Just days into the COVID-19 quarantine, the Spencer Family YMCA in Bethel Park faced the cancellation of one of their most anticipated events — the “Princess Glam Jam” informal daddy-daughter dance, a sold-out affair expected to be attended by 450 people.

They scrambled to move the event online, with coordinator Kim Black pulling up songs on Spotify through a Google Hangout video chat.

The event was a success, and while Ms. Black realized that she was no DJ, she also realized that the kids and parents deeply appreciated the opportunity for both physical activity and social connection.

So two weeks later, the YMCA launched weekly Friday “Virtual Family Dance Parties” — this time with professional DJ Joshua Walker, who was home in Moon, with all of his weddings and other booked events canceled.

The event now draws more than 100 participants most weeks, expanding beyond just the Spencer Family YMCA to all of the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, and with families inviting other friends and even grandparents to participate remotely.

Other groups have hosted virtual dance parties as well. On April 18, the popular event In Bed By Ten held a Facebook Live event that raised money for the Northside Food Pantry.

Last Friday, for the YMCA dance party’s neon theme, the Markiw family in Bethel Park wore glow-in-the-dark vests under a blacklight as they danced to songs like “I Like to Move It” and “Dance Monkey” in their basement, which is usually Mike Markiw’s home office.

“They are at an age where they have a lot of energy,” he said of his daughters, Melanie, 9, and Natalie, 5. “It gives them something to look forward to on a Friday night.”

In other living rooms, kids wore glowing cat ear headbands and shined flashlights. One dad twirled his daughter, already in pajamas, in front of their couch.

“For one of the dance parties, we busted out the limbo stick,” said Augie Thalman, of Baldwin. “There was a certain song that screamed limbo.”

Mr. Thalman, his 6-year-old daughter Sabrina, and his 3-year-old son Parker, have been doing the dance parties every week. It’s helpful for the kids not just physically but also socially and psychologically.

“It helps them feel connected to things,” he said. “You can scroll through, see some of their friends, see what they are doing.”

The YMCA dance parties are scheduled for every Friday night from 7 to 8 p.m. through the end of May. This Friday’s theme is Star Wars. The link to the dance parties is posted on the YMCA’s Facebook page and on Mr. Walker’s website, www.discjockeyjosh.com.

The YMCA uses Google to host the dance parties and allows a chat window where participants can make comments or request songs. Ms. Black moderated the chat window from her Robinson basement — as her three children danced under the mini plug-in disco balls she had ordered from Amazon for the occasion. Mr. Walker, the DJ, wore glowing glasses and occasionally gave shoutouts to individual dancers. “Amanda, you’re looking great,” he said. “Samantha is rocking it out there.”

The YMCA’s dance party on the Friday before Easter featured a special guest Easter Bunny, with families invited to stand in front of their television sets or laptops to take a picture. “All the families that were used to going to the fire halls or the malls to take pictures with the Easter bunny, they couldn’t do it,” said Ms. Black, regional youth and family program director for the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh. “It was really cute.”

Mr. Walker, who typically DJs 50 to 70 events per year, wasn’t sure about the idea of a virtual dance party when it was first proposed. But as it’s gone on, it’s worked out better than he imagined.

“At first I thought it was all very strange, I’m not going to lie,” he said. “Now, it’s just really fun to go into people’s homes — entire families are doing the Cupid Shuffle and having a good time.”

Anya Sostek: asostek@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1308.

First Published: April 30, 2020, 2:42 p.m.