Fluvanna Jazz Dancer Spring Recital Portraits in Charlottesville

My middle daughter’s passion for dance is unmatched, so I was not surprised when she had very specific (and cool!) ideas for her urban jazz dance portraits in Charlottesville. She has always been a natural in front of my camera, and I absolutely loved watching her through my lens as she recalled parts of the routine she had learned to perform in this costume. Admittedly, I relied on her for posing since I am very much still on edge with the “new Covid-19 normal” and even being out of my neighborhood felt strange and a little scary…so I can’t take too much credit for her portraits this time! The heartbreak of losing spring dance recital (among the long list of activities, events, and plans that we still mourn) is very real. I am grateful for our safety, health and many blessings, but I am devastated for what we have lost. Grieving the life we knew before Covid-19 is not the same as grieving a lost loved one, however it is a form of grief. Working on these portraits, I have allowed myself to wallow in the loss of Brushwood School of Dance 2020 Recital.

“When we grieve, we grieve the loss of unmet hopes, dreams and expectations.” -Allison James