Last Day of Summer Dance Party
Social dancers in circle at Last Day of Summer Party, (c) Carole Edrich 2014
I’m not sure what initially attracted me to the Last Day of Summer Dance Party at the Southside Ballroom in Wandsworth last Saturday. It might have been the Lemington-Nejc demo dances (you’ve probably noticed how much I enjoy shooting this dashingly dynamic dance duo) or Viktoriya Wilton and Nuno Filipe Pessoa Sabroso or even Elena Plesenco, who I’ve not seen perform for a very long time. It might even have been the poetic reason for the party. Celebrating the end of our long and glorious summer is well worth it in and of itself.
Benny Maslov and partner dancing socially at Last Day of Summer Party, (c) Carole Edrich 2014
I hadn’t heard of the organisers before. It turns out there was a good reason. Elizabeth Anderson and Melodie Brannan are only recently returned to Britain having been working in ballroom and Latin dancing in the US. Elizabeth said she went out to run a studio for a few months, stayed in the US for 9 years and graduated with a BA in Social anthropology from SOAS last year and this is the first event they’ve run since their return. Her warmth and sense of humour was clear throughout the event, and borne out by the style with which she manages her dance team; students in her dance team get fined 50p for partner injuries which goes into the team biscuit fund.
Elizabeth Anderson and Nuno Filipe Pessoa Sabroso dancing socially at the Last Day of Summer Party, (c) Carole Edrich 2014
Unfortunately other commitments meant I missed the first set of performances but did manage the next two sets and the social dance. The pros were as professional and fluent as anyone could hope, Victoriya has her own special glamorous style and the combination of unique clothes, well-honed bodies and perfectly paced performances by Lemington and Nejc were a spectacularly sumptuous statement in all that I love of their dance.
Elizabeth and Melodie are holding their next themed event; a Right Royal Party, on the last Saturday of January 2015. Keep an eye here or on facebook for details.
Social dancer in circle at Last Day of Summer Party, (c) Carole Edrich 2014