Country Dance and Song Society Family Week 2 at Ogontz July 31 - August 7, 2004

As of August 11, This week is over.

Click here for a list of English Dances taught at Family Week 2 in 2004

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Program Description Staff Class Descriptions & Schedule

Family Week 2 at Ogontz July 31 - August 7, 2004 Program Directors: Anne Goodwin Dave Langford Staff: Mary Alice Amidon Peter Amidon Karen Axelrod Peter Barnes Jamie Beaton Laurie Cumming * Daron Douglas Robin Hayden Meredith Langstaff John Mayberry * Jane Miller Jeanne Morrill Kathy Reid-Naiman Deb Small * Advisors, plus: Brad Foster

Program Description: [Back to Top]

Look up our Family Programs for some general information; here is more detail about this particular program and staff.

Born two years ago as New Family Week, Family Week 2 will again bring us together in the sumptuous White Mountains of New Hampshire for long summer days and nights of unsurpassed music, dance, outdoor living and family time. Ogontz has its own lake surrounded by hundreds of acres of pine woods, sunny open spaces perfect for running free and a glorious view of the misty mountains beyond. It is a magical setting for a memorable family experience. See Ogontz for more description.

We have brought together some of the best family camp staff from both sides of the U.S./Canadian border, all outstanding teachers, leaders and musicians, as well as simply being entertaining and inspiring to be around. They will lead us in a well-rounded program of contras and squares, English country dance, ritual, step-dancing and community dancing, harmony singing, instrumental music, crafts and traditional drama. Daily classes for each age group allow the children to make friends while engaging in age-appropriate activities. Classes for those age 13 and up provide a variety of choices in music, dance, singing and crafts. Morning and evening all-camp gatherings are a time for staff and campers to share songs, dances, jokes and other surprises with the whole community. Evening dances will include a wide range of contras, English and squares to excellent callers and hot musicians, while roving monitors listen for wakeful children. One evening's dance will be camper-led, so bring your instruments or plan to call your favorite dance. 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.

Family Camp at Ogontz has its own special rituals and delights, like eating a picnic hot dog on a homemade roll, walking through the fairy woods to the family-friendly beach, watching the stars on a clear, cool mountain night, browsing the vintage book collection in the lodge, catching grasshoppers on the lawn or sinking into one of the circle of green Adirondack chairs overlooking the lake.

Our community will be enriched by the Teacher Training Course, taught by Jane Miller and offered to a pre-registered group of elementary school teachers.

At family camp, parents have fun, kids have fun and everyone relaxes. Every person is free to explore and grow while being supported and appreciated by everyone else. We come away wondering why life isn't like this all the time.

Staff: [Back to Top]

Mary Alice Amidon is a warm and engaging music educator who connects song, dance and storytelling with children's literature. She is also an accomplished singer of traditional song and a multi-instrumentalist.

Peter Amidon is a dance caller/teacher, singer, storyteller and all around organizer of community music and dance. He has extensive experience teaching traditional dance to children and adults, leading shape note and harmony singing, and performing traditional songs with Mary Alice.

Karen Axelrod, known for her expressive piano playing, plays for English country, American and Scottish dance. She also plays accordion for ritual dancing. She's a member of the band Barley Moon with Daron Douglas and Dave Langford. In addition to her life as a musician and mother, she makes jewelry and performs with the improv comedy troupe, the Villa Jidiots.

Peter Barnes, enthralled by dance music since birth, has been putting sparks under people's feet for over 30 years playing piano, flute, whistle, guitar and assorted other instruments. He has published three dance music books, toured ten countries and appeared on over 50 recordings. He plays for English country, contra, square and vintage dancing and has played for festivals and tours from Prague to Hawaii. He works with the bands Bare Necessities, The Latter Day Lizards, Yankee Ingenuity, singer Cathie Ryan and for the NPR radio program Sez You! with The Dactyls, but his current passion is for the oboe!

Jamie Beaton has been indulging his love of singing and morris dancing for over 20 years, and for the last dozen or so, has shared his passion for both at many sessions at Pinewoods and Ogontz. Jamie is also an experienced mummer and medieval drama performer. A native and longtime resident of Ontario, Jamie now lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Deb and their daughter, Maggie. He is also a (fairly) reliable contact for the Bullero Brothers.

Laurie Cumming, a founding member and former teacher of Toronto Women's Sword and an accomplished step dancer, has taught dance at numerous camps, schools and festivals. During the school year, she delights in teaching dance, drama and visual arts to school age children.

Daron Douglas a fiddler with a traditional Appalachian upbringing, thanks her grandmother for the gift of her ballads and gardening preoccupation. She has played with the Knoxville Early Music Project, the Hominy Mamas and the contra dance band Misbehavin'. Daron has been on the staff of CDSS dance camps and at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, N.C. She travels to play for dances with Barley Moon (with Karen Axelrod and Dave Langford) and Goldcrest (with Dave Wiesler and Paul Oorts). She now lives and plays music in New Orleans.

Anne Goodwin has recorded two CDs with the a capella quartet Taproot, and has sung with the Balkan ensemble Laduvane, the Festival of Light and Song and many other groups in the Boston area. She has worked in children's theatre as an actress, costume designer and director, and currently teaches art and drama to children in various community settings. She lives in Arlington, MA with her husband, Dave Langford, and their daughter, Lyda.

Robin Hayden teaches English country dancing in Amherst and Boston, MA. She was ensnared by traditional dance and music in college, where she learned morris, rapper, Scottish, English and International dancing. She also acquired a concertina, which led to her tenure as musician for Ha'penny Morris. She began leading English dances in Amherst in 1993, where the dance has flourished under her sensitive and dedicated guidance. Known for her lyrical dancing and insightful teaching, she has participated in weekends, workshops and festivals across the Northeast and in the U.K.

Dave Langford, a fine dance musician on fiddle and guitar from the Boston area, plays with The Latter Day Lizards, Childsplay and Barley Moon (with Daron Douglas and Karen Axelrod). He has performed at numerous dance camps around the country.

Meredith Langstaff, a student from Washington, DC, has attended many CDSS Family Weeks. She has been a frequent member of the teen chorus for Washington Revels and has danced with Charm City Rapper.

John Mayberry went to his first dance at two weeks old, carried in a basket. His love of dance, music, performance and craft has led to a career including carpentry, performance, writing, teaching, directing and almost everything else. He is the "Fool" of the Toronto Morris Men, an accomplished traditional singer with many years of experience in street theater and mumming, and a professor of theatre production in the Department of Theatre, York University, Toronto. He and Jamie Beaton can also arrange a visit from the Bullero Brothers.

Jane Miller, an elementary school teacher for 25 years and the founder and director of Price Farm School in Antrim, N.H., recently received her Doctorate in Education and teaches graduate students at Antioch New England Graduate School.

Jeanne Morrill received musical training from Boston University's School for the Arts, New England Conservatory and in Scotland studying both Gaelic language and song. She has received enthusiastic acclaim in concerts, festivals and Scottish and Irish events. She performs frequently with Peter Barnes and with other artists such as Seamus Connolly, Alistair Fraser, Aine Minogue, Kim Robertson and Jacqueline Schwab and has two solo recordings. She teaches voice and piano and gives frequent workshops to adults and children.

Kathy Reid-Naiman teaches early childhood music and movement classes in Ontario. She has five recordings that are used extensively as teaching aids in classrooms across North America. She has been coming to CDSS family programs at Pinewoods and Ogontz since 1989 as a teacher or a camper. She is the fiddler for Toronto Women's Sword and is one half of the old-time duo Ragged but Right.

Deb Small has spent much of her life pursuing her love of hands-on, participatory activities, from knitting, basket weaving, boat-building and professional baking to dancing with the legendary Ha'penny Morris of Boston and teaching and dancing with the now historic Fiddler's Reach Longsword of Maine. She currently (together with husband Jamie Beaton and daughter Maggie) makes and sells hand-made soap through her company, Bolton Soap Works, a part-time venture for now. In her "other life", Deb is the office, travel and events manager for an up and coming high tech company.

Family Week 2 at Ogontz Daily Schedule click for tentative Detailed Daily Schedule
7:45 - 8:30	Breakfast
9:00 - 9:50	Morning classes, divided by age group
10:00	Refreshments
10:15 - 10:50	Morning Gathering
11:00 - 12:15	Swimming/Bookstore Staffed
12:15	Lunch
12:45 - 1:15	Bookstore staffed
1:15 - 2:05	Early afternoon classes/Rest time
2:15 - 3:05	Afternoon classes, divided by age group
3:10	Refreshments
3:30 - 4:40	Swimming
3:30 - 4:20	Late afternoon classes
4:55 - 5:30	Singers' Repertoire
5:50	Dinner
7:15	Community Dance
7:45 - 8:30	Evening Gathering
8:15	Pied Piper/bedtime for children 9 and younger
8:30 - 10:45	Evening Dance Party
9:30	Bedtime for 10-12 year olds

Class Descriptions: [Back to Top]
Children's classes by age group -- 9:00 and 2:15

Ages 2 and 3
Fun activities, stories and adventures, or rest, as needed, with Meredith. Bring a favorite book or toy to share with the group if you like.

Ages 4 and 5
In the morning, Mary Alice will lead children in her favorite songs, fingerplays, singing games and dances. Afternoons with Kathy will start with a song and end with a train. In between they'll dance, play with rhythm instruments and use their imaginations to make up rhymes.

Ages 6 and 7
Jeanne will lead rhythm, dancing and music games to keep everyone moving and singing in the morning. This group will meet with Anne in the afternoon to turn folktales into theatre, with songs, dances and crafts to accompany the stories.

Ages 8 and 9
In the morning class with Kathy the 8 and 9 year olds will dance and sing. In fact we're going to sing while we dance. We'll also sing without dancing and dance without singing. In the afternoon, this group will make the rite of passage into the world of ritual folk dance by learning a traditional longsword dance with Laurie Cumming and Karen Axelrod.

Ages 10 to 12
In the morning with Peter A, Peter B and Dave, in addition to learning contras and squares which they will dance with the adults at the evening dances, the 10-12s will get a daily dose of storytelling. In the afternoon with John, we'll learn some dances which come from the part of England near the Welsh border. The style is loud, exuberant and big. Robin Hayden's concertina will help us make a scene. Sneakers are good for this class.

Ages 13 and up -- MORNING CLASSES (9:00 - 9:50)

Morris -- Jamie Beaton / John
Jamie will provide an opportunity for experienced Morris dancers to add to their repertoire, while offering all others a chance to try out the exuberant, infectious dance known as Morris. John will accompany on melodeon.

English Country Dance -- Robin Hayden / Karen, Daron
In the course of the week, dancing some of the most compelling and accessible dances in contemporary repertoire, we'll explore the wide range of expressiveness in this dance form, from the exhilarating vigor of traditional dances to the playfulness of Playford and the simple elegance of modern favorites.

Ages 13 and up -- AFTERNOON CLASSES (2:15 - 3:05)

Contras -- Peter Amidon / Peter B., Daron
We will dance a wide range of modern contra dances spiced with the occasional square. While the class will include some discussion ("What Makes Good Contra Dance Choreography", "Getting There on Time", "How To Be a Community Building Dancer") most of the discussion will be on our feet during walk-throughs and between dances. Most of the class will be, simply, dancing.

Harmony Singing -- Mary Alice Amidon
Mary Alice will lead four part songs from America and the British Isles with selections from the a capella group Coope Boyes and Simpson to Bob Dylan. Sheet music will be provided for most songs, but parts will be taught by ear as well. Come join in this dynamic group singing experience.

EARLY AFTERNOON CLASSES (1:15 - 2:05)

Singing Storybooks (ages 5-9 with parents) -- Mary Alice Amidon
Mary Alice will create a cozy parent-child time by reading -- and singing -- aloud her favorite storybooks.

Dance Band (age 10 and up) -- Dave Langford, Peter Barnes
Open to all levels of musicianship.

Crafts (age 8 and up) -- Deb Small
Crafts are a daily event at Family Week 2, open to all from age 8 on up (campers younger than 8 may attend but should be accompanied by a parent). Deb will share her experience in this opportunity for campers to relax and try their hands at various craft projects. This year we will continue our newfound Family Week "tradition" of making family nameplates for our cabins. Other craft activities may include weaving; designing and making "high fashion" clothes for the Ogontz elves and woods fairies; who knows what else?! As in past years, some projects may be done in one class -- others may require more than one class to finish. There also will be at least one project, started early in the week, that campers will be able to work on during quiet times outside of crafts class. We have a lot of fun during crafts. Come one, come all; come to one, come to all!!

Ontario Step Dance (13 and up) -- Laurie Cumming / Daron
This form of step dancing is for those who love to make sounds and create rhythms with their feet! We'll learn steps from the repertoire of the late Alex Mulligan, of Bobcaygeon, Ontario, and dance to the fiddle of Daron Douglas. Hard-soled or tap shoes are preferred.

LATE AFTERNOON CLASSES (3:30 - 4:20)

Mummers Play (all ages) -- John Mayberry
Mummers plays are a kind of elaborated trick-or-treating, where groups celebrate special times of the year by going out and performing (not "acting") a stylized play in return for some hospitality. This class will look at some traditional mummers plays and use them a starting point to compose and perform a never-before-seen new Family Ogontz Mummers Play. No experience necessary.

Creating a New Old Holiday (all ages) -- Anne Goodwin
Our week happens to fall at the time of the almost forgotten British folk holiday called Lammas, a celebration of the early harvest, which was marked by games, songs, dances, craft festivals and feasting. We will do our part to revive this holiday with our own games, crafts, decorations, magic rituals and so forth, to culminate in a unique celebration.

Singers' Repertoire (4:55 - 5:30) -- Jamie Beaton and guests
In an informal singing session before dinner, campers can learn songs to add to their own repertoire, come to join in the choruses or just listen if they wish. Incorporating old stand-bys, great chorus songs and easy family songs, Jamie and guest leaders will introduce new songs each day and review earlier ones, building familiarity with a body of songs by the end of the week. Harmony will be encouraged, though not taught. Campers of all ages are welcome.

Program Description Class Descriptions Staff & Schedule Top

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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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