Dance In The American Mall

A square dance exhibition in Naples Coastland Mall inspired this painting—a cowboy-themed cultural event for the Thursday afternoon shopper. Men’s shirts matched their partners’ dresses. Women’s costumes, with Crinolines, petticoats, satin bows, and lace bodices, hinted back to the 18th century. It was a dance of septuagenarians, octogenarians, and nonagenarians, and they were having fun!
I sketched the dancers for a few months as they danced through the malls and Lee and Collier County parking lots. The parking lot hoedowns introduced me to clogging, line dancing, and, my favorite, square dancing. The age progression was noticeable as the dancers went from clogging line dancing to square dancing. But the square dancers seemed to have the most fun—the dancer’s interaction as couples and as a group was captivating.
I painted them with their youth, joy, and love.