Not too long ago, I took an assignment that was way too fun to be called work. I went to the Broken Spoke dance hall in Austin for the Statesman to photograph three local two-steppers – Hunter Magness, Larry Vanston and Joel Gamage.
If you saw the article in Sunday’s paper, you know that all three of these guys are characters. I’m a witness to that. They’re all great dancers and a lot of fun to be around. I saw more than a few jealous men standing on the sidelines while Magness, Vanston and Gammage twirled woman after woman around the dance floor.
Reporter Tobin Levy gave them each a fitting nickname in his article, so let me start with Larry Vanston:
The suavest dancer in town
Vanston seemed to be the “quiet one.” His dance moves weren’t terribly flashy or complicated, but he had a real connection with every woman on his arm. He made it easy for me to photograph him.
Epitome of ebullience
That accurately describes Hunter Magness. He just wants to show girls a good time. With unconventional dance moves and more charm than anyone in Austin, he was as much fun as he was unpredictable to shoot.
The Texas Hatter
Joel Gammage, whose family has made and sold cowboy hats for generations, grew up at the Broken Spoke. It’s no wonder he looks completely comfortable doing the dance steps that no other men dare to try in public.
Photographing him required some strategy. To correctly capture his fancy footwork, I had to make sure I was in the right place at the right time. Otherwise, I’d rush around the dance floor to get ther shot and end up knocking someone over.
I had never been to the Broken Spoke before that night. It was an authentically Texas experience that I’d like to try again soon. If you ever get the chance to dance with one of these two-steppin’ kings, go for it! You won’t be disappointed.
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