Over a century of Tea Dances

The Tea Dance culture has returned! More and more people are rediscovering the joy of dancing together with another person to the sophisticated strains of Palm Court music.  Let the Fly Right Dance Company take you on a journey back to a time of elegance and style, where civilised conversation and sophisticated dancing were punctuated by tea and savouries!  Fly Right are keen to revive the less formal, original and more accessible ballroom dances from the 1900s to 1920s, when social dances were becoming the leisure activity of choice for the masses.

Tea Dances (or Thé Dansants) were the first modern social dances, accessible to all. They developed from the concept of “afternoon tea” in the late 19^th century and really became popular in the early 1900s, when the shocking Argentine Tango arrived in Britain, and hotels and other establishments began to open these functions to the masses. Their popularity has never waned since – not even the War could stop them, with Tea Dances being an important part of maintaining morale in the services during World War II.

Building on our Edinburgh Festival Fringe successes over the past 5 years, Fly Right has created a series of themed Tea Dance packages, suitable for dancers and non-dancers alike, and based around the following themes:

• 1910s “Titanic”-style theme
• Palm Court Charleston theme
• Wartime Theme
• The Evening Tea Dance

Included in our packages are:

• A suitably-costumed host and hostess
• Dance demonstrations
• Short, “bite-sized” dance lessons for non-dancers during the event
• Recorded (or live - please call for quote!) musical accompaniment
• Marketing advice for targeting new audiences

Please contact us for a quote if you’d like Fly Right to host your Tea Dance event - email mail@flyrightdanceco.com or phone on 01620 829988.

Format for a typical Tea Dance:

Fly Right Tea Dances are run in a traditional fashion, getting away from the strict-tempo and sequence dance variants which have become more prevalent in recent years. Guests of all ages should be encouraged, where practical, to dress according to the theme for the event – WWII uniforms, flapper outfits, etc.  Traditionally, the older generation are well-versed in ballroom dances – but for younger and less experienced/non-dancers, the event will be punctuated with short, impromptu lessons in dances such as the Charleston, Foxtrot or Tango to help them on their way.

The Fly Right Dance Company is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. Registered in Scotland.
Registered address:  44 St Martin’s Gate, Haddington, EH41 4BA
Company No: SC189625,  Charity No: SC028508