A question and answer session with Sugar Sullivan and Barbara Billups, hosted by Bobby White.
2025 Testimonials
I had a new Lindy Hop insight I’ve been sharing:
Social dancing Lindy Hop is a truly collaborative experience where both people in the partnership want the best for each other. If only one of you is having fun, it’s still not as fun as if both of you were having fun. And that collaborative desire spreads throughout the room and affects the band which circles back to the dancers…it’s such an uplifting positive feedback loop.
Kevin
Beantown Camp is the perfect birthday present to myself: I get to spend the week doing what I love, all on a beautiful campus, with a wonderful swing dance community.
Dawn
No one does it better!
Dusty
I had a blast and made some friends!
Cora
Beantown enjoys the resources of a small college campus where we get to know each other in a learning environment.
Andrew
Best camp ever!
Debbie
Really loved attending Beantown this year. The classes, instructors, dancers and musicians were all fantastic, and I feel like I was able to take a lot away from the experience in terms of things to think about with my dancing. The food was delish, the company great, the opportunities to learn more about Lindy Hop culture were appreciated, and … having a dance vacation by the sea - that’s pretty much perfection.
Kristin
I honestly have the best time, every time.
Olivia
I love this camp. A week at the beach, dancing every night and all day if you want to, like-minded people who also love Lindy Hop from all over the country and even the world – what’s not to love?! Oh yeah, and the food’s not bad either!
Deborah
The dance vacation I look forward to! Excellent instruction all day long, fantastic live dance music all night long. Excellent quality, tasty, nourishing, energizing food options at all meals with enjoyable opportunities to socialize. Conveniently located housing on campus. Relaxing environment at the beach!
Dan
Beantown is one of my favorite swing dance events. Amazing teachers, bands and great peer group of dancers. Kudos to Tony and Aurelie for organizing this great event.
Robert
I personally enjoyed the classes more than anything. I will definitely go next year!!
Jani
This dance camp has enriched my life. And it is a camp for all ages, whether you’re 17 or 70+!
Jodi
Beantown is a highlight of my year! The teachers - the music - the food - the dancers – all amazing! Every time I go, I have an amazing time and my dancing takes a leap forward.
Jessica
I really enjoy Beantown each year I attend. It is a hub for enrichment, community, and growth. It is one of the highlights of my year.
Taneeka
Outstanding both for technical skills and for learning to love dance. I went from feeling as though I dance like a gorilla to feeling like a competent dancer who enjoys dancing with friends.
Jim
Beantown Camp is always a highlight of my year. The classes are very helpful in making me a better dancer and in getting more enjoyment from social dancing. I love immersing myself if the warm, inclusive community of dancers that Aurelie and Tony nurture. I also love the opportunity to meet and get to know people, especially in the dining hall and in collaborating on a dance performance routine. I look forward to reuniting with friends from prior years and making new friends.
Alan
My wife and I are intermediate swing dancers. This was our first experience at Beantown Camp. Everything about it was wonderful! The instruction, the ambience, the people from all over the country, the energy! WOW! Definitely coming again next year!
Charles
I am a first time attendee. A couple of my friends recommended Beantown Camp to me, since they had been before and spoke very highly of it. Am I ever glad I went, even though I was only there for part of the week. Such joy such joy such joy. I’m a total newbie, and even with my shaky steps I still found the vast majority of folks so open and willing to be present with me as I tried to learn. Everyone, from the instructors in classes to the other dancers on the floor during the socials, and during practice sessions. Clearly, so much intention and care has gone into fostering a safe and welcoming environment, and people were so consistently friendly, kind, and welcoming. Wow!
Benjamin
Beantown is my favorite time of the year. I’ve come three years in a row, and I’ve had a fantastic experience every time. The instructors are top-notch, the social dances are full of energy, the live bands provide incredible music, and you’ll meet awesome dancers from around the world! I recommend it to anyone interested in Lindy Hop.
Madison
Beantown whole shebang has been a magically getaway experience for me and my dancing! From the beautiful campus to great music to meeting wonderful people to learn new things even as an experienced dancer; it has been a great checkpoint to rejuvenate my dance excitement for rest of the year!
Paul
Attending summer camp as an adult is a whole other type of fun! I loved the camaraderie of my track cohort, and I also relished how many people I got to meet through social dances and mealtimes. The accommodations and food were fabulous and really added to the whole camp experience. Every meal, I ate with someone new–and everyone I met was welcoming, friendly, open, and kind! I went into Beantown with very little dancing experience, and I left with confidence and a love for the movement. I also left with new friends and new community. Though I only attended for the weekend as a first-timer, next time I wouldn’t be surprised if I joined the whole shebang!
Abby
Beantown is a magical summer dance camp and haven from the world. It is hard to put into words how much I value the community it provides and the opportunities for growth. It is a must go event for me!
Samantha
Beantown 2025 was another smashing success! It is the perfect place to come to learn to dance, to perfect your skills, to learn some new techniques, to learn about this history of swing or to simply enjoy the fabulous bond and connection in the swing dance community. All levels of dancers attended, and everyone enjoyed the location, music and camaraderie! Thank you, Tony and Aurelie!
Keri-Lynn
Beantown Camp is the perfect Lindy Hop experience - everyone is so friendly, helpful, and welcoming. A perfect balance of learning, practicing, and social dancing, plus amazing performances!
Philip
Beantown is my favorite lindy event! I recommend it to all my students and peers. Although it offers a well-rounded experience, I think that it particularly excels at putting the focus on learning. I always leave with a lot of new ideas and a fire burning to practice. The division into tracks creates an intimate experience, a camaraderie that often persists long beyond the camp.
Byron
There is nothing else like Beantown! Not only the high quality of the teachers, the variety of classes, and the wonderful night dances to great, live bands, but adults don’t have other ops to be thrown together like this (at least past college), to eat together day after day, gab about all manner of things as the days go on, with folks from all over and of different ages and experiences. It’s a wonderful, bonding experience. Plus I learned so much! If only Beantown came more than once a year…;-) I know how much goes into the organization of it, and I truly appreciate how beautifully organized it is — thank you so much!
Rachel
I live my year Beantown to Beantown. I can’t wait for next year, always!
Shannon
I’ve attended Beantown Dance Camp for three years and have been delighted each time. The teachers are world-class; the accommodations and food are great; and the other students are friendly and welcoming. It’s a special event in my calendar every year.
Aurelia
It continues to amaze me how Aurelie & Tony put this amazing camp together. There are so many choices and although I know they don’t like a title, all the instructors are at Mastery level. I send a check and show up and eat well, sleep and dance for 7 days. It is so much fun, so welcoming and so enjoyable.
Matthew
It was pure magic, from beginning to end. I overheard another camper say how Beantown gives us the opportunity to be the full expression of ourselves.
Gayle
As a first timer, I was absolutely blown away. Beantown beat all expectations for friendliness, camaraderie, world-class instruction, location, attention to details, accommodation and quality of dining. My wife and I learned some lindy hop 20+ years ago and we wanted to get back to it, but it is so hard to find good instruction where we live. A friend highly recommended Beantown, but at 58 year old and after a break of several decades, we had some reservations. Would we fit in? I could not be more wrong! Beantown is a model for a community of diverse but like-minded people partaking of such a joyous activity each helping each other shine. I could not be happier with my attendance. I already miss it and plan to come back next year.
Giuseppe
Beantown was a wholesome and memorable experience for me and I am looking forward to going again! The extended weekend was not enough!
Raymond
This was my 25th Beantown Camp, and it was just as amazing and memorable as the previous ones! Every year it feels like a reunion, with old friends returning year after year. And each year, I also get to meet new people, new lindy crushes, who keep me out on the dance floor night after night, and class after class. The sense of camaraderie was fantastic this year!
Beantown 2025 was my first Beantown, and it was just about the most fun experience I can remember. The Lindy instruction and dancing were great, and when you pile on making new friends in an amazing “summer camp” vibe, beautiful and swimmable beaches, karaoke, soul dancing, a killer gym, and surprisingly good food …. well, what more could I realistically ask for?
Raphael
I am a long time Beantown attendee, and each time it gets better and better. I am amazed at the attention Tony and Aurelie pay to every single piece of the experience, from the things you would expect - like quality of the workshop teachers, musicians and D.Js, but also to the sense of community and joy they foster, and the respect for the history of Swing as a black dance in America.
Anne
We have gone to many lindy hop camps both in the US and internationally, and Beantown is hands-down our favorite. While many camps have great instructors, incredible live music, and inspiring competitions, only Beantown combines this with an intentional focus on building a supportive and inclusive community for all. Thank you to Tony, Aurelie, and the Beantown staffers for all your hard work bringing this together year after year!
Trevor
I honestly have the best time, every time.
Olivia
The community, instruction, music, and food is outstanding. Beantown is a can’t miss event for me. Everything Tony and Aurelie do in their organizing is thoughtful. I feel cared for and like I belong to something so much bigger than myself while I’m at Beantown. Can’t wait to see you again!
Rachel
I loved every minute of my stay. I was sad to leave. I was having so much fun over my first weekend at Beantown. All the instructors were excellent and I learned a lot about the basics and about the history of swing. I loved hearing from Sugar Sullivan and her dancing sister. It was all wonderful!!!!!
