The Tea Dances held in the Jasmine Lounge by the hotel’s gregarious founder and owner, Sir Victor Sassoon, became the toast of the Far East in the 1930s for their theatrical flair, charismatic live music, superlative cuisine and exquisite finery worn by the dancers.
These stylish afternoon Tea Dances were exclusive and formal, and were so popular that tickets sold out in advance. Visitors to Shanghai booked their Tea Dance tickets from overseas before their cruise ships left the great port cities, such as Southampton, Marseilles or San Francisco, bound for China.
Now on every Saturday, just as they did during Shanghai’s ‘Golden Age’, guests can dip and sway, waltz and foxtrot on the marble floors of the Jasmine Lounge, as the mellifluous music from a live orchestra cascades from the balcony above. Professional instructors will also provide ballroom dancing lessons, enabling everyone to participate in this elegant Saturday afternoon social gathering.