Tea Dance is back at STRETCH on Sunday, May 17, 3 to 5pm. DJ Daylight Rob Ery on the decks, funky house, no bar, kids free, all ages welcome. $20.
If you’ve been before, you know the format. If you haven’t: tea dances are an old idea. Afternoon dance parties predate the nightclub by a century! The British did them in the 1880s. Gay communities in New York and San Francisco reclaimed the format in the 1970s as a way to dance, in daylight, without apology. The lineage is real, though our version is less formal than either.
What it looks like at STRETCH: people show up around 3. Some bring kids. Some bring water bottles, but we’ll have tea & water available, along with some snacks. Rob plays funky, soulful house, Risto & Friends offer up some moves you can follow along with. There’s no dress code, some kids running around, and smiles everywhere.
We started doing this because Vancouver doesn’t have enough places to dance that aren’t bars at midnight. That’s the whole pitch. Sober, daytime, intergenerational, and you can be home in time for dinner.
Risto Duggan curates and hosts. If you’ve taken his Rocket classes you already know the energy. He’ll help you stick some moves, but you’re also free to dance on your own in the corner if that’s your jam.
Come dance!
Tea Dance Sunday, May 17, 3–5pm FLEX Room at STRETCH, 180 East Pender DJ Daylight Rob Ery All ages, sober, kids free CA$20