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Brunswick Picture House is bringing back the Golden Years with its inaugural Picture House Tea Dance.

Join us for an afternoon of live music, dancing and reminiscing. ‘Tea and scones’ will be provided, and your favourite ‘tea’ treats and hot beverages will be available for purchase from our kiosk. Bring your old friends or come along to make new ones, in a true celebration of the Golden Years.

What is a Tea Dance, you may ask?

tea dance (noun)
1. an occasion consisting of afternoon tea with dancing, originating in 19th-century society.

A tea dance, also called a thé dansant (French for “dancing tea”), was a dance held in the summer or autumn from 4 to 7pm In the English countryside, a garden party sometimes preceded the dance. The usual refreshments in 1880 were tea and coffee, ices, champagne-cup and claret-cup, fruit, sandwiches, cake, and biscuits. The expected feature was a live orchestra or a small band playing light classical music, even after the invention of the phonograph. The dances included waltzes, tangos, and the Charleston by the late 1920s. The dining room served as the tea room, with the dining tables arranged at one end as a buffet. Floral decorations were modest.

Before the 1950s, young people flocked to tea dances to socialise, and dance the tango, waltz and foxtrot. Then the 60s happened and for the next four decades we preferred to dance in nightclubs alone — or, at most, around our handbags. But recently, something has changed. Perhaps it’s the basic premise that everything old becomes new again, or a more basic longing to connect, but the Tea Dance is back in vogue — and this time the crowds are much more diverse.

“Over time the move towards people dancing alone meant we lost the art of making contact through dance, and we want to bring back this connection. We are holding our first Picture House Tea Dance to encourage this communication through dance to be available to all. We are welcoming teenagers through to centurions, and giving them a space to dance together so we get a wonderful mix of ages and backgrounds.” 
— Brett Haylock, Picture House Co-owner

Adult $20 | Golden (Seniors & concession cardholders) $15 | Child (3–15) $10

Please note that every ticket holder will receive complimentary ‘tea and scones’.  Other tea treats and hot beverages are NOT included in the ticket price.

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