Dance parties in Toronto this December come as it gets cold enough that clubbing has heavy competition from warm living room couches, but before you hibernate, remember that it's only getting worse after December. Besides, what better way to unwind from the stress of office parties and family gatherings than getting sweaty on the dance floor afterwards? NYE parties are getting announced every day (look out for our guide), but there's no reason to wait for the annual amateur partier night to go out dancing in December.

Here are my picks for the top dance parties to hit in December.

Funk D'Void (December 5, Remix Lounge)
Scottish underground veteran Funk D'Void has a strong track record as a producer, but it's his DJ skills that have earned him a such devoted fan base in Toronto. His last two local appearances were at the 2013 Harvest Festival and this past summer on the Kajama boat cruise, so this will be the first time he's played a traditional club gig in quite a while. 10pm, $20.

Promise German Sparkle Party (December 5, Atlantis)
It's hard to explain what this imported German party concept is, but it's loosely based around the quirky video for this silly techno pop song, and basically just an excuse to wear strange costumes. For this edition, Promise are bringing in Dutch tech house DJ Miss Melera, alongside their usual roster of local heroes. 10pm, $30.

Skream (December 6, Coda)
Don't expect UK superstar Skream to drop the big room dubstep he was once known for, as he's made it clear he's distancing himself from EDM as much as possible. It's hard to predict what he'll play, as his current tastes have bounced from disco revisionism to moody tech house, but you can bet his hardcore fans will be receptive to wherever his fancy takes him. 10pm, $15.

DBX (December 13, Adelaide Hall)
Breakandenter celebrate 7 years of quality underground dance parties with a live appearance by techno pioneer DBX (Daniel Bell). While Bell is most closely associated with the 90s Detroit scene, he grew up in Canada, so this rare local performance will be a bit of a homecoming for the influential veteran. 9pm, $25.

Dennis Ferrer, (December 20, Ryze)
NYC DJ/producer Dennis Ferrer originally made his name with soulful jazzy deep house, but has since proven himself just as skilled at crafting dark minimal tech house grooves, giving him the versatility to play engaging, epic DJ sets. Expect him to give Ryze's powerful Dynacord sound system a real workout, not to mention sweating he'll inspire on the dance floor. 10pm, $20.

Photo of Miss Melera by Anouk Tuitel via 3voor12