On Fourth of July a friend and I went to this Retro Event sponsored by Dances of Vice. This event was called a Rockabilly Night Market. It was held in Brooklyn, NY at SRB on Second Avenue in an area that is now a mixture of warehouses and residential homes. Dances of Vice is an entertainment group that celebrates times past using a mixture of fantasy, nostalgia and surrealism.    There were a few bands that played that night and also a couple of burlesque dancers performed. There was quite a lot of swing dancing going on in the small dance space. Several vendors had booths at the event selling vintage or vintage inspired items. It was fun to go to an event where most of the people there were dressed as if it was the 1940’s or 50’s. If I remember correctly the door fee was a mere $10 for this event.

There was an Enz’s booth which sold their lovely dresses and tops that are all vintage inspired. The quality and fabrics are really beautiful. The sales lady from their Park Slope shop was at the event and she looks great in their clothing. There was a booth run by a hairdresser who was doing retro hair styles. She was busy the entire time. Other vendors sold floral hair accessories, vintage clothing and jewelry. It was a really fun event although the room was a bit small considering how many people attended. A few people drove there in their antique cars and they parked outside.

The burlesque dancers put on a good show. I hadn’t seen burlesque live before and it was very entertaining. One of the dancers was a bit wilder and more risqué. She had a sultry and provocative way of dancing. The dancer Bettina May was dressed like a sailor part of the time and looked like a lovely pinup lady. She had a more of all American wholesome sweetheart look with a fun personality that came through in her dancing. I just now realized that Bettina May is the same woman who is the hair dresser. Apparently she teaches monthly pinup classes, complete with a makeover and pin up photo shoot.

My friend and I had a really enjoyable time. We are hoping to take a swing dance class intensive soon. It’s been awhile since I did swing dance classes so I am rusty. We are hoping to go to more of these events soon. If we do I will let you know how it went!