"A Day with Betty"

The Wisdom of Age Project—Hampton Roads, Va. 2015

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About "A Day with Betty"

About the filmmaker

MYRTLE ELIZABETH HOGGE goes by only two names nowadays: “Betty” or “Grandma.” For her entire life, Betty has lived in Hampton, Virginia. B, 89, Betty has seen the transformation of Hampton Roads. Living through boom and bust, she has always been able to call Hampton home. Through it all, Betty’s love for dance has never wavered, as she established her own dance studio, “The Betty Smith Dance Studio,” in Hampton 30 years ago. I had the privilege to spend a day with Betty as she took me down memory lane with trips to her dance studio and Fort Monroe, her favorite spot in town. Betty recounts fond memories at Fort Monroe of her and her friends going to summer concerts and watching fireworks on the Fourth of July. She relives the tragedy of her dance studio being destroyed by a fire and the rebuilding process that ensued. Betty discusses giving up her passion of dance and retiring to tend to her dying husband, as well as her important role as a grandmother. As Betty prepares for her 90th birthday this year, she reflects on the life she’s lived, her passion for dance, and the importance of family. ◊

Collin Brennan is a a junior at Christopher Newport University, Newport News, Va.

• I am a major in communication studies with a minor and political science. I have high aspirations of being a multi-media journalists and I have been fortunate to have many amazing opportunities to improve my journalistic skills. Last year I was an intern with WUSA9, the CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C., and I am currently the Managing Editor of CNU TV, my school’s news broadcast. This summer I will be an intern with the video department at USA Today. I took this documentary class to see what it was like to film and produce stories from a different angle. Making a documentary has been one of the most rewarding, yet difficult, tasks I have ever had to complete. For a budding journalists like myself, being told to slow down and notice the minor details was hard at first, but I have grown a true appreciation for the art of documentaries. My experience documenting the life of Betty Hogge, my girlfriend’s grandmother, was one I will never forget.

"A Day with Betty"

documentary film by Collin Brennan

Myrtle Elizabeth Hogge—Betty—has devoted her life to her passion, establishing her own dance studio to teach ambitious dancers of all ages how to dance.

"A Day with Betty" (12:24)