Tony and Aurelie met as beginner dancers in Boston in 1990, first experienced Lindy Hop in 1992 and have been hooked ever since. With their own Hop to the Beat Dance Studio, Tony and Aurelie regularly teach classes and host dances and weekend workshops, as well as perform, DJ and MC. Since 1997 they have hosted the annual week long Beantown Camp and since 2002, the Northeast Lindy Hop Championships. They played a major role in establishing the growing Lindy Hop community in New England and have also taught at workshops and dance weekends throughout the East Coast from Maine to Florida. Other events include Augusta Camp's Blues and Swing Week in West Virginia, Ryan and Jenny's Camp Savoy in England, workshops in Orlando, Florida, American Lindy Hop Championships in Connecticut, Swing Fling! and Virginia State Open, both in the Washington, DC area. While performing with The Kamikaze Jitterbugs, highlights included a tour in Asia with the Artie Shaw Orchestra and dancing with the Boston Pops in a nationally-televised concert. Competition credits include the 1994 American Swing Dance Team Champions. Besides their dance studio, Tony and Aurelie and the Hop to the Beat Dancers have appeared on TV, in live shows, and at benefits, concerts, outdoor fairs, corporate functions, dances, weddings and private parties throughout New England. www.hoptothebeat.com

Special Thank You

We would like to give a special thank you to a dedicated group of folks who are a huge help to us with Beantown as well as throughout the year:

Martin Fréchette
Rachelle Gaudet
Suzanne Gaudet
June Joyce
Meredith Patneaude
Mike Richters
Joe Toth

And we would also like to especially thank our friends Ivan & Elisabet Berggren with whom we started Beantown back in 1997.