Country Dance and Song Society

English Dance Leaders Course at Pinewoods
August 28 - September 4, 2004

As of September 2, this week is underway

Buffalo Gap	Pinewoods			Ogontz
English & American Family	Early Music Folk Music Family	English & American American Dance & Music American Musicians	Campers' English Dance English Dance Leaders	Family Week 1 Family Week 2 Teacher

Schedule & Fees

Registration

English Dance Leaders Course at Pinewoods
August 28 - September 4, 2004
Program Director:
Scott Higgs

Tentative Schedule: [Back to Top]

9:00 - 10:15

ECD: Advanced Helene Cornelius

ECD: The Joy of Movement Barbara Finney

Advanced Clog Harry Cowgill

Cotswold for All: Fieldtown Ian Robb

10:30 - 11:45

English Dance Leaders Course Scott Higgs
Bill Tomczak

12:30: Lunch

1:45 - 2:15

Camp Gathering Ian Robb and Jan Elliott

2:30 - 3:30

Open Mic Scott Higgs/Daron Douglas

Dance Writing Gary Roodman

Northwest Morris for All Ian Robb

Rapper Sword for All Harry Cowgill

3:35 - 4:25

Singing Ian Robb

4:00 - 4:25 Tea

4:30 - 5:30

English Dance Leaders Course Scott Higgs
Earl Gaddis

5:30 - 6:15 Swimming, Bookstore staffed

6:30 Dinner

8:00

Couple Dancing

8:15

Evening Dance Party

11:00

Optional After-dance Activities

Program Description: [Back to Top]

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

Held during English Dance Week at Pinewoods, the English Dance Leaders Course is designed for people with at least one year of experience in calling (any form of dance). Our class will cultivate the skills needed to present English dance in a dynamic and engaging way. Twice-daily sessions will address everything from historical dance research to vocal projection (experimenting with various microphones). In the greater context of English Week, we will enjoy immersion in delightful and instructive dancing, and the opportunity to practice calling in a daily Open Mic session.

Effective leadership does not result from reading guidebooks or memorizing the "correct" way to do something. Participants will be expected to reconsider their assumptions, explore new approaches ... and to make mistakes without fear of judgment. Our classroom serves as a safe environment to experiment with alternatives, to face challenges, to adapt on-the-fly and to chew on perplexing puzzles. Just when you need a bit of relief, you will face significant homework assignments each day. Please come prepared to work (and play) hard.

Our class topics include: connecting dancers with the music, teaching more effectively, repertoire development, programming, long-term dancer development, and ... taking care of yourself. In the course of a week, we can raise our awareness and fill our kits with high-quality tools. The rest of the work will be yours: to take ideas and materials home, and to continue to grow.

Your teacher, Scott Higgs, is passionate about good dancing and dynamic leadership. He has been teaching and organizing dances for over 25 years. Since the early 1980s, Scott has traveled to lead English and contra dances all over the country (25 states and five foreign countries). He has taught week-long caller workshops at Buffalo Gap, Pinewoods and Lady of the Lake camps. Dancers praise Scott's clear, succinct teaching, attention to "magic moments" and programs that engage expert dancers, while remaining accessible to those with less experience.

Class Descriptions [Back to Top]
Two Caller's Classes (10:30 - 11:45 and 4:30 - 5:30):
A concentrated amalgam of resource presentation, practice teaching, dance analysis, hands-on experiments and group discussion.

Afternoon Practice Calling (2:30 - 3:30):
This (optional) Open Mic session provides the opportunity to practice your freshly-developed skills with a large group of eager dancers. Calling opportunities will be shared with other campers at English Week. Opportunities to observe and learn will be boundless.

That still leaves a period to study, practice or dance in one of the classes offered at English Dance Week at Pinewoods.

Materials [Back to Top]
Class assignments begin before you arrive at camp, so you will need to acquire a copy of Keller & Shimer's The Playford Ball, available through CDSS mail order sales. A binder of resource materials ($5) will be handed out on-site. You are also strongly encouraged to bring a small tape recorder, a copy of The Barnes Book of English Country Dance Tunes and a CD or tape of ECD music that you enjoy.

Registration: [Back to Top]
The registration deadline for this course is March 15. If it is oversubscribed on the 15th, there will be a lottery. This course is limited to ten participants to ensure plenty of opportunity for active participation. In case of over-subscription, some preference will be given to applicants from areas that are under-served with English dance leaders. Scholarships are available.