Sept 7, 2015 Boston, MA – Put on your dancing shoes and head out to the Rose Kennedy Greenway for Let’s Dance Boston, presented by the Celebrity Series of Boston from September 16-20, 2015. One of the largest, free outdoor dance and music parties Boston has ever seen, Let’s Dance Boston will feature five consecutive nights of dynamic music and dance. Each evening will begin with 45 minutes of a free dance lesson taught by professional teachers in the dance style of the evening. The live band will play music to accompany the dancing for 90 minutes afterwards.
Ever wanted to learn how to Salsa, Mambo or Cha-Cha? How about perfecting your Lindy Hop or Disco moves? Everyone is invited to learn and participate in this free, fun dance party.
The five-day dance extravaganza will include five live bands preceded by expert dance instructors. After the 45-minute dance lessons, the live bands will perform ninety-minute sets to continue the party. Let’s Dance Boston will take place on a specially installed large dance floor with an elevated performance stage on the lawn at Atlantic Avenue and High Street of The Greenway’s Wharf District Park. There is enough extra lawn space to bring a picnic, or visit one of the local Boston food trucks set up near the dance floor.
“There is something incredibly freeing and festive about dancing outside,” said Gary Dunning, president and executive director at the Celebrity Series of Boston. “We want to encourage everyone to come out and embrace that feeling. Learn something new, put your best foot forward, and dance with your friends and the Boston community. “We’re delighted to add to The Greenway’s free arts and culture offerings and to deepen our partnership with Celebrity Series with Let’s Dance Boston,” said Jesse Brackenbury, executive director of the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy. “Attendees can enjoy dancing outdoors in the heart of Boston and then walk through The Greenway’s gardens to see numerous installations of contemporary public art.”
Each night will feature a different style of dance.
On Wednesday, September 16, break out your best Latin dance moves. Lessons will begin at 6:00 p.m. before Eguie Castrillo & His Orchestra take to the stage for the open dance session. This Boston-based Puerto Rican percussionist proclaims the intensity, the energy, and the excitement of Mambo and Cha-Cha, and pays homage to the first Mambo Kings: Tito Puente, Tito Rodriguez and Machito.
On Thursday, September 17, it’s all about Swing. Lessons begin at 6:00 p.m. followed by music from Roomful of Blues, the award-winning swing band from Providence. They will have you jumping, swinging, and rocking to the music of the late 1940s and early 1950s.
On Friday, September 18, the beat of disco will inspire you to wear your best bell-bottoms, mod dresses and go-go boots and get ready to hustle! They’ll learn some of the best disco moves beginning at 6:00 p.m. before the tribute band The Loser’s Lounge takes to the stage with funk and disco music from the 60’s to the 90’s, including a tribute to Dorchester native, Donna Summer.
On September 19, Bienvenidos to the Saturday night salsa party! New York-based Latin band Orquesta SCC is quickly becoming known as the new kings of salsa dura. Following the salsa lesson at 6 pm, they’ll bring you back to the classic sound and style of salsa, with its roots as neighborhood street music.
Sunday, September 20 will be a return to the golden years of Swing. Dance to music from the golden years of swing with lessons at 3pm and dancing from 4:30-5pm. Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks will perform hot jazz and popular music from the Roaring ‘20s and 1930s. The tunes will inspire fans of the jitterbug, Lindy Hop, and West Coast Swing. You’ll be the Cat’s Meow at this hoppin’ joint!
All instructions and open dance sessions are free and open to the public. To learn more, visit celebrityseries.org/letsdanceboston
About Celebrity Series of Boston:
The Celebrity Series of Boston has been bringing the very best performers–from orchestras and chamber ensembles, vocal and piano music, to dance companies, jazz, and more to Boston for 77 years. The Celebrity Series believes in the power of the performing arts to enrich life experiences, transform lives, and build better communities. Celebrity Series of Boston envisions a city in which live performance is a lifelong, shared, valued experience – in homes, in schools, on stages – everywhere. Let’s Dance Boston is the third public performance project Celebrity Series has presented, establishing an annual series of public performance projects. In 2013, Street Pianos Boston worked with 160 community partners to place 75 pianos in public spaces throughout the city. In 2014, Le Grand Continental brought together 110 volunteer amateur dancers who performed three dance performances in Copley Square.
About the Rose Kennedy Greenway:
The Rose Kennedy Greenway is a mile-and-a-half of contemporary parks in the heart of Boston. The Greenway, a roof garden atop a highway tunnel, connects people and the city with beauty and fun. Enjoy the public art, 300 free events, food trucks, fountains, Greenway Carousel, and organic horticulture.
