Advanced Dance and Music Course for Young Adults at Timber Ridge

August 16 - 23, 2009

This week is over -- see you next year!

Program Description

Look at Special Programs for general information; here are details about this particular program and staff.

We are very excited to announce our first ever Advanced Dance and Music Course for Young Adults at Timber Ridge concurrent with CDSS English and American and Family programs. The course will offer lots of opportunities for young adults to develop music and dance skills, discuss important issues, learn from staff and from each other, and make connections with other young people from elsewhere in the country.

With the combination of class time and social time the course will enable participants to get know each other, share ideas and experiences, and create lasting connections, giving them the skills, confidence and resources to take on leadership roles wherever they live and wherever they go. The program will include several components:

• An advanced dance skills and dance leadership class, led by Ann Percival and David Cantieni, will give folks a chance to take their dancing to a new level, to try new styles of dance, and to learn how individuals can build community through their leadership on the dance floor.
• A leadership seminar will provide an opportunity to work with a different member of the staff each day. Topics might include an advanced singing workshop, preparing a dance to call at Campers night, a presentation on the history of contra dance, organizing dances on college campuses, etc.
• Course participants will be able to organize and perform for late night dance and music activities in collaboration with other campers and staff.
• Participants can choose from the full range of activities in the other programs that week, including contra, English, rapper, clogging and percussion, art, jamming, storytelling and singing; and, of course, swimming, napping and hanging out.

This program, held concurrently with the Adult and Family programs, is designed and led by Ethan Hazzard-Watkins. Ethan has worked through the winter with the host program and the staff to develop and realize the vision for this Course and will facilitate the leadership seminar. Ethan plays fiddle in several popular bands. He is the CDSS Youth Programs intern where he develops new programs for young dancers.

Ann Percival and David Cantieni are well known as contra dance musicians but are also widely appreciated for their popular dance classes. Spanning a range of styles from swing to Scandinavian and everything in between, their clear instruction and organized approach is fun and guaranteed to take your dancing to a new level. In addition to the basics, they teach style, partnering, relating to the music and to the rest of the dancers. This will be an exciting and stimulating class for dancers of all levels. Music will be provided by Steve Hickman (fiddle), John Devine (guitar) and Ralph Gordon (bass) -- a practically legendary group that can play great music for any style of music the dancers desire.

During other times, participants can choose from among the activities available at the Adult and Family programs.

Registration

This course is open to young adults age 17 to 25. It is limited to 20 participants to ensure plenty of opportunity for active participation. If it is oversubscribed on March 16, there will be a lottery. Please clearly indicate if you would like to attend Timber Ridge if you do not get into this course. Scholarships are available.