Ready or not, another year has come to an end. It is not possible for me (Aurelie) to reflect on it without the one overriding feature of losing my Dad in May. I and the rest of my family miss him very much. He was the focal point, so there is a big gap to fill. We are learning to find our way as we move forward. Thankfully I come from a large family and we have each other.

2011 did bring many wonderful moments and here are a few of our biggest highlights:

• Not only did we hold our 15^th Beantown Camp, we received many comments of “best ever” and we think we agree. A gathering of many wonderful people for a week full of joy, tons of positive energy and just so much fun!
• Hop to the Beat had its 16^th anniversary this September, something we find pretty amazing.
• Passing our 1 year mark in our Monday night Boston location. It is always a big challenge to start something new and we have really enjoyed our classes and the people we have gotten to know from them.
• A truly phenomenal Uptown Swing dance with Gordon Webster during the Skye and Naomi weekend. The house was absolutely packed, however, what made it exceptional was how the room was on fire! Gordon surpassed himself, Naomi was incredible, she and Skye entertained and inspired us, and everyone present contributed to such an awesome, happy night. We couldn’t have ended our HTTB year any better.
• A non-dance highlight was adopting our two rescue kitties, Izzy and Luna, in August. They have brought much cuteness to our home.

Something that continues to be a major force are all the fabulous people who have touched our lives through our classes, dances, camp and other activities. We are very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of your life and there is nothing that makes us happier than seeing new friendships made, smiling faces and everyone having a good time. We caught the Lindy Hop bug back in our early days and are thrilled if we can help pass that on to someone else. Neither of us could ever have imagined back when we each started dancing what it would become in our lives. It has brought us each other and so much more.

So here’s to a new year which we hope will give you all much joy, happiness and of course plenty of excellent moments dancing!

Our best to you,
Aurelie & Tony

Unfortunately we have sad news to report, the sudden death of our friend and fellow dancer, Nick Birchak. He passed away in his sleep the night of August 23 due to complications from Epilepsy. He was an active member of the Albany Swing dance community and always a smiling face on the dance floor. If you attended the Michael and Evita workshops in April or Beantown in June, most likely you met Nick. He was a little guy with a big personality and a wonderful, positive spirit. He will be truly missed. If you would like to post on his Facebook wall. Memorial contributions can be made to the Epilepsy Foundation of Northeast New York for scholarships in his name.

Wow - Beantown this year! A wide range of levels and ages coming together for an awesome mix of Lindy Hoppers from 33 states and 8 countries. The energy on campus was full of happiness and joy and lots of Lindy Love. Frankie would be proud:-)

This was an emotion-filled time for us. Overriding everything has been losing my Dad in May. Preparing for Beantown sure kept us busy, but thoughts of my Dad have always been with me.

As for the week of Beantown - just incredible! Too much to mention, but it’s always fun to think of some highlights, so here’s a top ten in approximate order of occurrence:

1. Chillin’ outside at the Saturday Happy Hour as the sun finally came out in full force.
2. Gordon Webster followed by two nights of the Campus Five. It really doesn’t get any better.
3. Dave Lasagna’s happy dance in the middle of the circle during the finale of Beantown Bounce, the instructors’ show.
4. The surprise cake and ovation from everyone at the BBQ. It had been tough going for me up to that point and it really turned everything around. Thanks!
5. Spending time with Norma Miller, talking about all the things she is doing and her future plans. Like Frankie, Norma really shows us how to live your life!
6. Fun at the photo booth!
7. #039;s Got Talent: Synchronized Swimming" src="/sites/default/files/resize/remote/a513359f8606180cffb915086d823bc3-200x150.jpg" align="right" border="0" height="150" width="200" /> Michael Jagger’s expressions as he listened to the judges’ commentary after the synchronized swimming skit at Beantown’s Got Talent.
8. Late night Karaoke in the pub on Tuesday.
9. The Wednesday night track performances and feeling overwhelmed with the looks of joy and accomplishment as another week of camp winds down.
10. Catching up with old friends and getting to know some new ones:-)

Every year we find ourselves wondering how we can possibly top the last Beantown, but it has happened once again! It would not be possible without the help of so many. Our thanks go out to all the wonderful instructors, staff, bands, DJs and of course campers who all contributed to making Beantown an amazing week of dancing, classes, socializing, laughing and having an incredibly awesome time. Plus we must also thank Endicott College for providing such a beautiful venue and setting, feeding us excellent meals, and especially Patrick for going out of his way to help us make everything work. We feel so fortunate to have so many wonderful people in our lives.

Plans have already started for the next one. Beantown #16 will run from June 28 to July 5, 2012. The format will be similar, although minds are already churning and ideas are formulating. Please mark your calendar and plan to join us for what is sure to be another amazing week of good times and good friends!

Just after camp is a great time for reflection and we are always looking for ways to make Beantown the best experience possible. We welcome feedback and appreciate hearing your thoughts and ideas. Thanks!

Sincerely,
Aurelie & Tony

P.S. Thanks to Beth Diener, Tom Hagar, Rich Moffitt, Brad Kellogg, Bruno Avard, Renata Shraybman, John Russo and everyone else who has posted so many awesome pictures!