 |
Country Dance and Song SocietyFamily Week at Ogontz
|
|
Country Dance and Song SocietyFamily Week at Ogontz
|
Registration Info
Registration Form
Scholarships
Camplife
Class Descriptions
Staff & Schedule
Programs Homepage
|
Family Week at Ogontz July 28 - August 4, 2001 Program Directors: Staff: * Advisor, plus: |
Program Description: [Back to Top]
Look up our Family Programs for some general information; here is more detail about this particular program and staff.
Ogontz has its own lake surrounded by hundreds of acres of pine woods, sunny open spaces and a glorious view of the mountains beyond. See Ogontz for more description.
Ogontz, now in its third year, is the newest of the CDSS Family Weeks. The success of this new site attests to the need in these fast-paced times for programs that nurture and celebrate the whole family. Ogontz is a place for both long-established CDSS traditions and the creation of Ogontz customs unique to this exciting new setting.
Families will be treated to a program of dance, story, harmony singing, instrumental music and crafts. Dance traditions will include contra and square, English country, clog morris, longsword and community dancing for all ages.
Daily classes for each age group allow the children to make friends while engaging in age appropriate activities led by our skilled staff. Classes for those 13 and up allow a variety of choices in music, dance, storytelling and crafts. Evening dances, song swaps and tune sessions take place while roving babysitters keep watch over sleeping children.
Community gatherings each morning and evening bring us all together to learn from one another while sharing in music and dance from staff and campers alike. On Friday a parade leads us all in a "show and tell" tour of camp that allows us to acknowledge the joy and excitement of all that has happened during the week.
Swimming at the family-friendly beach, listening to harmonies carried by the wind or enjoying a quiet moment on the Adirondack chairs overlooking the lake and distant mountains will make Ogontz an unforgettable experience.
Class Descriptions: [Back to Top]
Children's classes by age group - 9:00 and 2:35
Children are expected to attend these two classes while their parents are attending classes listed under Adult Classes below.
Ages 2 and 3
Childcare with fun crafts and appropriate activities is provided during the two main class periods of the day.
Ages 4 and 5
Mornings begin with songs, stories and singing games with Mary Alice as she shares her favorites. Karen will do music, arts and crafts in the afternoons.
Ages 6 and 7
Merle leads this group each morning in art, crafts and intriguing explorations. In the afternoon, Mary Alice will share her favorite songs, stories, dances and singing games.
Ages 8 and 9
Peter will teach this age group traditional American and English dances and tell them folktales. The children will create a dramatic performance of one of these stories to share with the camp later in the week. In the afternoon, Andy will guide this group through a longsword dance, an adventure in musical teamwork.
Ages 10 to 12
Morning class with Andy will range from group storytelling to creating original dances with music and calls. Kari will introduce the group to Northwest or processional morris in the afternoons. These dances from the industrial Northwest of England were originally developed for processing in mid-summer rush-cart parades. The class will likely build its own rush-cart.
Ages 13 and up - MORNING CLASSES (9:00-9:55)
Contras and Squares - Sue Rosen with Pete and Karen Sutherland.
Northwest or Processional Morris - Kari Smith with Bruce Rosen. Newcomers and experienced dancers welcome. Northwest clogs desirable, but not necessary.
Ages 13 and up - AFTERNOON CLASSES (2:35-3:30)
English Country Dance - Brad Sayler with Daron Douglas and Jonathan Jensen. After covering the basic movements, we'll explore the dances that make this such an exciting dance form, from Sharp to Shaw, waltzes to hornpipes and Well Hall to Dublin Bay.
Harmony Singing - Peter Amidon. We will be singing a wide range of songs: traditional and composed, sacred and secular, American, African-American, English and more. Some harmonies will be taught by ear, some from written music and some improvised by the group. Music reading skills are helpful but not required.
EARLY AFTERNOON CLASSES (1:30-2:25)
Classes after lunch are designed for a wide range of ages so that parents can attend classes with their children. Some may prefer to use this time for napping or other quiet activities.
Storytelling (10 & up) - Donald Davis with special guest Daron Douglas.
From grandparents to grandchildren . . . what we were told and what we tell. Looking at those informal across-the-table conversations that make up the stories of our lives, we will try to search out what we learned from our parents and grandparents as well as what we pass on (knowingly or not!) to our own children.
Singing Picture Books (9 & younger, with a parent) - Mary Alice Amidon.
Books that tell a story through song as well as books for which Mary Alice has composed a tune. She'll tell stories from all around the world accompanied by guitar or drumming, with lots of audience participation.
Shape Note Singing (? & up) - Peter Amidon.
This will be modeled after the Brattleboro (VT) Sacred Harp sing. We will sit in an open square, and take turns choosing songs. Peter will teach how to sing the shapes, and go over parts when necessary. Peter will also weave in the history and culture of shape note singing throughout the week. Books (Sacred Harp) will be provided, though we encourage you to bring your own book if you have one.
Marley Clog (? & up) - Kari Smith.
In this class we will learn one routine from the Marley repertoire, and will explore the history of "English-style" clog dancing in the United States. The Marley tradition comes to us from the teaching of Anna Marley of Rockville (CT) who clog danced as a child in the 1920's in her family's professional vaudeville act. Wear stepping clogs, taps, or sturdy hard-soled shoes. Newcomers and experienced dancers welcome.
Crafts (8 & up, with parent) - Robin Davis.
Ukrainian egg dyeing.
Advanced Napping - for as many as will.
LATE AFTERNOON CLASSES (3:40-4:40)
New England Band (12 & up) - Pete Sutherland.
Learn medleys and arrangements of traditional and contemporary tunes for accompanying the end-of-week dances. All instruments welcome, all levels accepted.
Crafts (8 & up, with parent) - Robin Davis.
Traditional paper folding.
American Pie - Brad Sayler with Jonathan Jensen and Daron Douglas.
Each day a different slice of American folk dance including old time couple and novelty dances, classic contras and squares.
AFTERNOON STORY (4:45-5:15)
Each afternoon Donald Davis will share a story from his own experience growing up in the mountains of North Carolina. These stories will be told on the lawn near the dining hall for as many as will.
| Family Week at Ogontz Daily Schedule |
|
| 7:45 - 8:15 | Breakfast |
| 9:00 - 9:55 | Morning classes, divided by age group |
| 10:00 | Refreshments |
| 10:15 - 11:00 | Family Gathering |
| 11:00 - 12:15 | Swimming |
| 12:15 | Lunch |
| 1:30 - 2:25 | Early afternoon classes/Rest time |
| 2:35 - 3:30 | Afternoon classes, divided by age group |
| 3:30 | Refreshments |
| 3:40 - 4:40 | Swimming Late afternoon classes |
| 4:45 - 5:15 | Afternoon story on the lawn |
| 6:00 | Dinner |
| 7:15 | Family Dance |
| 7:50 - 8:30 | Evening Gathering |
| 8:20 | Pied Piper/bedtime for children 9 and younger |
| 8:30 - 10:45 | Evening Dance Party |
| 9:30 | Bedtime for 10-12 year olds |
Peter Amidon - Storyteller, singer, teacher, dance caller and all around organizer of community music and dance. Peter has extensive experience teaching traditional dance to children, leading shape note singing and performing traditional songs with....
Mary Alice Amidon - Warm and engaging music educator who connects song, dance and storytelling with children's literature. Accomplished singer of traditional song and multi-instrumentalist.
Donald Davis - Nationally recognized storyteller, teacher and dance caller from North Carolina. Donald's stories are drawn from traditional sources as well as his detailed memories of growing up in the southern Appalachians.
Merle Davis - Experienced educator and workshop leader. Merle has been at numerous CDSS family weeks where her work with young people brings out the best in each individual. Merle has a varied bag of tricks including theater arts, literature and crafts.
Andy Davis - Community dance caller and musician. Andy is an accomplished accordion player, elementary music teacher and song leader. Program co-director with....
Robin Davis - A professional baker by trade, Robin will be co-directing the program and sharing one of her life-long passions: traditional paper folding of ornaments, as well as Ukrainian egg dyeing.
Daron Douglas - Fine fiddler for American and English dance traditions. Daron also brings a rich repertoire of family songs learned from her grandmother who was one of Cecil Sharp's informants in the southern mountains.
Jonathan Jensen - Inspired pianist in a wealth of musical styles from contra and English country to ragtime and jazz. Jonathan plays bass with the Baltimore Symphony but is better known at camp for having one of the largest collections of ocarinas anywhere! He is full of vitality and many musical surprises.
Sue Rosen - New England contra dance caller, collector and composer of contras and squares. Sue is assisting Larry Jennings in the process of producing a long-awaited supplement to Zesty Contras. She has a magical sense that leads her to some of the best contemporary dances.
Bruce Rosen - Accomplished accordionist and pianist for morris and contra. Bruce has long been involved in the Boston area dance scene. One of the finest "slow jammers" around.
Brad Sayler - English and American caller. He will provide a bit of a challenge with an eclectic selection of dances from the English and American traditions, tempered with a generous portion of warmth and humor.
Kari Smith - Kari has been teaching adults and children English seasonal display and step dance forms since 1985. She is currently completing doctoral work in dance studies at Boston University. She is also the foreman of Guiding Star Clog Morris in Greenfield, Massachusetts.
Pete Sutherland - One of Vermont's premier dance musicians. Pete is well known for his lyrical fiddling with the Clayfoot Strutters and his well-crafted original songs that draw upon life in Vermont, past and present.
Karen Sutherland - Experienced singer and teacher of voice, equally at home in traditional and classical music. Karen leads singing games, plays piano for contras and performs with her husband Pete a wide range of traditional and original music.
Class Descriptions
Staff & Schedule
Top
|
413-268-7426 |
Country Dance and Song Society 132 Main St/PO Box 338 Haydenville, MA 01039-0338 Office Hours M-F 9:30am - 5:00pm EST |
Maintained and updated by