BTP History
The Boston Tea Party was begun in 1996 by Daniel J. Mezrich (DJ Mez) as an annual party that attracted dancers primarily from the east coast. It has continued to grow in popularity to become one of the premier swing dance events in the country. The event attracts nearly 1200 dancers from across the United States and around the world and features our trademark Crossover J&J.
The BTP is a four-day celebration that includes over 100 swing dance workshops taught by over 40 of the world’s top instructors in all levels of swing dance, including a series geared for the absolute beginner.
The BTP plays host to competitions, performances and exhibitions of three major forms of swing dance: West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop and Balboa. Dancers also enjoy hours and hours of social dancing Thursday through Sunday night to music provided by the country’s best swing DJs. With three separate ballrooms and over ten thousand square feet of dance floor, dancing takes place throughout the day and into the wee hours of the morning.
If you love swing dancing, this is an event you won’t want to miss!
Policy Statement
The Boston Tea Party is a crossover swing dance event.
Our mission in brief is to support the growth of all styles of swing dancing.
Swing dance and swing music are rooted in the experiences of Black Americans through slavery, reconstruction, segregation, and through systemic racism that continues today.
This dance and it’s music are available to all of us because of Black struggles: their creativity, talent, culture, and labor. We cannot support swing dance and music without understanding the history, and also acknowledging that history by supporting Black dancers in the present.
Since 2015, we been committed to highlighting the history of swing and the debt we owe to these dancers and musicians. We prioritize hiring Black artists as teachers, MC’s & DJ’s whenever possible. We have set (and continue to revisit) policies designed to provide an inclusive environment for all dancers, but in particular for Black dancers who can feel marginalized in the very dance that owes it’s existence to Black culture.
Join us in a spirit of welcome, and a mindset of learning about not just the steps of the dance, but the birth, history, and culture of the music and dance we call Swing.
It is an honor and privilege to be a part of the swing dance community. Many of us who currently promote the dance have no roots in the history and culture ourselves and we acknowledge this as problematic. We commit to working to address this by supporting Black contributors in our community, by addressing disparities, and by making the BTP and the larger community environment as inclusive and welcoming as we can both on and off the dance floor.
We are committed to creating a social environment where all who attend feel welcome and able to express and celebrate their individual personhood and culture. This is reflected in our code of conduct: FAQ and Safety/Code of Conduct Policies
We have a zero tolerance policy for any harassment or aggression especially against marginalized or vulnerable groups of people. We will support anyone who calls out these behaviors, refuses dances or otherwise refuses to accommodate these behaviors. We welcome feedback on how we can continue to improve and make our event more responsive and inclusive.
Nanette
info@teapartyswings.com
