09/03/2026
Beantown Thanks & Special Highlights
The journey to Beantown 2026 was quite the ordeal, however, one way or another, we made it! Finding a new venue, especially after so long at one place, proved to be difficult, and at times seemed impossible. Thankfully Stonehill came through in February, and the camp prep began. Of course being on a new, unfamiliar campus brought its challenges through the week, and we learned a lot to take us forward. Most importantly, Beantown was still Beantown, as the joy, camaraderie, community and smiling faces were all there. We are incredibly grateful to the instructors, guests, musicians, and of course all the wonderful campers who joined us from near and far. You all contributed to making it happen. Especially big thanks to our Beantown crew for the amazing job they did, the support we felt, adjustments that had to be made, and never hesitating to jump right in as we made our way through the week. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Here are some extra special highlights.
The Proposal
Through our years, going back to the very early days, meetups at Beantown have resulted in several marriages and long time friendships. However, this year we had our first proposal! Just after the Team Challenge on Sunday night which Chisomo Selemani had emceed, she had no idea what was happening next when she turned over the mic to Alexandre Roy. He and Kathleen Crayne had met at Beantown several years prior, and somewhere along the line their relationship turned to dating. We were incredibly honored and excited when Alex asked us about proposing at Beantown. It was the best surprise, heartfelt and funny, also that they were dressed as Clue characters for their team they just competed with. Who has had a shoutout from Ms. Sugar Sullivan with encouragement as you were proposing! There were a lot of teary eyes in the house as we all got to witness this fantastic moment. What could be more appropriate than following with a dance for Alex & Kathleen. The DJ started it off with A Kiss to Build a Dream On, and the Beantown All Star Band featuring Eyal Vilner, Gordon Webster and Taryn Newborne made their way to the stage and joined in live. We all gathered around to cheer them on. The love and joy was in abundance, and it all could not have been more perfect.
Class Performances
A yearly highlight is always the track performances on our last afternoon after all the classes have ended for the week. For one reason or another, this year seemed to be even more endearing. Maybe it was making the big venue move, and having made it through the week, not having any idea how it all was going to go. Starting with Ramona’s Solo Jazz routine and followed by all the tracks, each group brought something special. Sammy and Candy’s Pink track did a whole production which included Jonas Chidebelu-Eze as a guest singer. Watching the smiles and enthusiasm from each group was heartwarming, and everyone did a fantastic job. We love how the campers and instructors come together to cheer on and support each other. These are the moments that make it all worthwhile.
Gordon’s Last Set
With our move to Stonehill, we were excited about the main dance hall, something we’d never had before. The Gordon Webster Band was closing out our last night, the perfect ending to our week of camp. The room had a grand piano on the floor, however, we couldn’t make use of it on the stage. Gordon pushed it out to the center of the room for the last set. First it was him by himself, joined by Taryn Newborne. Then the whole band joined in, with Hannah Gill on vocals. It was an amazing experience that we all got to share that night. These are the times we'll cherish!
