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Upcoming Dances

Lots of great dancing coming up in the Boston area!

Uptown Swing Dance

Our next monthly Uptown Swing Dance will be on Saturday, May 21 at our wonderful venue, Brookline Tai Chi. We’ll be welcoming back the Racky Thomas Band for a fun night of dancing, always an Uptown Swing favorite!

This month our Shim Sham will be a special one because we’ll be doing it for Frankie Manning! It has been over 2 years now since we lost this wonderful man shortly before his 95th birthday. In addition, $1 of each admission will be donated to the Frankie Manning Legacy Fund and there will be a donation box for anyone wanting to make an additional tax-deductible contribution (by cash or check).

The mission of the Frankie Manning Legacy Fund is to preserve and promote the rich cultural, choreographic and artistic legacy of Frankie Manning and to encourage the world-wide proliferation and promotion of the music and the dance Frankie loved so much (Swing music and Lindy Hop).

Uptown Swing Dance information.

Dancing this Weekend

We are in for a fun weekend of dancing!

First on Friday, the always phenomenal Gordon Webster will be at Boston Swing Central. That’s all you need to know. A night dancing to Gordon and his band is a sure hit! For info: BostonSwingCentral.org

Saturday brings the monthly Boston Swing Dance Network dance in Watertown. This is Boston’s largest and longest running Swing dance and is always a good time. This month features Dom V and the Swing Out Big Band. That’s a lot of band! For info: www.BostonSwingDance.com

No choosing this weekend - go to both great events!

Happy dancing,
Aurelie & Tony

New Classes

New Session Lindy Hop/Swing Classes in Newton, 2nd week

Our new 6 week session of Lindy Hop classes on Sundays just started and it is still possible to join in the 2nd week! This is our last session before Beantown Camp and our last Newton classes until September. Summer classes will continue on Mondays at our Boston location, Ruggles Church, near Fenway Park.

Classes for this session include Beginner Swing/Intro to Lindy Hop Level 1 and Lindy Hop Level 2. One or two new leads would add nicely to these classes.

Also this session is a new Partner Charleston class focusing on side-by-side and tandem variations for intermediate to advanced Lindy Hoppers. This class is looking balanced:-)

Beantown Camp Discount Date

The discount for Beantown Camp expires on Monday, May 9! Now is an excellent time to get in your registration before full prices go into effect.

Beantown Camp Discount Date

Discount prices for all registration options are expiring soon! Registration and full payments are due by Monday, May 9. (That means that if you have sent a deposit, balances are due as well by May 9!) Please don’t delay. Here are just some of the things that you do not want to miss:

  • Immersing yourself in a week of classes with an amazing collection of the world’s best Lindy Hop instructors!
  • Dancing to some of the best Swing bands including Campus Five (for two nights), Gordon Webster and Boston Swing Express!
  • Being entertained, awed and inspired watching the instructors perform in Beantown Bounce!
  • Dancing with awesome Lindy Hoppers from all over the U.S. and beyond!
  • Spending time with Norma Miller, living legend and original Lindy Hopper!
  • Saturday Happy Hour!
  • Belting out your favorite tune at late night karaoke!
  • Bonding with classmates while trying to master that new move!
  • Laughing until it hurts at Beantown’s Got Talent!
  • Finding your Soul at a late night dance party!
  • Being fed three fab meals per day with many options to choose from!
  • Rolling out of your bed and down to the beach for some relaxation time!
  • Hanging at the pub with your new and old friends!
  • Finishing your week filled with joy, exhilaration and lots of Lindy Love!

Beantown Camp News 4/27

It’s Beantown’s 15th year and of course we have to make it the most awesome ever! With the stellar line-up of bands and DJs, it is a can’t miss! To start - Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five, featuring Hilary Alexander! Not just one night, but for two! That alone is awesome! Can’t miss Gordon Webster’s band featuring Naomi Uyama! A Beantown favorite. Camp wouldn’t be the same without them:-) Rounding out the live music is the Boston Swing Express, a new collaboration from some of our favorite local musicians with Mike DiBari on his Swingin’ guitar and an expanded version of his Swingtet. In addition, Boston’s own first lady of Swing, Toni Lynn Washington will be featured on vocals. That’s already a lot of awesome. But there’s more…

New Classes Start Sunday

Wow, did April fly by quickly! At least the trees are finally budding, the temperatures are rising and it actually feels like spring!

Sunday Lindy Hop/Swing Classes This Week!

Our new 6 week session starts this Sunday, May 1 at the Newton Lower Falls Community Center in Newton. This will be our last session until after Beantown Camp! Here is what’s coming up:

  • Beginner Swing/Intro to Lindy Hop - This class is for both brand new dancers and those with some experience who would like to build a stronger foundation and gain more confidence on the dance floor. Six count basics are covered along with a different selection of fun steps each session. There are 7 different sessions at this level, which can be taken in any order, providing the opportunity to develop a good base for social dancing while continuing to learn new steps. If you have any friends who have been wanting to get started, please send them along!
  • Lindy Hop Level 2 - This class is aimed at intermediate level Swing dancers who can already comfortably social dance any style of triple-step Swing. It is not necessary to already know Lindy Hop. The class focuses on core moves, including a mix of 8 and 6 count basics, emphasizing technique and lead-follow connection. There are 8 different sessions at this level which continually change over time and can be taken in any order. Each session includes a mix of classic Charleston moves and newer variations.
  • Partner Charleston - After requests for MORE with our last partner Charleston class, we added a new one! This one concentrates on tandem and side-by-side variations to add to your Lindy Hop repertoire. Charleston is fun, it’s flashy, and we’ll be focusing on execution and pizazz to make it shine! This class will be for intermediate to advanced Lindy Hoppers.

Monday Classes Still Open, Sunday Classes Start May 1

Thanks to everyone who joined our workshop weekend with the always amazing Michael Jagger and Evita Arce! Uptown Swing was a blast with the fabulous Toni Lynn Washington Band AND a phenomenal performance with M&E. The room was hoppin’ and so much fun!

Monday Lindy Hop/Swing Classes This Week!

As the last of the Boston Marathoners continued to walk by the window, our new session of classes started:-) It is still possible to join in the second Monday, April 25 as we will be reviewing everything from week one. Feedback on the new format with practice time added after class was very positive and we enjoyed seeing everyone join in!

Beantown Camp Update 4/21

Thanks to everyone who joined our workshop weekend with the always amazing Michael Jagger and Evita Arce! Uptown Swing was a blast with the fabulous Toni Lynn Washington Band AND a phenomenal performance with M&E. The room was hoppin’ and so much fun! If you want more classes with Michael and Evita (and how could you not?), come to Beantown! Can you imagine a whole week of awesome classes with awesome teachers? We’ve got that!

  • Ryan Francois & Jenny Thomas
  • Sylvia Sykes
  • Peter Strom
  • Skye Humphries
  • Naomi Uyama
  • Michael Jagger & Evita Arce
  • Zack Richard & Maryse Lebeau
  • Mike Roberts & Laura Glaess
  • Eric Fenn
  • Richard Badu
  • Daryl Begin & Jennifer Stout
  • Joel Domoe & Melanie Myers
  • Dan Newsome & Gaby Cook
  • Chris Nickl & Shirley McAdam
  • Andrew Thigpen & Karen Turman
  • Marc-Andre Vachon & Catherine Desjardins
  • Ben Yau & Sheri Kang

That’s a lot of awesome!

Beantown Camp News

Springtime and beautiful weather remind us that summer is on the way! Start off your summer with an excellent time at Beantown Camp. There will be tons of great classes with some of the world’s best instructors, amazing performances, great live and DJ music for hours of social dancing, friendly dancers from all over the U.S. and beyond, plus a bunch of other fun activities. All levels are very welcome to attend! Check out the schedule for what’s in store. May 9 is the due date for discounted tuition fees.

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