Dances of Vice II Festival
Ah the pageantry. Saturday (8-23 most notably was Dances of Vice Festival II at the Montauk Club in Brooklyn. We didn’t take nearly as many pictures (on my camera) as I’d hoped, but I’m certain there are at least 2 dozen people with photos of me out there as I was stopped almost every 15 minutes and asked by someone if they could take my picture. My style was more of a Gothic Neo-Victorian theme. Erick did his “traditional” Neo-Victorian + “brand new” (for him) authentic welders goggles (acquired that day at a garage sale). He got me a pair as well but as my hat was a tiny Victorian lady’s hat with feathers I didn’t feel it would fit.
As we were walking into Brooklyn a mundane couple were walking by and sort of chuckled “So where’s the big to-do?” We chatted with them for a while and they seemed pretty interested.
Once we arrived, the costuming was absolutely amazing and the atmosphere of the Montauk Club is perfect for this type of time travel gathering. The vendors were a little disappointing. With the exception of one man who did mechanical contraptions, almost all of the vendors were geared towards women, very little for the men to choose from. Not that there were many vendors at all.
There was near constant entertainment upstairs and down. Some bizarre period plays, interpretive dance, orchestral strings, old time photography, grand pianist and singers… It would have been nice if they had more music that the audience to get up and dance to. However as a thoroughly enjoyable surprise there was a guest performance by none other than The Clan Tinker :D Yes, that’s right, of Pennsic, the Clan Tinker. It was a short performance of fantastic music, juggling, fan veils, and sword swallowing but absolutely enjoyable.
This was very much a sit down, mingle with wine and watching, event. The first Dances of Vice in February had more musical performers** or at least, more engaging ones, and the venue was a little smaller so it was easier to be in the action I think it would have done better to make the event last longer into the evening and have it just be one or two days of back to back incredible performances instead of three long, drawn out days with quite obvious filler entertainment between bigger names. But I must say, it was a lovely night. I need no excuse to dress in funny clothes and meet new people. The bizarre, the macabre, the pseudo-normal, … anything but the mundane.
**we went on Saturday and I think the bigger bands were to come on Sunday.
**sigh** I lost my long black gloves which I feel would have added something.