English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

August 10 - 17, 2013

Program Director

Owen Morrison is an accomplished rhythm and lead guitarist, at home in many styles of traditional music. His playing, laced with rhythmic power and skillful finesse, has made him popular among dancers and fiddlers alike. Owen has toured the U.S. and abroad with bands such as Elixir, Airdance, Night Watch and The Morrison Brothers Band. A frequent staff member and Program Director at Pinewoods, Ashokan, Augusta, and many other camps.

http://www.myspace.com/owenmorrison

Family Week at Ogontz

English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

American Dance & Music Week at Pinewoods

Staff

Yaëlle Azoulay

Born in Quebec, with a Moroccan-French background, Yaëlle Azoulay is a professional dancer/choreographer specializing in Quebecois traditional dance and percussive dance. She started dancing with Pieds Légers de Laval and Reel et Macadam folk ensembles. She then joined the professional dance group ZOGMA where she’s been dancing since 2003 and travelling in Canada, the U. S., Africa and Asia. She started her own work as a choreographer in 2006, with Turque-oise, a blend of Quebecois stepdancing (jig) and Turkish folk dance. Her most recent piece, Sax Addict, is a grooving reggae stepdancing choreography that toured in Quebec. Despite her young age, she has been teaching stepdancing and calling social dances for the past 10 years all over Quebec and the U. S. She is recognized as one of the best in her field on the Quebec scene.

www.zogma.ca

English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

Stephanie Besford

Stephanie Besford has performed and taught both clog and rapper dancing for several years. Beginning as a rapper dancer at fifteen, Steph has danced with Triskele Sword, Pengwyn and the High Spen Pink Diamonds, as well as forming and teaching Star and Shadow in Newcastle upon Tyne. Steph came to clog dancing a little later and picked up dances gradually from several different friends and acquaintances. Although dancing largely in the Lancashire style, spending time in the North East has also been influential in developing her style. In recent times, Steph has performed clog as part of a morris dancing tour to Oman and has competed at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod with the Newcastle Kingsmen. She currently runs a clog dancing class in the North East of England, as well as teaching clog with Star and Shadow.

English Dance Week at Pinewoods

English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

Tom Besford

Tom Besford was born into a family of traditional dancers, being brought up entirely by North West morris dancers from the two key revival teams, Horwich Prize Medal Morris Men and Rivington Morris. He has lived in the North East of England for 8 years, becoming Squire of both the Sallyport Sword Dancers and the Newcastle Kingsmen, leading sides to success at the annual Dancing England Rapper Tournaments in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Tom is an avid fan of rapper sword dancing and regularly teaches workshops, gives talks and contributes to publications about all aspects of the dance. In recent years, he has become a longsword convert and has since been involved in teaching the Kingsmen new repertoire which saw them win the Sword Dance Union Longsword Tournament for the first time in 2012.

English Dance Week at Pinewoods

English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

Alex Cumming

Alex Cumming is an English piano accordionist, singer, caller and morris/sword dancer currently living in Newcastle, England. As an accordionist Alex performs regularly with his own ceilidh band Dyer:Cumming’s and performs with BBC Young Folk Award Winner, James Findlay. As well as singing solo, Alex performs in a folk vocal quartet called The Teacups who sing folk material from England in four part harmony. Alex is a regular dance caller on the English ceilidh scene calling at many events and festivals including Sidmouth Folk Festival and Warwick Folk Festival. Also on several teams, Alex dances rapper with the Newcastle Kingsmen, High Spen Blue Diamonds Traditional Sword Dancers and is a musician for Star and Shadow Rapper. He also currently dances Cotswold morris with Morris Offspring, Hexham Morris, Maple Morris and Taunton Deane Morris Men.

www.myspace.com/theteacupsquartet

www.alexcumming.webs.com

English Dance Week at Pinewoods

English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

Richard Forest

Think of an Osprey, not so well known outside his territory, but in Quebec, Richard Forest is a master. He plays in a true, robust and spirited Quebecois style that could bring even the weariest to the dance floor. Part of the revival of traditional music in the 70s he is renowned for bringing to the fore many traditional tunes and ever popular for adding many of his own. His most popular tunes, Valse de Bois, Reel de Mattawa, and Reel de Montebello, can be heard in sessions throughout Quebec and everywhere else that Quebec tunes have an inroad. Though inspired by family from the Lanaudiere region, Richard took up the fiddle only in his late teens and taught himself by listening to and emanating every record he could lay his hands on. He performs and has recorded with several Quebec artists and groups including Les Éclusiers, Tradi-Son, Bardi Barda, Domino, Le Grande Chaine, Rapetipetam, and Reveillons! Richard has performed at folk festivals across North America and abroad and also teaches and plays the music of Québec at fiddle and dance camps.

English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

Scott Higgs

Scott Higgs has been calling and composing English and contra dances for over 25 years -- delighting novices and experts alike. From Seattle to Antwerp, dancers praise Scott's engaging programs, dynamic presentation, and emphasis on fun. His business card says it all: Playful, spirited, elegant, zesty, joyful contra, English, morris, and couple dancing.

http://www.scotthiggs.com

English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

lydia ievins

lydia ievins, from Montague, MA, plays fiddle regularly for English, contra and couple dancing. Her love for creating rich harmonic lines led her into exploring the vibrant traditions of Swedish fiddling; she has thus discovered that the nyckelharpa makes a striking addition to English country dance. As an avid dancer herself, she infuses her playing with rhythmic clarity and sensitive phrasing to produce eminently danceable music.

http://lydiamusic.org/

English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

Jonathan Jensen

Jonathan Jensen is an inspired pianist in musical styles ranging from English country and contra to ragtime and jazz. Jon is a composer of brilliant dance tunes and waltzes, a frequent performer at dance events and a bassist with the Baltimore Symphony. When not playing piano at camp he is often filling in on whistle, recorder, ocarina or mandolin and offering his original songs, both silly and serious.

http://www.bsomusic.org/main.taf?p=4,4,1,1&id=JonathanJensen

English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

George Marshall

One of the best known and loved contra callers in the country, George Marshall's mission is to share the joy of dance! While working on the summer trail crew in the White Mountains of New Hampshire during the early seventies George discovered square and contra dancing, he was immediately hooked and became an avid dancer. In his first year at college, George helped start the band Swallowtail and began calling and playing. Based in Belchertown, Massachusetts, he is a full time musician/caller/dance teacher and tours nationally. Most of the time he can be found calling/playing with Wild Asparagus and Swallowtail but also calls with other wonderful bands. George specializes in teaching and calling New England style contra dances he has collected throughout the country. He is known for his knack of matching music to dance and his smooth, concise teaching and presentation. He plays English concertina and bodhran and has recorded on eight albums. In addition to performing, George produces music and dance events including week long winter dance vacations on St. Croix in the Caribbean and on the Big Island of Hawaii.

English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

Elvie Miller is unable to join us

Jeremiah McLane

Jeremiah McLane, an inspired accordion and piano player, expands effortlessly on the melodic possibilities of any music. He has explored Breton and swing era Parisian musette music and can switch easily from lyrical traditional Irish to rockout dance music, from Cajun and zydeco to swing and jazz.

http://www.jeremiahmclane.com/

English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

Naomi Morse

Naomi Morse grew up surrounded by music and dance in the folk communities of New England. She is known for her energetic and driving fiddle playing for both contra and English dancing in many bands, including Night Watch, Housetop and the mega-fiddle-band Childsplay. She has toured extensively with the world music ensemble Northern Harmony and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, where she sings professionally.

http://www.myspace.com/naomimorse

Harmony of Song & Dance at Pinewoods

Family Week at Ogontz

English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

Gene Murrow

Gene Murrow has been an English country dancer and musician since 1965 and has taught and called since 1988 at clubs, workshops, festivals and balls throughout the U.S. as well as Britain, Europe and Japan. In 1996, he organized the Amherst Assembly, a week-long conference devoted to a scholarly and practical look at the origins and evolution of the country dance. Sought out for his deep understanding of both music and dance and for his exceptional clarity when teaching, Gene has written a resource guide and training curriculum on musicianship for English country dance leaders. He has also performed on four recordings as a member of MGM, produced the CDS Boston English Country Dance series featuring Bare Necessities and served on the Board of Directors of CDSS and Early Music America. Gene is the Executive Director and Founder of Gotham Early Music Scene.

English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

Anna Patton

Anna Patton plays dance tunes on the clarinet with great verve, clarity and harmonic whim. Besides English and contra dance tunes, her repertoire includes Balkan dance tunes, Brazilian choros and early jazz. Based in Brattleboro, VT she has spent much of her young life on tour around the U.S. and abroad, singing and playing for dancers, concert goers and pedestrians. She also enjoys teaching music to kids and adults and writing arrangements.

http://www.annapatton.com/

Harmony of Song & Dance at Pinewoods

English Dance Week at Pinewoods

English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

American Dance & Music Week at Pinewoods

Ian Robb

Ian Robb is, as he puts it, “a singer and occasional writer of old songs.” The England-born singer, concertina player, morris dancer and traditional music advocate has lived 43 years in Canada, and for the last 22 of those has been one third of the internationally acclaimed vocal harmony trio, Finest Kind. Ian's roots are in the English folk club scene of the 1960s, where he found the ability to project his voice across a smoky bar, and developed a love for the old songs of that country and for "new songs that sound old". Ian has been an active member of Thames Valley Morris (now Thames Valley International) since the 1980s, when he attended a Pinewoods class taught by TVI founder and current musician Paul Handford.

www.ianrobb.com/ian

English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

Advisors

Nic Gareiss
Steve Howe
Meredith Langstaff

Carol Ormand

Carol Ormand is beloved throughout the contra community for her smooth and unflappable style, wickedly fun dances and penchant for keeping all the dancers on the floor smiling. Her delightful dance selections and concise, relaxed teaching style will keep you coming back for more. When she's not calling, you're likely to find her fiddling, singing or dancing morris, rapper sword, longsword, English country, modern Western squares or Scandinavian dances.

http://carolormand.com/

English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

Anna Patton

http://www.annapatton.com/

Harmony of Song & Dance at Pinewoods

English Dance Week at Pinewoods

English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

American Dance & Music Week at Pinewoods

English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods

Tentative Schedule

7:45-8:15	Hot Breakfast served cafeteria style
8:15-8:45	Cold Breakfast Coffee/Tea available
9:00-10:00	ECD (Adv) Form, Function, Affect and Fun: Gene Murrow ECD (Adv) Form, Function, Affect and Fun: Gene Murrow Music by: Jeremiah McLane, Anna Patton The varied configurations, subtle social interaction, mood and enjoyment of the English country dance continue to amaze, from the 17th century to the present. We’ll dance outstanding examples from the repertoire for fun and deepened appreciation. For advanced dancers who know all or most of the ECD figures. English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods
	ECD (For All): Scott Higgs ECD (For All): Scott Higgs Music by: Jonathan Jensen, lydia ievins Start your day with a sparkling assortment of favorites, old and new. You don't need to strain your brain to enjoy beautiful dancing. Selected dances will be accessible to all, yet feature special delights for experienced dancers to savor. We'll all be treated to fabulous music, courtesy of Jonathan and lydia. English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods
	Quebecois Step-Dancing (Adv): Yaëlle Azoulay Quebecois Step-Dancing (Adv): Yaëlle Azoulay Music by: Richard Forest This class is intended for dancers who have been stepdancing for at least 2 years and can pick up steps fairly quickly. Stepdancing shoes (with metal or fiberglass) are highly recommended. This year, we will learn steps in a 3 beat count that are very specific to Quebecois Step-Dancing. We will also learn hard steps that can be performed to any good reel! Yaëlle will dig into the traditional repertoire as well as her own; we might even try out some steps to crooked tunes. All classes will start with a warm up that Yaëlle has specifically designed to develop very agile feet. When time allows, we will have fun improvising! English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods
	Cotswold Morris: Ian Robb Cotswold Morris: Ian Robb Music by: Alex Cumming Ian has danced with Thames Valley International for almost 30 years, and will teach the essential elements of that team's graceful and flowing style. The Thames style and most of its dances were invented in London, Ontario by TVI founder and long time musician Paul Handford, and are based loosely on the Fieldtown morris tradition. The class will learn hankie and stick dances from the TVI repertoire, with emphasis on the elements that make this style distinctive. English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods
10:15-11:15	Contras: George Marshall Contras: George Marshall Music by: Richard Forest, Owen Morrison, Anna Patton One of the things we love about dance is the ability to connect--to each other, to the music, to our surroundings or to a tradition. This contra class will explore connection through dance. English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods
	English Clog: Stephanie Besford English Clog: Stephanie Besford Music by: Gene Murrow Clog or step dancing in the north of England is most commonly performed in one of two styles. The Northumberland and Durham style remains a strong part of North Eastern culture, whilst the style from Lancashire is said to emulate the sound of the cotton mills, with the steps most commonly performed having been written by either Pat Tracey or Sam Sherry. Steph’s own variety of clog is most closely aligned with the Lancashire style, in particular the dances of Sam Sherry, but having spent many years living in the North East, she has also been influenced by the those traditions. In these classes Steph will largely be teaching the Lancashire steps of Sam Sherry and others, but will also look at how rhythms can be developed and styles merged to create a more modern form of dance. English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods
	Dance Band: Jeremiah McLane Dance Band: Jeremiah McLane We'll explore a variety of dance tunes and styles and discover what makes dancers want to move. In between playing, we'll develop creative and exciting arrangements. Learning by ear will be encouraged, but sheet music will be provided. English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods
11:25-11:55	Gathering with Owen Morrison
11:55-12:30	Swimming, Bookstore staffed
12:30	Lunch
1:45-2:45	Couple Dance Playshop: Scott Higgs Couple Dance Playshop: Scott Higgs Music by: Jonathan Jensen, Naomi Morse A potpourri of joyful, accessible couple dances. The playshop format focuses on learning by doing -- we'll maximize the music and dancing, and minimize detailed teaching. Each day, you'll get a taste of several different styles, ranging from the elegant to the delightfully dizzying. Come ready to try something new and fun. English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods
	Body Percussion: Yaëlle Azoulay Body Percussion: Yaëlle Azoulay A new class this year, very exciting! Everybody is welcome to this class. All you will need: ears, and various other body parts. This class will be an exploration of sounds produced by the body. In a way of a choir, we will develop polyrhythms and use melody and rhythm combined. This class will be inspired by Yaëlle's research in body percussion in The United States, Quebec, Brazil, Eastern Europe, and South Africa. English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods
	North West Morris: Tom Besford North West Morris: Tom Besford Music by: Alex Cumming This traditional form of dance evolved in the cotton mills of Lancashire in the late 18th Century as a processional display to celebrate the traditions of each town and village. Men, women and children of all ages performed these dances on special occasions such as the Rushcart bearing and Rose Queen celebrations throughout Lancashire and the industrial heartland of North West England. In these workshops, Tom will be teaching some of the collected traditions from his home town of Horwich, specifically those revived by the Horwich Prize Medal Morris Men. English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods
	Singing: Ian Robb Singing: Ian Robb This session will be an opportunity to swap songs, sing some good choruses and talk in depth about singing and songs. Participants are encouraged to "bring and sing", and Ian will lead and steer informal discussion through such topics as repertoire sources, regional styles, informal social singing and etiquette, unaccompanied vs accompanied singing, story songs, chorus songs, learning words, finding a key, phrasing, making someone else's song your own, and whatever else arises. There will be no fixed agenda, and drop-ins are welcome. English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods
3:00-4:00	Contras: George Marshall Contras: George Marshall Music by: Naomi Morse, Jeremiah McLane and Owen Morrison Join George Marshall in the afternoon for a wide-ranging selection of contras. We'll dance traditional "chestnuts," brand new compositions and everything in between. The class will be treated every day to music by the trio Night Watch. English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods
	Longsword: Tom Besford Longsword: Tom Besford Music by: Alex Cumming Possibly the oldest form of directly traceable traditional dance in existence, hilt and point sword dancing is found throughout Europe. Most of our detailed records of the dance come from Yorkshire through the work of Cecil Sharp and his contemporaries. Tom will teach some of the rural longsword dances which Sharp first published in The Sword Dances of Northern England Volume 1, published in 1911. As these dances are rural traditions which were largely performed only once or twice a year, they were deliberately simple to learn but difficult to master and are often described as ‘dances for dancers.’ English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods
	Quebecois Step-Dancing (Beg): Yaëlle Azoulay Quebecois Step-Dancing (Beg): Yaëlle Azoulay Music by: Richard Forest This class reaches out to those of you who have always dreamed to do feet percussion but never knew how or when to start! A somewhat good notion of rhythm and your favourite pair of shoes (hard sole and not too high heel) are required. In this class, we will learn all the basics of Quebecois Step-Dancing. During warm-up, we will examine the way our feet move and exercise our ankles, knees and feet to be ready for Step-Dancing. In a very musical approach, we will learn various sequences that you can bring home to work on. English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods
4:00-4:20	Tea
4:30-5:30	ECD: Gene Murrow ECD: Gene Murrow Music by: Jonathan Jensen, lydia ievins, Anna Patton The late afternoon hour is the perfect time to enjoy engaging dances, with compelling music, that don’t tax the brain. We’ll choose a variety of historical and newly-composed dances that are accessible to novices and fun for the experienced. English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods
	Rapper: Tom Besford Rapper: Tom Besford Music by: Naomi Morse One of the more modern traditional dances, rapper sword dancing is a post industrial incarnate of longsword created and developed exclusively in the North East of England. This is a fast paced, complex performance designed to impress and amaze an audience with the skill and agility of the dancers. Over the past few decades, rapper has spread throughout England, America and increasingly beyond and in this growth, much of the style of the dance has altered and changed. Tom will teach a selection of traditional figures and will offer tips, advice and demonstration on how the evolution of the dance has changed the way rapper is performed since leaving the Tyneside coalfields in the mid 19th century. English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods
	Singing - Eat, Drink and Be Merry: Ian Robb Singing - Eat, Drink and Be Merry: Ian Robb Ian will lead a week of songs about food and drink. An opportunity to sing some great choruses, learn some new songs, share some tips on harmony and if you're so inclined, bring some of your own favorite songs, food or drink for the class to taste. English & American Dance Week at Pinewoods
5:30-6:15	Swimming, Bookstore staffed
6:30	Dinner
7:45	Couple Dances
8:00-11:00	Evening Dance Party
11:00	After-dance Activities

August 10 - 17, 2013

Is there still room?
For up-to-date info about availability and wait lists,
see our main Dance & Music Camps page.

Printable information

Description of Classes: a 2 page description of the classes

Daily Schedule: a 1 page daily timetable

For accepted campers: Links to a few important pages and surveys.

Program Description

Photo by Doug Plummer

Pinewoods Camp is the perfect setting for a celebration of English & American dance traditions. The four open-air pavilions are ideally suited for the contra, English country, morris, sword, and percussive dances that fill our days at camp. The incomparable Pinewoods kitchen crew takes care of feeding our bodies so we can focus on feeding our souls with the fantastic music that floats through the woods, and the joy and camaraderie we find on the dance floor. And, flanking both sides of the unique property, are two beautifully swimmable ponds that beckon to us after some of the more strenuous dance classes, and after dancing for hours each evening.

English & American Week is built on a foundation of great contra and English country dancing. This year’s program features three of the best callers anywhere--George Marshall calling contras, Gene Murrow leading English, and Scott Higgs calling English and American dances. There are two hour-long opportunities to dance contras with George Marshall in the daily schedule. There are also three English Country dance classes in the program, allowing campers to begin their morning with an hour of English country and end their afternoon the same way. Every evening features a nearly three-hour dance party that alternates between English and American dancing. Best of all is the knowledge that you will be surrounded all week by people who love to dance contras and English country as much as you do!

The music staff will amaze, inspire and, most importantly, get your feet moving! Jonathan Jensen, lydia ievins and Anna Patton are some of the most sought-after English country dance musicians, among their myriad other talents. Richard Forest is one of Quebec’s greatest fiddlers and a composer of many classic fiddle tunes. The staff also includes the popular contra dance band Night Watch, comprised of Naomi Morse, Elvie Miller and Owen Morrison. They will be playing for one of the daily contra classes as well as in the evenings.

This year’s program puts a strong emphasis on English display dancing. The staff includes four native Brits, three of whom will be enjoying their first time at Pinewoods. Tom Besford will have a busy afternoon, teaching his exciting brand of Northwest morris, longsword, and rapper sword dancing. Ian Robb brings us a living tradition from the family of Cotswold morris. Also included will be a course in English clog, expertly taught by Stephanie Besford. Several of these classes will be accompanied by Alex Cumming, a talented young morris and ceilidh musician from the Southwest of England.

Those who enjoyed last year’s percussive dance theme will not be disappointed in 2013. Yaëlle Azoulay is back by popular demand to teach two levels of Quebecois Step Dance, as well as a class in body percussion. Stephanie Besford’s English Clog course will round out the program for those who like to make music with their feet.

Speaking of making music, that is highly encouraged! Internationally renowned singer Ian Robb will offer two different classes for singers. A dance band course will be led by Elvie Miller, a life-long dance musician and award winning piano and accordion player. Beyond the fixed daily program there will be plenty of opportunities for musicians to jam.

In the late-night hours following the evening dance, we’ll have several themed music and dance parties. One night will be an English ceilidh, another a French Canadian soiree. There will be a pub night and evening of Irish music and Irish set dances. Campers and staff alike will be invited to join in all of these activities however they see fit--bring your instruments, your singing voices and your dancing shoes.

Of course, English and American Week would not be complete without an enthusiastic bunch of dancers to bring the program to life. I can’t wait to see you all at camp!

Owen Morrison, Program Director

Printable Information for Accepted Campers

Acceptance Information: Details for getting to and being at camp

Class Questionnaire: Please give us an idea of the classes you will take. Also available online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/eapw13

Rides: Do you need or can you offer a ride? Also available online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PWrides13

Special Diet: Please let us know if you have dietary concerns. Also available online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PWDiets

If you have not already, please do sign the Waiver.

To pay any camp Balance Due