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Country Dance and Song SocietyAmerican Dance & Music Week at Pinewoods
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Country Dance and Song SocietyAmerican Dance & Music Week at Pinewoods
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American Dance & Music Week at Pinewoods August 24 - 31, 2002 Program Director: Staff: Advisors: |
Program Description: [Back to Top]
Look up our Adult Programs for some general information; here is more detail about this particular program and staff.
A bounty awaits you at American Week 2002. Even if you are new to Pinewoods, the richness of the program will make your mouth water in anticipation and will leave your spirit satisfied. Folks who have been to camp before can look forward to a high quality community experience with old and new friends.
A variety of social dance classes will be spearheaded by our three callers, Ron Buchanan, Larry Edelman and Lisa Greenleaf. No matter what your taste in contras or squares, these three will serve up a menu guaranteed to please. Ron will cover contemporary contras and squares, many of his own magical devising; Larry Edelman will lead his Square Dance Callers Course for a group of pre-registered campers and will share his square expertise with everyone in an afternoon class; and Lisa will bridge both classic and contemporary contras and squares while encouraging dancers to look at the finer points of dancing.
Always a popular class at American Week, Appalachian clogging will be taught by Debra Cohen, who knows she can get your toes atappin' no matter how many left feet you think you have. For those of you with experience, Debra promises to challenge you with more intricate steps and choreography.
There is also the opportunity to learn jitterbug swing with Ron, and to perfect such couple dances as hambo, zwiefacher and waltz with Ron and Lisa. At the end of the day, Lisa will organize Afternoon Delights, a smorgasbord of dance styles with a different theme each day, ranging from French dances to swing dips to English country.
And the music -- wow! The Groovemongers will knock your dancing socks off with their rhythmic contra dance music, The Critton Hollow String Band will set you on fire with driving old-time, and the likes of Nat Hewitt, Larry Unger and Ginny Snowe will inspire swinging and jitterbugging into the night. Add to this the incomparable fiddling of Steve Hickman, and the stage is set for a week of terrific playing.
Besides dancing, there will be an assortment of instrument classes as well as a music theory class with dance instrumentalists in mind. An open band will be combined with an open mic session, so campers can practice what they have been learning. To round out the program, a singing class led by Sam and Joe Herrmann will bring harmony to the end of the day.
Tying all of this together are two all-camp gatherings, a before-lunch Round Up for sharing stories, jokes and music, and a before-dinner informal hour for socializing and jamming.
Put all of this within the beautiful setting of Pinewoods, and you have yourself a dream vacation. Whether you are a dancer, a musician or simply a devotee of dance camp life, American Week promises to be a peak experience.
The Dance Leaders
Ron Buchanan is a caller known for fast patter squares, accessible yet innovative swing dance moves, as well as his own creative dance compositions. A man with a quick wit and a generous spirit, Ron will provide energy and laughs to the week.
Debra Cohen has experience both performing and teaching Appalachian clog. A founding member of Salmon Run Cloggers in Hartford, CT, Debra enjoys sharing the joy and fun of clogging with steppers of all levels and ages.
Larry Edelman is in demand nationwide for his expert dance calling and teaching. He is an avid researcher who has intensively studied traditional dances of southwestern Pennsylvania. He's also a heck of a string player, so you can expect to see him at one of the many informal jam sessions.
Lisa Greenleaf returns to Pinewoods to share her sense of community and her sense of humor. She has been busy calling at dance camps across the country and in Europe, and looks forward to sharing old and new dance favorites.
Sue Rosen
The Musicians
The Groovemongers is a northern-style band with a world view of dance music. CW Abbott, versatile in northern and southern styles, plays guitar and mandolin. Jane Knoeck is the queen of chords on piano and accordion. Rebecca McCallum fiddles with a pure and inspired tone, while Teilhard Frost punctuates the repertoire with various rhythm instruments and digeridoo.
Critton Hollow String Band from West Virginia has a dedication to kindling community life and spirit with their music. Their versatility includes playing driving old-time as well as leading sessions in rousing folk songs and beautiful ballads. With Joe Herrmann on fiddle, Sam Herrmann on guitar and Joe Fallon on everything else and then some, Critton Hollow is a favorite at dance camps and festivals around the country.
Nat Hewitt, Larry Unger and Ginny Snowe are all members of the inspired contra dance band, The Reckless Ramblers. Nat is a demon fiddler with a glint in his eye who can also wow dancers with his deft guitar work, complemented by Larry Unger on rhythm guitar. Larry is a dance camp favorite, not only because he's fun to have at your dinner table, but also because he writes fabulous waltzes and other tunes he'll be sharing with us. Ginny provides just the right undercurrent with her in-the-groove bass playing. She also plays a variety of styles on piano, including blues and swing.
Steve Hickman is the week's jack-of-all-trades fiddler, accomplished in northern, southern, English and more. He can light up any gathering not only with his fiddle playing, but also with his mouth music. We'll make sure he has plenty of opportunities to share all of his unique talents.
| American Dance & Music Week at Pinewoods Tentative Schedule: |
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| 9:00 - 10:00 | |
| Contra Dance Ecstasy | Lisa |
| Appalachian Clog | Debra |
| 10:15 - 11:15 | |
| Almost Square Dances | Ron |
| Fiddling for Everyone | Joe H. |
| Guitar Accompaniment to Fiddle Tunes | Larry U. |
| 11:45 - 12:15 | |
| Round Up | |
| 2:00 - 3:00 | |
| Travelogue of Square Dances | Larry E. |
| Couple Dances | Ron |
| Rhythm and Doos | Teilhard |
| Theory without Tears | Ginny |
| 3:15 - 4:15 | |
| Contras and More | Lisa |
| Jitterbug Swing | Ron |
| Singing for All | Sam & Joe H. |
| Tune-a-Day | Joe F. |
| 4:30 - 5:30 | |
| Afternoon Delights | Lisa |
| Open Mic/Open Band | Campers & Staff |
| 5:45 - 6:15 | |
| Cinq a Sept: informal gathering | |
| 7:30 | |
| Larry's Videos | |
| 8:00 | |
| Couple Dances | |
| 8:15 - 11:00 | |
| Evening Dance Party | |
| 11:00 | |
| After-dance Activities | |
Class Descriptions: [Back to Top]
Contra Dance Ecstasy -- Lisa Greenleaf/Nat Hewitt, Ginny Snowe, Larry Unger
Come tune up your dancing as you have fun with cool choreography and satisfying style. Lisa will get your dance engine purring down the smooth and zesty highway.
Appalachian Clog -- Debra Cohen/Joe Fallon
A stepping class accessible to all. Debra will encourage dancers to build a stock of steps for use in freestyle, independent dancing. For those interested, there will also be an opportunity to choreograph a short piece.
Almost Square Dances -- Ron Buchanan/Jane Knoeck, Rebecca McCallum, Teilhard Frost
Ron will cover dances he has met along the way as well some that have spilled out of his inspired imagination.
Fiddling for Everyone -- Joe Herrmann
This is a class designed to suit beginners and experts alike. There will be an emphasis on rhythm, tone and intonation and the focus will be mostly old-time, with tastes of other traditions such as Cape Breton and Scottish.
Guitar Accompaniment to Fiddle Tunes -- Larry Unger
We will cover the techniques to back up fiddlers in both northern and southern style music, including the use of bass runs, drone chords, swing chord substitutions and more.
Travelogue of Square Dances -- Larry Edelman/Joe Fallon, Joe Herrmann, Sam Herrmann
This travelogue tells the story of how square dancing has evolved over more than 100 years. The story progresses throughout the week as each day features dances from past times and places.
Couple Dances -- Ron Buchanan/Jane Knoeck, Rebecca McCallum
Turning dances for fun and amusement, including the favorites waltz, hambo, zwiefacher and polka.
Rhythm and Doos -- Teilhard Frost
How to find and feel rhythm in your body and the rest of the universe while understanding the concept of "a little is a lot." We will also learn didgeridoo basics, working on breathing, sounding and circular breathing.
Theory without Tears -- Ginny Snowe
A hands-onto instruments exploration of chord and scale construction, harmonic progressions found in fiddle tunes and swing progressions. The main focus will be to help you understand what you are playing: the more you understand, the easier it will be to learn tunes, to accompany others and to improvise.
Contras and More -- Lisa Greenleaf/CW Abbott, Jane Knoeck, Rebecca McCallum, Teilhard Frost
A potpourri of contras and other formations sure to please all kinds of tastes.
Jitterbug Swing -- Ron Buchanan/Nat Hewitt, Larry Unger
Anyone can get with the swing, from the basics to Pretzels and Dips. Ron will cover swing as a social dance, from the past to the present.
Singing for All -- Sam & Joe Herrmann
We'll bring songs, and you bring some, too. Traditional, contemporary and anything in between.
Tune-a-Day -- Joe Fallon
Come learn a banjo tune (or two) a day the Joe Fallon way. Open to all instruments, but featuring melodies particularly suited to the banjo. A great way to increase your repertoire no matter what you play.
Afternoon Delights -- Lisa Greenleaf and others
A different style every day; wacky couple dances, French bourees, English country, big dips for swing dancers, and more. A chance to try something new!
Open Mic/Band -- Campers & Staff
Come dance, play music, call dances -- this is your chance to try out new skills and support your friends. Nat and CW will anchor the band and Sue Rosen will coordinate the callers.
Cinq a Sept: Informal Gathering
Staff
Class Descriptions & Schedule
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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 |
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