Beantown Camp's blog

Beantown Camp 2012 Thanks

It doesn’t seem like three weeks have passed since Beantown Camp ended. Maybe that’s because we are still wrapping things up, collecting photos and working on the camp DVD. Leading up to camp, we had a feeling that it was going to be a good week. How could it not with the incredible line-up of instructors and bands?

Once again, we just have to say that Beantown exceeded expectations. It was just an incredibly wonderful week full of smiles, fun and joy! We want to thank each and every one of our Beantown staff and campers. So much positive energy. As we are back in our regular classes, it is very rewarding hearing from our own first-time students mentioning how much they loved the classes, all the nice people they met and the fun time they had. Good to hear after subjecting them to our saying over and over again to go to camp!Smile

Here are just a few highlights to mention:

Beantown Bounce Finale

Another amazing Beantown Bounce showcasing the incredible talent of Beantown instructors. Thanks to Michael Jagger and Evita Arce for producing, Peter Strom for choreographing the finale, all the performers and the entire crew for providing such an inspiring and entertaining show.

Soul Party

Peter’s late night Soul Party, always a camp highlight, where everyone kind of just lets loose and has a super fun night.

Eric's Hip Hop Routine Class Performance

The end-of-camp track performances, always a great way to wrap up a week of excellent classes! We moved into Rose this year which really added the perfect atmosphere for cheering on each group. My own personal highlight, being in Eric Fenn’s Hip Hop routine and loving every minute of it. (Plus thanks to all my practice buddies!)

Saturday Night Jam to Campus Five

Night after night of phenomenal music from our three awesome bands, Gordon Webster, Campus Five and Glenn Crytzer, as well as Michael Gamble and his crew of DJs.

BBQ Sparklers

The most fun BBQ night ever on the 4th of July, one of our all time highlights. Something about the end of camp, the sparklers (thank you Cynthia!) and watching the fireworks across the water made it a really special night.

Frankie Foundation Ambassadors

Our wonderful Frankie Foundation Ambassadors, Merika, Josh and Lehua. They were each a joy to have at camp all week and we are thankful that we were able to provide this opportunity for them.

In addition to our teen ambassadors, we may have had our largest group of teens ever and it was such a great time watching all of them having so much fun. If this is the future of Lindy Hop, we are in good shape!

Beantown Camp Swimming

The excellent weather we had, perfect for the beach, and it seems that many campers took advantage of that this year.

Norma Miller

Having Norma Miller with us all week to share her life, remind us of where it all started and for being so much fun to talk with.

As always, one of the most special features of Beantown, connecting with old friends, new friends and just enjoying being together!

Yes, there were more, and the list could go on and on! The whole week was kind of one huge highlight!Cool

So many people to thank for the incredible week of camp. We would like to send some special shout outs to our wonderful crew who help us to check-in all campers, run the café, the shop, the water crew, drivers, videographers, photographers and help with so many other tasks including Joel Domoe for once again doing an awesome job running the competitions and Edgar Herwick for adding his emcee talents to the proceedings this year. Thanks to Dave Lasagna for bringing extra smiles to our faces and providing his own special touch to our days. We also want to send a huge thank you to the most wonderful staff at Endicott College. We know how lucky we are to have Patrick watching over everything and going out of his way to be sure everyone has the best time possible. Plus the amazing dining staff who make the effort to provide us with a big variety of healthy, decadent and delicious meals. Everything has just gotten better since we moved to this wonderful campus eight years ago and we feel it adds so much to what makes Beantown such a unique and special experience each year.

Beantown Campers, you are the best! Thanks to all who traveled far and near. We appreciate your support and we appreciate you!  We wish you all many happy times ahead and hope to see you back in 2013!

Happy dancing,
Aurelie & Tony

Beantown Camp Open Dance Party this Saturday with Campus Five

Campus Five at Beantown Camp 2011Beantown Camp is on!!! It is still possible to get in a last
minute registration for Friday and join campers from 29 states and 8 countries.

Information on Beantown Camp.

If you can’t come to Beantown Camp, you can still join in on Saturday night at Endicott College. The dance is open to the public and will be a blast! Discount door admission coupons are available on the camp website. (No pre-registration.)

Beantown Saturday Dance Party, June 30, 2012

  • Evening Dance with Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five, featuring Hilary Alexander from California. (Had to bring them back!)
  • Beantown Café & Game Room
  • Complementary Photo Booth
  • Competitions: Strictly Lindy, Jack & Jill Finals
  • Cake-Break
  • Late Night dancing with Beantown DJs

Dance information & discount coupons.

Frankie Manning Foundation Ambassadors at Beantown Camp!

Frankie ManningWe are excited to announce that three Ambassadors of the Frankie Manning Foundation scholarship program, all under 21, will be joining us at Beantown Camp this year! Merika, from NYC, Lehua, from upstate NY and Josh, all the way from Seattle, will be attending for the Whole Shebang. Judy Pritchett asked us to pass on this quote from the Frankie Manning Foundation:

“Beantown Camp embodies the continuity of Frankie Manning’s spirit and values, both in the excellence of its classes and its upbeat, fun atmosphere.”

Please be sure to join us in welcoming Merika, Lehua and Josh to camp this year!

Beantown Camp Information.

Only 1 Week To Go Until Beantown Camp

Beantown Bounce Photo Album
Beantown Camp 2011 Beantown Bounce Photo Album

Only one week to go!!! Beantown Camp opening day is almost here. We are still accepting registrations if you would like to join us.

Not sure what it’s about? Check out the schedule for amazing classes, dances and tons of fun:
  Beantown Camp Schedule

The Orange track (beginner/intermediate) is especially in need of additional leaders.

Who wouldn’t want to spend a week with dancers from near and far, many of the world’s best instructors, 4 nights with 3 awesome bands (Gordon Webster, Glenn Crytzer and a double dose of the Campus Five!), great DJs, a beautiful location on the shore and many fun activities included. If this sounds like the vacation that you want to do, register today!

Beantown runs from June 28-July 5, back at the beautiful Endicott College campus in Beverly, MA. There are multiple packages and time periods to choose from for attending. You can find all of the details and latest information on the Beantown Camp web site:
  www.BeantownCamp.com

Come share the Lindy love…you will be glad you did!

Beantown Camp Open Saturday Dance Party

Campus FiveIf you can’t come to Beantown Camp, you are invited to attend the Beantown Camp Saturday Night Dance Party at Endicott College. This dance is open to the public and will be awesome, without a doubt! Discount door admission coupons are available on the camp website. (No pre-registration.)

Beantown Saturday Dance Party, June 30, 2012

  • Evening Dance with Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five, featuring Hilary Alexander
  • Beantown Café & Game Room
  • Competitions
    • Strictly Lindy
    • Jack & Jill Finals
  • Cake-Break
  • Late Night dancing with Beantown DJs

Dance information & discount coupons.

Only 2 Weeks To Go Until Beantown Camp!

Beantown CampThe countdown to Beantown Camp opening day continues! Only 2 weeks to go.

For everyone planning to attend who has not yet completed a registration, it would be a huge help if you get your registration and full payment in ASAP! There are packets to assemble and the college has rooms to prepare. We want your complete camp experience to be smooth sailing from the moment you arrive and the more we can do in advance, the easier for us to make that happen:-)

Competitions
If you are registered and would like to add a competition, now would be a great time to do that! Got soul? Why not sign up for the Soul division? That does sound like fun!
2 Special Classes Added with Bobby White!

Attending the Old School: In Search of the Spirit of the Old Timers.
A talk full of stories, video footage, and one dancer’s journey to find the spirit of the original jitterbugs.

Partnership: How Best to Avoid Throwing Things.
A class specifically geared towards working with a partner off of the dance floor. Class will consist of both discussion and dancing. Partners recommended, but not mandatory.

Camp Forum
Be sure to check out the camp forum for ride sharing and other information. This is a great way to communicate with other campers and maybe organize a door-to-door airport shuttle or request a ride from a local. For our local campers, we would really appreciate if you check the forum to see if there are any visiting campers you can help out. It is wonderful when we all work together to make this an amazing experience for everyone:-)

Join us for our 16th year! Camp runs from June 28 to July 5 with multiple registration options. If you’ve never done the full week, this will be the year to do it. There is so much that you will not want to miss!

Beantown Camp Information.

Beantown Competitions & Sponsors

Beantown Camp CompetitionsThe countdown to Beantown Camp opening day is on. Only 3 weeks to go. Reserve your spot today!

The weekend includes fun competitions for all levels and it is still possible to sign up. The competitions are always a blast and come with a wonderful, supportive audience. Divisions include Novice, Intermediate and Advanced J&J, Strictly and Soul!

Check out our sponsors providing prizes for each division - they are all truly awesome!

  • International Lindy Hop Championships
  • Lindy Focus
  • Boston Tea Party
  • Canadian Swing Championships
  • The Dirty Dozen Weekend

Beantown is very fortunate to have support from our local and neighboring sponsors and friends. We appreciate every one of them!

  • Boston Swing Dance Network
  • DanceNet
  • Five Guys Named Mike
  • Boston Swing Central
  • Providence Swings
  • Hartford Underground
  • Connecticut Swing Dance Society
  • Mainiac Swing Dance Society
  • Got2Lindy
  • Dom V and the Swing Out Big Band
  • Aris Allen

Join us for our 16th year - it’s going to be phenomenal! (Really, seriously, it is!) Camp runs from June 28 to July 5 with multiple registration options. If you’ve never done the full week, this will be the year to do it. There is so much that you will not want to miss!

Beantown Camp Information.

Beantown Camp Discount Date

Beantown CampDiscount prices for all registration options are expiring soon! Registration and full payments are due by Thursday, May 31. (That means that if you have sent a deposit, balances are due as well by May 31!) 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 Glenn Crytzer!
  • 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  Beantown 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 off to the beach for some relaxation time!
  • Hanging at the Endicott Pub with your new and old friends!
  • Enjoying a 4th of July BBQ down by the shore!
  • Finishing your week filled with joy, exhilaration and lots of Lindy Love!

Join us for our 16th year! Camp runs from June 28 to July 5 with multiple registration options. If you have always wanted to come to Beantown, this will be a phenomenal year to do so. If you’ve never done the full week, do it in 2012. You will be glad you did!

Check out all the details on the website.

Beantown Camp Discount Date

Beantown Camp 2011 Photo Booth Album
Beantown Camp 2011 Photo Booth Album

Have you ever attended a dance weekend and been energized, inspired, enlightened or wowed? Did you want more? Imagine what a whole week can do for your dancing! Beantown Camp is designed to give you just that opportunity. Check out some comments from campers:

  • “In a word: fabulous! Thanks for a remarkable week that hit all the right notes. I can’t imagine NOT being at Beantown year after year. I love it that much.”
  • “What a week. Thanks so much to everyone for putting in such long hours to make Beantown such an amazing event! Most definitely worth the investment, says I.”
  • “I can’t thank you guys enough for the FABULOUS time I had at Beantown. It’s my third camp but my first whole shebang and man, going the extra mile and staying was a BLAST. Doing a routine in the track really brings everyone together. Met tons of great people, danced my toes off and learned a lot. Such nice people on all sides: the attendees, the instructors and the college staff.”“Thanks so much for putting on such an amazing event! I loved it! Beantown was the Best vacation I’ve ever had! I can’t wait for next year!”
  • “Beantown is an event that mixes world-class instruction and excellent music with a level of friendliness and accessibility that’s really remarkable.”
  • “It was SO amazing, truly a special week for many people.”
  • “I’m so glad I attended; being totally immersed in dance for almost a whole week, plus the camaraderie that developed with the other campers combined to make an unforgettable learning experience.”
  • “My dancing has gone up several notches since the camp.”
  • “I had a life changing experience this year. I am so glad I signed up for the whole week.”
  • “The Beantown experience is a must for anyone who is serious about Lindy.”
  • “The DJ’s were great, the live bands fantastic, and all the students and staff and everyone had such a positive energy!!”
  • “Beantown is my favorite week of the year!”
  • “This was my first Beantown Camp and I had the best dance-event time EVER (and I have traveled to well over 25 exchanges and camps all across the US in my 2 3/4 years of dance history.)”
  • “As always, I return well-fed, tired, inspired, and enthusiastic to move my dance forward.”
  • “The camp experience, besides being wonderful fun as always, has made my dancing smoother, more relaxed, and more expressive.”
  • “I met so many interesting people and learned so much from the many great instructors.”

Camp runs from June 28 to July 5 with multiple registration options. Join us for an amazing dance vacation. Register by May 31 to get the last discount prices!

The website continues to be updated with the latest info. Check out all the details.

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