signed by author on request
Wben the Acadiana Center for the Arts gave me the opportunity to show my work, I began afresh combing through my negatives. I soon discovered that I had many more images to share than the 30 that the gallery could accommodate. It was the right time to design a book. It morphed into a big project that involved finding out more about the people I had shot 45 years ago.
And now that the book is finally seeping into southwest Louisiana, I’m learning even more. The couple dancing on page 57 in Kenwood Club, Port Barré? A reader showed it to his mother who grew up in that village and she said, “That’s Ethel in curlers and she’s dancing with Joe.” A couple of days later I was texted Ethel’s 20-year old obituary.
High tech self-publishing
We employed a hybrid offset/digital process that beautifully mirrors the rich, granular details of the original black and white Kodak Tri-X negative. Big French Dance can stand proudly next to other art photography editions in its graphic design, faithful image rendition, and precision manufacturing. Designed by Linda Baris.
Early Reactions to Big French Dance
“Ron Stanford’s powerful black and white photographs capture the heart of Cajun and Zydeco worlds, in which all ages dance, sing, and celebrate life in deeply grounded ways. Big French Dance is a landmark collection of photographs that forever preserve the history of a people and their beloved music.”
— WILLIAM FERRIS, Voices of Mississippi
“Ron and Fay Stanford moved to Cajun and Creole south Louisiana in 1972. They immersed themselves in the distinctive, intimate cultural world of French family and village life, music and dance, local festivals and Catholic rituals. The results herein are quietly evocative photographs and thoughtful reflections recalling a time when the enduring culture seemed destined to disappear. Yet many people portrayed in this book became leaders to the vibrant, culturally self-aware continuity and creativity of French Louisiana today.”
— NICK SPITZER, American Routes
“These photos show the natural dance of life before the tidal wave of commercialization and rising self-consciousness took over. Before Paul Prudhomme and the Cajun food craze he inspired, before Mulates, before The Big Easy.”
— MICHAEL DOUCET, BeauSoleil, from his introduction to Big French Dance
In Louisiana Big French Dance is available at
Sola Violins Lafayette
Acadiana Center for the Arts Lafayette
Garden District Book Shop New Orleans
Prints
All photographs from Big French Dance are available as archival inkjet prints.