The Art of Vintage Dance

My journey continues as each person I meet leads me to the next person, and the next. Recently I was invited to photograph the final dance Soiree of Joan Walton’s Santa Clara Vintage, Waltz and Swing workshop at the San Jose Woman’s Club. Electric fans were blowing cool air as the dancers circled the floor, dancing the steps they had practiced devotedly all weekend. When the dances were announced, cries of joy replied and jackets were left by the wayside in anticipation of the much awaited dance. Joan Walton was lovely and gracious and the event was beautifully done. The delight in the room was transcendent and smiles abounded. I am in gratitude for the opening doors and new friends along my path. Dance has such a bouyant quality. To capture that emotion as well as the grace of movement and connection and translate it to art is a joy.

the dance from Laura Cottril on Vimeo.

“On with the dance! let joy be unconfined;
No sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet
To chase the glowing hours with flying feet.”
~George Gordon, Lord Byron, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage

“The dance is a poem of which each movement is a word. “~Mata Hari.

Sunday Soiree Santa Clara Vintage, Dance, Swing

“Please send me your last pair of shoes, worn out with dancing as you mentioned in your letter,

so that I might have something to press against my heart.”

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

7 Comments

  1. Crackle Bingham

    Beautiful Laura Cottril love! Hope to see you soon! Are you going to Imaging?

  2. Joan Silva

    The photos look as if from eons ago. How lovely. Brings back and era long forgotten but by a few.

  3. Joan

    Laura – your prose is as beautiful as your photos are. Well done!

  4. Mary Walls Robertson

    Just beautiful! Feels like you’ve gone back in time and captured their spirit. Well done.

  5. Laura Cottril

    Thank you Joan, for the opportunity to be there for you! I was delighted to meet you in person and look forward to getting to know you more on the Queen Mary.

  6. Karen Drinkwater

    Fantastic!

  7. Deb Trifeletti Wat

    Most FABULOUS!