Thank you to everyone who helped make Let's Dance Boston! a huge success: it was a joyful multicultural and multigenerational celebration, a citywide sensation, and -- most importantly -- a whole lot of fun!
This year, the wildly popular free outdoor music and dance party that features varying dance styles -- East Coast Swing, Mambo, West Coast Swing, Salsa, and Garba -- returned to The Rose Kennedy Greenway on May 11-15, 2022!
At each Let's Dance Boston! session, professional dance instruction from nationally known teachers accompanied 90 minutes of public social dance with live music from acclaimed musicians. Whether participants were first-timers who discovered the event by chance, or longtime enthusiasts who came dressed to the nines with their dancing shoes on, everyone was united by the dancing, the music, and the fun!
Our thanks go out to everyone who helped make this event so special: instructors, MC's, DJ's, bands, the teams who built the pop-up stage and dancefloor, our sound and lighting riggers and run crew, event production staff, stagehands, security teams, our guests from the media, our partners at the Rose Kennedy Greenway, our generous event sponsors, and everyone who came to dance or enjoy the music!
Schedule:
| Wed | May 11 | 7pm | East Coast Swing Night with music by the Eyal Vilner Big Band |
| Thu | May 12 | 7pm | Mambo Night featuring sounds from Tito Puente Jr. and His Orchestra |
| Fri | May 13 | 7pm | West Coast Swing Night including songs by Motor City Revue |
| Sat | May 14 | 7pm | Salsa Night with Edwin Perez and His Orchestra |
| Sun | May 15 | 2pm | Garba event with Garba360, alongside Kashyap Jani & Friends |
“This is always one of the most fun community events we do at Celebrity Series. This year will be especially joyful, as people from all over celebrate and gather outdoors to dance and share live music with their neighbors, friends, and families. ”
Gary Dunning Executive Director
People dance at Let's Dance Boston! 2022
Motor City Revue performs at Let's Dance Boston's West Coast Swing event
A man dips a woman as they dance at Let's Dance Boston
A man with a tiger-print jacket smiles as he dances at Let's Dance Boston!
A woman dances at Let's Dance Boston's afternoon Garba lesson and performance.
People dance at Let's Dance Boston! 2022
Motor City Revue performs at Let's Dance Boston's West Coast Swing event
A man dips a woman as they dance at Let's Dance Boston
A man with a tiger-print jacket smiles as he dances at Let's Dance Boston!
A woman dances at Let's Dance Boston's afternoon Garba lesson and performance.
Boston Conservatory at Berklee dance instructor Katie Piselli shared her expertise on the derivation of the original swing dance born in Harlem, known as Lindy Hop. With help from Katie and Paolo Piselli, DJ Andrew Selzer, and the Eyal Vilner Big Band – one of the leaders in big band music on the East Coast – dancers were transported back to the golden age of Jazz!
Instruction begins at 7pm, with live music and dancing from 8-9:30pm.
Instructors G “Masacote” Rossignol and Lisa Field-Coleman offered their insight into this Latin dance style from 1940s Cuba. Dancers learned mambo moves adapted, blending into – and taking cues from – salsa and bachata. It was an unforgettable night filled with music from Tito Puente Jr. and His Orchestra, an artist that maintains the legacy of his father, the legendary Mambo musician. DJ Rob Suave got the party started before the band took the stage.
New in the "Let’s Dance Boston!" repertoire, West Coast Swing delighted audiences with an accessible, slower-tempo swing dance style and amazing renditions of Motown and Classic R&B favorites from Motor City Revuew. Kaiano Levine and Kristen Wallace led the lesson. DJ Joe Mahoney spun classic feel-good hits that set the tone for a fun-filled evening!
Instruction got underway at 7pm, with live music and dancing from 8-9:30pm.
With support from instructors Jenna Robey & Luis Talavera, Edwin Perez and His Orchestra set the stage for dancers to move to salsa dura style, emphasizing the instrumental aspects of the music and recognizing the Afro-Latin influences in both dance and music. DJ D Martinez started the evening off with Latin hits to set the mood. The crowd was our biggest of 2022, and we hope everyone had a great time!
Instruction began at 7pm, with dancing from 8-9:30pm.
This joyful Indian folk dance got a spring incarnation at "Let's Dance Boston!" Easy to learn with its claps and twirls done in multiple concentric circles, Garba is a multigenerational dance experience. Participants learned the steps with Heena Patel and danced together to music by Kashyap Jani & Friends, moving to songs passed down over generations. DJ Yogz got the festivities underway.
Instruction through the afternoon, with dancing from 2-3:30pm
Before you go: listen to the music of Let's Dance Boston! on Spotify!
This event is made possible by support from Celebrity Series' LIVE PERFORMANCE! Arts for All Endowment and Innovation Funds. Additional support provided by Joseph & Kathleen Cefalu.
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