Newport Vintage Dance Week

It was just about a year ago that I wrote about the Newport Vintage Dance Week, hosted by The Commonwealth Vintage Dancers. (If you missed it you can read about it here.)   Part of the schedule last year was an afternoon at The Newport International Polo Grounds to watch a polo match, enjoy a picnic buffet and dance under the big white tent.  The CVD contacted me to see if I wouldn't mind adding a bit of vintage tailgaiting decor to the event and to observe, interview & capture it through photographs.  I jumped at it, of course.

There was one common thread that ran through the brief conversations I was able to have with some of the guests: a fear that the days were numbered for events such as this and that there was a weakening interest in all that the CVD and it's devotees stand for.  I drove home that night feeling as if I had been transported back in time to old~world Newport, the original resort town by the sea and fearing, too, that this wonderful experience would not be had by many more in todays rapidly & ever-changing world. . .

After much thought, I decided to wait until the spring to write this post, thinking that it could give the event a big shout-out as the season was just about to descend upon us but in plenty of time to book the trip and save the date.

I visited the website this week to confirm the event dates and so forth and lo and behold you won't believe it but:

Booked Solid.  The entire week.  A wait list in place.  How is that possible?  I ask myself after so many voiced concern over a lack of interest, not to mention that bad "e" word -- the troubled economy.  Well, maybe it was the wonderful piece Bill Cunningham wrote for the NYT about it or the great narrated video he created.   Perhaps all the attention and excitement about the release of the 2012 version of "The Great Gatsby" directed by Baz Luhrmann?  Who knows?  What I do know is that it doesn't get much better than that for CVD and I am sending my warmest congratulations to them and best wishes for another wonderful week in Newport. 

And now, just about one year later, but all the sweeter for the memory, are my photographs from

The Newport Vintage Dance Week
at
The Newport International Polo Grounds
30 July 2011.