place from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and are aimed primarily at women between 35 and 55 who still have a job and a family in the morning and need a good night’s sleep. It’s a girls’ night where the focus is on fun without prejudice.

“It’s a supportive community of women, feminine-identifying people, trans and nonbinary people who wouldn’t think of judging your fashion or your Elaine Benes-inspired dance moves,” the club’s website states, using a reference to “Seinfeld” that its audience would immediately understand.

Baginski and Lee came up with the idea when they met again in October at their 30th high school reunion. Both were co-editors of their school newspaper, The Prospector.

“We’ve been on and off since high school,” Lee said. “Reconnecting after so many life changes has been rewarding. We’re better versions of our younger selves – smarter, less inhibited, wiser.”

The duo hosts events in Chicago once or twice a month.

“Since Susie and I are from the northwest suburbs, we wanted to have our first suburban party close to home,” Baginski said. “So Durty Nellie’s seemed like a good choice for us because the Metra stops right outside so people from the city can go, but it’s very central to the northwest suburbs.”

Baginski said the party could draw between 250 and 350 people. Admission is $35, with 10 percent of the proceeds going to a local charity.

The two didn’t have a big plan when they founded the company.

“It was just meant to be a fun thing for our friends,” Baginski said. “And then it took off and went viral.”

Previous events have had waiting lists and one event sold out in 12 minutes. Since opening in February, the club has gained 3,500 followers on Instagram.

Now they plan to expand to New York and Los Angeles, but remain true to their ladies-only policy.

“When it’s just women, it feels different, the vibe is different,” Baginski said. “It’s more of a supportive sisterhood vibe. You can just dance and look silly and nobody cares and there’s no prejudice at all. It’s just pure fun.”

It is also about strengthening the generations.

“When you’re our age, you often feel a little forgotten by society,” said Baginski. “We’re not ready to be relegated to the pasture of nightlife yet.”

The parties allow participants to enjoy the clubbing experience while also getting home in time to rest, recharge and get on with life.

“At this age, I still have a lot ahead of me. But I don’t want to go to a dance club and leave the house at midnight and come home at 4 a.m.,” Baginski said. “I have two small children. I can’t do that anymore and I wouldn’t want to.”

The music played spans generations from the 1980s to the early 2000s.

“Susie and I bonded over our love of new wave music like The Cure and Depeche Mode,” Baginski said. But the mix will also include house, R&B and hip-hop. “Most importantly, we want music that people know and whose lyrics they can scream at the top of their lungs.”

Lee said she has been suffering from stage 4 breast cancer since 2020, which has been physically and mentally challenging.

“It sounds crazy to start a new business in the middle of this experience, but it’s been really fun doing it with Laura,” she said. “We laugh nonstop and being surrounded by smiling and joyful women at the events feels like a celebration of life.”

Lee said she is receiving love and support from women who empathize with her as she deals with cancer. In May, as she was undergoing brain surgery, Baginski called her on FaceTime while she was onstage at a party.

“All the ladies were cheering me on,” Lee said. “It was definitely an ugly moment where I cried.”

Both women see the Earlybirds Club as part of a trend that aims to provide opportunities for middle-aged women who still want to be free and have fun.

“It’s not a moms’ get-together or a playdate, it’s not a book club, it’s not Pilates or yoga,” Lee said. “Just a safe place to have fun without anyone being judged.”