Making For Home

Underneath an ominous sky and heavy rain, a red, Downeast-style lobster boat charges through high seas in the painting Storm on Machias Bay, Maine by Robert B. Dance. Dance’s ability to capture atmospheric effects is evident in the dark greens of the ocean and powerful downpour. Together, the colors and strokes portray high winds and bone-drenching rain, allowing viewers to truly feel the storm and rolling seas. Through the helm windshield, the captain can be seen driving the vessel forward while spray batters the glass. In this piece, Dance’s knowledge of boats and how they operate accentuates the power of the storm as the captain heads home.

Dance was born in Tokyo in 1934 when Japan was at war with Manchuria. His family left the country just before the bombing of Pearl Harbor and moved back to the United States. From an early age, Dance was an artist. He began painting at age 6 and went on to become an award-winning graduate of the Philadelphia Museum College of Art. Dance’s work has been exhibited all over the Eastern Seaboard. It has been featured in museum logos and was used on the first National Park Stamp in 1988. His painting Hatteras Standing was exhibited in the Great Hall of the Smithsonian and presented to President Bush in the White House.

Today, Dance lives in Kinston, North Carolina, with his wife. Together they have three sons, all of whom are involved in art of some form.

Dance gravitates towards landscapes and seascapes, and much of his work includes bodies of water. Many of the boats depicted in his paintings are vessels Dance has found at docks and then placed in backgrounds of his choosing. When Dance wants to introduce figures to his work, his sons will often pose for him.

Dance, who is now 90, is going strong and painting whenever he can in his studio at home. “I live to paint,” he said, in a 2022 interview for WNCT9 local news. “I think that’s why I’ve outlived all my friends.”