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Country Dance and Song SocietyFamily Week at Pinewoods
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Country Dance and Song SocietyFamily Week at Pinewoods
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Family Week at Pinewoods July 31 - August 7, 2004 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.
It has been observed that cultural traditions have to be taught "one generation at a time." Family Week at Pinewoods brings this process to life in a poignant and inspiring way. Families are offered a program of traditional dance, storytelling, singing, instrumental music and crafts in a pristine natural setting. Dance traditions will include American contra and square, English country, step dance, Border and Northwest morris, longsword, rapper, Kerry sets and community dancing for all ages.
Two daily classes for each age group allow the children to make friends among their peers 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 followed by song swaps, tune sessions and a cabaret take place while roving monitors keep watch over sleeping children.
Community gatherings each morning and evening bring all ages together to learn from one another while sharing in music, song and dance from staff and campers alike. Tuesday evening is an opportunity for campers to take charge of the evening gathering and dance. Be sure to bring your instruments and any dances you would like to call on this very exciting evening. 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.
Although there are many scheduled activities, the choice to float lazily in a canoe, practice a new tune on the camphouse porch or engage in conversation with a new friend is always available. Watching the younger children wind a maypole for the first time or learn their first contra dance brings a new appreciation of the power of these traditions to all of us. Please join us in dance and song.
Laurie Andres, caller and musician from Seattle, WA, plays piano accordion and piano for contra, square, English country, morris and clog dancing. He plays with the Rhythm Rollers, The Klezmer Red Hots and Rouge, a French cabaret band.
Art Costa built and exhibited his masks throughout the West coast from 1979-1996. In 1996 he moved to Vermont and began developing programs to bring his craft into schools and art centers. Art will lead two sessions of his workshop entitled Foxes from Boxes in which participants will explore ceremonial bird and mammal forms based on native American traditions. Masks will be made out of recycled household materials. Simple rhythm instruments will also be made for the end of camp parade.
Donald Davis is a 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 is an experienced educator and workshop leader. She 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 is a dance caller and an accomplished accordion and piano player, elementary music teacher and song leader. He tours with the group Nowell Sing We Clear and is a founding member of New England Dancing Masters; publishing and presenting traditional dance to schools and community groups.
Robin Davis has been participating in community music and dance activities much of her life, dancing on two Cotswold morris teams and for the last 10 years with Guiding Star Clog Morris. A professional baker by trade, she enjoys gathering people together to share her passion for modular origami, Ukrainian egg dying and most recently, lantern making. She sings with the Emerald Stream Chorale.
Brad Foster, Executive and Artistic Director of CDSS, has taught for over 35 years at numerous weekends, festivals and camps across the U.S., Canada and Europe. His love of dancing is something he shares joyfully with people of all ages.
Jonathan Jensen is an 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.
Elvie Miller, currently a student at Oberlin College, plays piano and accordion for dances in the Midwest and New England. She has studied traditional Scandinavian weaving at Fosen Folk School in Rissa, Norway. Just back from a semester in Tanzania, Elvie is returning for her third year on staff.
Jim Morrison, foreman of Albemarle Morris and Old Swan Tavern Border Morris, has been teaching morris and sword dancing, calling dances and playing fiddle and guitar steadily for over 25 years. He is a former Director of CDSS.
Owen Morrison has been coming to Family Week at Pinewoods since before he was born! He plays the guitar, mandolin and banjo and has been on staff at Pinewoods and Berea. He currently plays with three dance bands and a bluegrass band.
Keith Murphy and Becky Tracy have, for the past decade, been part of some of the most exciting music in contra dancing combining Becky's fiddling and Keith's unerring sense of rhythm on guitar, piano, mandolin and feet. They are both accomplished teachers and have played for dance events across North America and Europe.
Kari Smith has been teaching adults and children English seasonal display and step dance forms since 1985. She currently enjoys being an independent scholar, teaching dance and music education to graduate students in education at Lesley University and Antioch NE Graduate School. She is also the founder of Guiding Star Clog Morris in Greenfield, MA.
Bob Walser has been active as a singer, dance leader and dance musician for over twenty years. In the early 1980s he made his living as a shantyman at Mystic Seaport. You might see him playing squeezeboxes, banjo or guitar. Bob and his wife Julie Young have presented folk music and dance programs in hundreds of schools across the United States and Europe.
Julie Young, rooted in the flatfoot clogging traditions of Appalachia, is the lead dancer with the Wild Goose Chase Cloggers and a founding member of Girl Germs. A fine singer and instrumentalist on banjo, guitar and bass, she also teaches and leads community dancing. Watch out for her hambone improvisations!
| Family Week at Pinewoods Daily Schedule click for tentative Detailed Daily Schedule |
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| 7:45 - 8:15 | Breakfast |
| 9:00 - 9:55 | Morning classes, divided by age group |
| 10:00 | Refreshments |
| 10:15 - 11:00 | Morning Gathering |
| 11:00 - 12:00 | Swimming, Bookstore staffed |
| 12:15 | Lunch |
| 1:35 - 2:30 | Early afternoon classes/Rest time |
| 2:45 - 3:40 | Afternoon classes, divided by age group |
| 3:50 - 5:00 | Swimming, Bookstore staffed |
| 3:50 - 4:40 | Late afternoon classes |
| 4:45 - 5:15 | Community Story |
| 6:00 | Dinner |
| 7:00 | Community Dance |
| 7:50 - 8:45 | Evening Gathering |
| 8:30 | Pied Piper/bedtime for children 9 and younger |
| 8:45 - 10:45 | Evening Dance Party |
| 9:30 | Bedtime for 10-12 year olds |
| 11:00 - 12:00 | Optional after-dance activities |
Class Descriptions: [Back to Top]
Children's classes by age group -- 9:00 and 2:45
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 with Merle will be spent weaving together stories, crafts and general wonder. Elvie will lead the afternoon session with song, games and crafts.
Ages 6 and 7
In the morning, join Bob for singing games from around the world. The afternoon session will explore whimsical realms with Merle through stories and crafts.
Ages 8 and 9
The morning class will learn a longsword dance and explore mumming with Andy. Afternoons will be spent with Bob and Julie learning dances and singing games from multi-cultural America.
Ages 10 to 12
The morning class will have the unique experience of having Donald all to themselves! They will work on storytelling and other tidbits that Donald has up his sleeve. Kari will introduce the group to border morris in the afternoons.
Ages 13 and up Morning classes (9:00)
Regional Contras and Squares -- Jim Morrison / Keith Murphy, Becky Tracy
Jim will take us into a world of American social dance from far off the interstate highway system.
Northwest or Processional Morris -- Kari Smith / Laurie Andres
Newcomers and experienced dancers welcome. Northwest clogs desirable, but not necessary.
Ages 13 and up Afternoon classes (2:45)
English Country Dance -- Brad Foster / Laurie Andres, Jon Jensen
Harmony Singing -- Andy Davis
A wide range of songs: traditional and composed, sacred and secular, American, African American, English and more. Harmonies will be taught by ear, some from written music and some improvised by the group. Music reading skills are helpful but not required.
The Early Afternoon Classes at 1:33
Lap Stories (7 and younger, with parent) -- Donald Davis
Mask Making (8 and up, with parent) -- Art Costa
Adventures with Natural Fiber -- Weaving (8 and up) -- Elvie Miller
Use natural fibers of all kinds and explore various simple weaving techniques to make bags, belts and wall hangings
New England Band (12 and up) -- Keith Murphy
Learn medleys and arrangements of traditional and contemporary tunes. All instruments welcome, all levels accepted.
Kerry Sets (12 and up) -- Jim and Owen Morrison
Family Folklore (12 and up) -- Bob Walser and Julie Young
Advanced Napping -- For as many as will
Written report is required.
The Late Afternoon Classes at 3:50
Mask Making (8 and up, with parent) -- Art Costa
Marley Softshoe -- Kari Smith / Jonathan Jensen
The Marley tradition comes to us from the teaching of Anna Marley of Rockville, CT who clog danced as a child in the 1920s in her family's professional Vaudeville act. Wear stepping clogs, taps or sturdy hard-soled shoes. Newcomers and experienced dancers welcome.
Rapper (13 and up) -- Jim Morrison / Becky Tracy
Community Story (4:45)
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 camphouse porch overlooking Long Pond.
Class Descriptions
Staff & 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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