Country Dance and Song Society American Dance & Music Week at Pinewoods August 14 - 21, 2004

As of September 2, this week is over

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Program Description Staff Class Descriptions & Schedule

American Dance & Music Week at Pinewoods August 14 - 21, 2004 Program Director: Lisa Greenleaf Staff: Peter Barnes * Fred Campeau Andrea Cooper Tom Hinds Rhys Jones Dave Langford Cathy Mieczkowski Jim Mieczkowski Emily Miller Keith Murphy Mark Roberts Steve Rosen Peter Siegel Becky Tracy Christina Wheeler * Advisor, plus: Luther Black Steve Howe Chris Wright

Program Description: [Back to Top]

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

American Dance & Music Week is geared towards dancers and players alike as some of the finest callers and musicians gather to share their expertise. In styles ranging from Irish to New England to old-time, this staff lays the groundwork for a satisfying camp experience.

For dancers, the week offers a chance to sharpen skills, learn new repertoire and have fun dancing with old and new friends. Tom Hinds is a terrific choreographer of contemporary contras and squares, as well as a top notch teacher of many styles of dance. He will teach a class of fast moving squares and will also guide a group through the fun rhythms of Appalachian clogging. Aspiring callers have the opportunity to learn from Tom's vast experience during his interactive caller's workshop. New to American Week is a track of Irish social dancing, led by Cathy and Jim Mieczkowski. Come enjoy the patterns and partner connection of Irish sets (squares) in the morning and Irish ceili dances (different formations) in the afternoon. Both classes take full advantage of our talented musicians, so fans of lively Irish music will be delighted. Program Director Lisa Greenleaf returns to add style and skill to your contra dancing and to intrigue experienced dancers with a session of challenging dances. And as always, the evening dances will showcase the talents of all the staff, providing a magical experience in C#, our heavenly open-sided wooden-floored pavilion!

Dancers will be excited by the energy of our stellar musical staff: Peter Barnes, Dave Langford and Peter Siegel playing for contras and Irish; the popular Midwestern band The Foxchasers (Rhys Jones, Steve Rosen and Fred Campeau), playing for old-time squares and clogging; and Keith Murphy, Becky Tracy and Mark Roberts playing for contras and Irish. Keith and Becky are also leading the concurrent American Dance Musicians Course for a group of pre-registered campers. Round out this staff with groovin' banjo player Andrea Cooper and hot fiddler Christina Wheeler, and we have the makings of a joyful week of inspiring music.

For musicians, the class offerings promise something for everyone. Individual instrument classes feature Christina Wheeler's fiddle class, Mark Roberts' flute and whistle class and Andrea Cooper's clawhammer banjo class. Each of these fine teachers is an expert in his or her field and will help you get the most out of your playing. In addition, Steve Rosen and Rhys Jones have designed an old-time ensemble session to sharpen your group playing skills. After all this, you can relax in the afternoon with an old-time jam with The Foxchasers (cloggers welcome, too).

And for dancers and musicians alike, Emily Miller's harmony singing class will let you raise your voices in a variety of songs from all over the world.

There is extra time built into the end of each day to allow campers to jam, practice calling, lead a special class or just plain relax. Tying all of this together is Cinq á Sept, an informal social gathering, followed by the more formal Rendezvous, during which we will listen to staff concerts, tell stories and share laughs.

American Week is a chance for individual talents to shine and be celebrated, and for all of us to come together for a rewarding community experience -- please join us!

Staff: [Back to Top]

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 currently works with the bands Bare Necessities, The Latter Day Lizards, Yankee Ingenuity and with singer, Cathie Ryan.

Andrea Cooper has been playing clawhammer banjo for eight years. One of her favorite things is to sit knee to knee with folks in her kitchen in Vancouver playing old-time music. Her playing is featured on Pleasant Hill, a new CD of old-time music with Joel Bernstein and Dave Marshall.

Lisa Greenleaf has been treating dancers across the country to her concise yet witty calling for many years. Her rich repertoire, succinct teaching and commitment to community-building make her a dance camp favorite.

Tom Hinds has called New England, old-time, traditional western and modern western dancing for over 20 years. His published booklets include four collections of his choreography, a collection of New England style square breaks and a guide on teaching the pre-dance lesson. He has taught at Pinewoods, Augusta, Buffalo Gap, Lady of the Lake and many other camps. Tom also teaches clogging, tap, stepdancing, swing and country western. He is a well-known chicken hypnotist.

Dave Langford is an experienced and versatile fiddler, guitarist and fiddle teacher from the Boston area. He combines multiple styles of fiddling with fierce energy and drive. Dave is a member of The Latter Day Lizards, Childsplay and other musical configurations.

Cathy (Egan) and Jim Mieczkowski:
Cathy studied as a child and as a young adult with the Duffy Academy of Irish Dance. More recently, she has focused on set and ceili dances. Jim brings the perspective of dances from many cultures to those of Ireland. Over the last five years, Jim and Cathy have studied set dancing with Padraig and Roisin McEnaney both here and in Ireland. Most recently, they have taught a series of set and ceili dance workshops in Greenfield, MA.

Emily Miller, currently a student at Brown University, has, for the last few years, taught Appalachian, gospel and early country singing around the Midwest with her mother. She has toured as part of Northern Harmony and will join forces with Kenny Shimizu to teach at Village Harmony's summer camp session for teens. Emily is also a fine traditional dance fiddler.

Keith Murphy's distinctive rhythmic sound on guitar, mandolin, piano and foot percussion has helped drive several great contra dance bands including Nightingale, Wild Asparagus and Assembly (formerly Popcorn Behavior). Having performed at many dance events throughout the U.S. and Canada as well as overseas, he brings a wealth of experience and sophistication to his playing.

Mark Roberts has been playing traditional music for 30 years. He has recorded and toured extensively, playing 5 string banjo, flute, whistle and guitar with the bands Touchstone, The Red Clay Ramblers, The Sevens, The ClayFoot Strutters and Childsplay. His flute playing has been heard on the soundtrack of the John Sayles film The Secret of Roan Inish. He played the penny whistle on Don Henley's Inside Job tour.

Peter Siegel holds it all together with mandolin, banjo, guitar and feet. A great rhythm player, Peter is also a sought after old-time performer and political singer-songwriter.

Becky Tracy grew up dancing to downeast fiddle music and is now one of the hardest working fiddlers on the East coast, playing with both Wild Asparagus and Nightingale. She especially enjoys teaching fiddle classes at camp.

Christina Wheeler is a gifted and well-respected fiddler who has been playing the violin since she was three years old. Though accomplished in Irish, French-Canadian and even classical styles, old-time country music is both her specialty and love. Influenced particularly by southern Appalachian old-time music, she learned her fiddling in the vibrant Chicago music scene and her playing reflects the impeccable rhythm and drive of a dance musician. Christina plays regularly for the Chicago Barn Dance Company and performs at dances around the country. She currently resides in New York City.

The Foxchasers:
Rhys Jones, one of the finest of the younger generation of old-time fiddlers, has been playing traditional music for most of his life. He was first exposed to old-time music as a child at the weekly dances of the Chicago Barn Dance Company and now plays at festivals and dance camps across the country. Many a dancer knows that when a band with Rhys takes the stage, the dancing will become fabulously hot. In 2002, Rhys won 1st place in the prestigious fiddle contest at The Appalachian String Band Festival in Clifftop, WV. He is currently living in New York City.
Steve Rosen has been playing guitar, mandolin, banjo and fiddle for twenty-five years. He is a founding and longtime member of the Volo Bogtrotters, a popular Midwestern string band that played together for 18 years at festivals and dance events all over the country. Almost as long is his time with the Whiskey Hollow Bluegrass Band in Chicago, playing mandolin and guitar and singing lead and harmony. With numerous other bands, he has played hundreds of dances, is known for his creative and driving guitar rhythm and stellar melodic and highly rhythmic banjo playing, and is a favorite dance musician at the dances in Chicago and the Midwest. In his rare spare time, he can be found hanging around railroad tracks waving at the engineers and hanging out on fishing piers -- looking for Snook.
Fred Campeau been playing old-time music on the banjo and fiddle since the mid 1970s with such prestigious cult bands as The Polecats, The Volo Bogtrotters, The Cook County Refugees and numerous other bands that have played for the Chicago Barn Dance Company's regular dances in the Midwest. Fred has also played at many major festivals and dance camps around the country and enjoys long walks on the beach and in-depth discussions on the influence of The Skillet Lickers on the values of modern-day society.

American Dance & Music Week at Pinewoods Tentative Schedule:
7:45 - 8:15 Breakfast
9:00 - 10:00
Contra Ecstasy	Lisa Greenleaf
Callers Workshop	Tom Hinds
Fiddle	Christina Wheeler
10:15 - 11:15
Irish Sets	Cathy and Jim Mieczkowski
Appalachian Clogging	Tom Hinds
Old-Time Ensemble	Steve Rosen and Rhys Jones
11:15 - 12:00 Swimming, Bookstore staffed
12:00 Lunch
1:30 - 2:30
Hot Squares	Tom Hinds
Flute and Whistle	Mark Roberts
Harmony Singing	Emily Miller
2:45 - 3:45
Challenging Contras	Lisa Greenleaf
Irish Ceili Dances	Cathy and Jim Mieczkowski
Banjo	Andrea Cooper
4:00 - 5:00
Old-Time Jam	The Foxchasers
Open spaces for Camper-led activities
4:45 - 5:15
Cinq á Sept: informal gathering
Swimming, Bookstore staffed
5:15 - 6:00
Rendezvous (Staff concerts, announcements, songs, etc)
6:30 Dinner
8:00
Couple Dances
8:15 - 11:00
Evening Dance Party
11:00
After-dance Activities

Class Descriptions: [Back to Top]

Contra Ecstasy -- Lisa Greenleaf / Peter B., Peter S., Dave
Come tune up your dance skills as we enjoy a wide repertoire of fun contras. Become a better dancer and attain dance Nirvana!

Callers Workshop -- Tom Hinds
Covered in this class will be such basic material as music, timing, material selection, teaching and programming. Time will be set aside to address special topics and questions that students may have. Open to all levels.

Fiddle -- Christina Wheeler

Irish Sets -- Cathy and Jim Mieczkowski / Peter B., Peter S., Dave, Mark
Irish set dances are direct descendants of the quadrilles that were popular throughout Europe in the first half of the 19th century. Over the last two centuries, Irish music and dance have evolved together, the dance to fit the music and the music to fit the dance. We will learn the dances that the Irish have choreographed to fit the Irish tunes that are popular in contra dance today. Basic set dance footwork will be taught with room for personal expression!

Appalachian Clogging -- Tom Hinds / Fred
Open to all. This class will be flexible in order to accommodate a wide range of interests and experience levels. Students will learn a short routine containing the steps taught.

Old-Time Ensemble -- Steve Rosen and Rhys Jones
All levels of players welcome to come to this class in which melody and rhythm players will learn tunes and skills separately for a half hour, then come together in small ensembles. A great way to learn new repertoire and build group playing skills.

Hot Squares -- Tom Hinds / The Foxchasers
This class will focus primarily on dances from the 1950s, when many popular new square dance moves were introduced. This class will be progressive so, daily attendance is strongly preferred.

Flute and Whistle -- Mark Roberts
This class will be structured for all levels of flute and whistle players. Mark will teach the traditional Irish style with an emphasis on ornamentation, phrasing and breath control using a selection of session tunes as examples. Towards the end of the week we will work on building Irish repertoire for the flute and whistle.

Harmony Singing -- Emily Miller
We will learn songs in three- and four-part harmony, drawing repertory from American gospel, Appalachian and early country singing traditions, as well as from the musical wealth of Caucasus Georgia. Parts will be taught both by ear and by written music so singers of all abilities are welcome!

Challenging Contras -- Lisa Greenleaf / Peter B., Peter S., Dave
This is for the experienced dancer who is ready for the twists and turns of challenging choreography. We will explore contras, squares and odd formations which require a bit more thinking, but are well worth the effort once the music gets going.

Irish Ceili Dances -- Cathy and Jim Mieczkowski / Keith, Becky, Mark
Irish ceili dancing evolved from Irish step dancing in the early 19th century. We will dance these lively traditional dances in various formations from two to eight dancers to reel and jig music. Basic steps will be taught to ensure a fun experience!

Banjo -- Andrea Cooper
Andrea will teach clawhammer-style banjo playing. The students will learn frailing, drop thumb and general right hand technique. Various tunings will be demonstrated by learning tunes in major and modal keys. All banjo players and wannabes welcome!

Old-Time Jam -- The Foxchasers
A great way to end the day in the old-time way. Players, cloggers and listeners welcome

Open spaces for Camper-led Activities
There will be a sign-up schedule posted for anyone to arrange an activity during this period.

Program Description Staff Class Descriptions & Schedule Top

413-268-7426 FAX: 413-268-7471

Country Dance and Song Society 132 Main St/PO Box 338 Haydenville, MA 01039-0338 Office Hours M-F 9:30am - 5:00pm EST

http://www.cdss.org/

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