Jazz-era art, cinematic romance and stories from the dance floor

Denise Steele creates atmospheric paintings inspired by swing dance, Art Deco glamour, music, movement and the golden age of jazz.

Painting of Josephine Baker in a white and gold gown, seated with a leopard, with silhouettes of jazz musicians behind her

Step into the glamour of the 1920s

Moonlit dancers, jazz clubs, forbidden romance and stories hidden in every brushstroke.

Explore the Art

Art with rhythm, mystery and movement

Denise’s work blends realism, impressionism and Art Deco influence with the drama of early Hollywood lighting.

Featured prints

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Frankie Manning dancing with Denise Steele on a crowded social dance floor

The Frankie Project

One hundred years of the Lindy Hop, told in paint, film and photographs. Frankie Manning was Denise's teacher, friend and dance partner for over fifteen years, and her film library holds him and his contemporaries teaching, dancing and telling their own stories.

Explore the project
Portrait photograph of artist Denise Steele, smiling, seated on a green sofa

Meet Denise Steele

Denise is an artist, dancer and author whose work is shaped by vintage jazz culture, theatrical lighting and the emotional language of dance.

Read Denise’s Story
Painting of a tango couple dancing beneath a full moon and a star-filled sky, the woman in a white dress with a gardenia in her hair

Take a piece of it home

Museum-quality giclée prints of Denise's paintings, framed or unframed, made to order and shipped worldwide.

Shop the prints