Country Dance and Song Society Family Week 1 at Ogontz July 9 - 16, 2005

As of August 1, this week is completed

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Program Description Staff Class Descriptions & Schedule

Family Week 1 at Ogontz July 9 - 16, 2005 Program Directors: Anne Goodwin Dave Langford Staff: Mary Alice Amidon * Peter Amidon * Peter Barnes Laurie Cumming Sue Dupré John Krumm Jane Miller Jeanne Morrill Keith Murphy Ed Stivender Becky Tracy Bettie Zakon-Anderson Steve Zakon-Anderson * Advisors, plus: Merle Davis

Program Description: [Back to Top]

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

Family Week at Ogontz is: walking through the fairy woods to swim at the lake, playing for a dance as part of the Family Band, singing a silly song, running in the fields, relaxing in a big green Adirondack chair, making a new friend, hearing great music, sharing a joke, staying up very late, seeing an old friend, and of course, dancing from morning to night.

This year, we're offering a practically unprecedented profusion of activities for all ages. We'll have the outstanding music of Keith Murphy, Becky Tracy, Dave Langford and Peter Barnes to keep our feet and ears happy. The voices of Peter and Mary Alice Amidon, John Krumm and others will lead us in song throughout the day. Steve Zakon-Anderson, one of the most exciting callers we know, will be our American dance leader. Bettie Zakon-Anderson will lead a special session in Cajun, Zydeco and swing. Sue Dupré, a vivacious caller from New Jersey, will lead English country dancing and the amazingly energetic ritual dance form known as Molly dancing. Laurie Cumming will bring some exciting new moves to her rapper class. And we're pleased to welcome the fine storyteller Ed Stivender to our staff this year. His original take on traditional stories, banjo playing and theatrical flair will enliven our days.

The days of camp are filled with activity. The first morning period, campers are divided by age group and family members pursue their individual adventures. This gives children and parents the opportunity to meet their peers and playfully meet challenges appropriate to their level. Then morning gathering brings everyone together to share their songs and other talents. This is followed by swimming and lunch, which will find us outside on the porch overlooking the lake as we eat some highly butterable home-baked bread among other delicacies. After lunch, there are two mixed-age-group workshops and another age group period. The afternoon concludes as we meet at the green chairs under the huge pine and hear stories for the whole family. After dinner, we all come together for a community dance and evening gathering. Younger children are led to bed with a gentle song, and then it's off to the evening dance. For the night people among us, there are after-dance activities, too. It all culminates with the Friday afternoon show-and-tell costume parade where we'll share what we've been doing all week. Prepare to be astonished! -- Anne Goodwin and Dave Langford, Program Directors

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. Mary Alice will offer her magical Singing Storybooks class for young children, teach the 8/9 year olds and co-lead Harmony Singing and the evening gathering with Peter Amidon.

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. Peter will lead Sacred Harp Singing, teach 10-12 year olds and co-lead Harmony Singing and evening gathering with Mary Alice.

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! (The Dactyls) (but his current passion is for the oboe!).

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. Laurie will teach a rapper class at Ogontz this summer, and we hope she'll do a little step-dancing, too!

Sue Dupré, based in central New Jersey, has been calling contra, square and English country dances for over 24 years. Sue has been a featured performer at various festivals, many dance weekends and summer dance camps. Sue is known for enthusiasm and good humor, for an extensive repertoire representing the best of the old and the new, for clear and efficient teaching, for a rhythmic calling style and for her work with novice dancers. She is also passionately devoted to the promotion and performance of historic English ritual and ceremonial dances in American communities. She is the founder and foreman of the first American molly dance team, Handsome Molly and, for many years, has directed the mumming troupe, General Mercer's Mummers. She will lead English Country dance, Molly dancing and a 10-12 year old class.

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 has taught art and drama for children in various community settings, at family weeks at Pinewoods and Ogontz camps, and Christmas Country Dance School in Berea, KY. She'll lead a crafts class for 4/5 year olds and host the morning gathering.

John Krumm is a well-known and well-loved dance/music magician. He has been the music and dance specialist at the Miquon School in Pennsylvania for over 20 years, and has been calling and playing for dances for over 26 years. John will bring to camp his family: wife Becky and son Tom, and his endless repertoire of good singing songs. John has written numerous rounds, some of which by now are deeply woven into the canon of singers all around America. John will teach a workshop on writing rounds, teach 4/5 year olds and 6/7 year olds and lead the evening community dances, drawing from his seemingly endless repertoire of great family dances.

Jane Miller is founder and, for 18 years, head teacher of the Price Farm School in Antrim, NH. She recently received her Doctorate in Education and teaches graduate students at Antioch New England Graduate School. She will lead the Teacher Training Course.

Dave Langford is an experienced and versatile fiddler and guitarist and fiddle teacher from the Boston area. A veteran of over 20 years of playing for all manner of dance events, Dave combines multiple styles of fiddling with fierce energy and drive. Dave is featured on recordings of the "mega-fiddle-band" Childsplay and currently plays in several musical configurations including The Latter Day Lizards with Bill Tomczak and Peter Barnes.

Jeanne Morrill received musical training from Boston University, 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 and performs frequently with Peter Barnes. She has performed 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. Jeanne will teach 6/7 year olds and lead crafts this year.

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. 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. Besides providing music for classes and dances, Keith and Becky Tracy will lead the Family Band class.

Ed Stivender has been called "the Robin Williams of storytelling." This Philadelphia native is a Shakespearean actor, banjo player, teacher, theologian, Mummer, juggler and raconteur. Since 1977, when he left his day job as a high school teacher in Connecticut and turned to storytelling full-time, Ed has fabulated his way around the globe, appearing in schools, churches, coffeehouses and theaters, as well as at major storytelling festivals. The National Storytelling Association inducted Ed into its Circle of Excellence in 1996. He has strutted in the Comic division of the annual Philadelphia Mummers Parade since 1982. In 1994, he received the Mummers' Most Original Character Award for his one-man Vatican-American String Band, and in 1996, he was Captain of the first-prize-winning Kingsessing Morris Men. He'll offer late afternoon stories for all ages, a storytelling workshop for adults and teach 8/9 year olds.

Becky Tracy's fiddling is a striking combination of power and beauty. Dancers around the country and beyond have known her clear and steady beat, while in concert, her sonorous tone has melted many a heart. Besides Nightingale, the highly popular dance band, Wild Asparagus, has been Becky's other musical home for many years where she has been a melodic bedrock. With these two groups, she has traveled the U.S., England, France, Denmark, Canada and even Guatemala. Her most recent project has been the release of her debut solo recording, Evergreen.

Bettie Zakon-Anderson has been passionate about Cajun and Zydeco dancing since 1983. She has taught Zydeco at Pinewoods American Week and Zydeco Camp Weekend with Michael Seider, and has led workshops for L'il Anne and Hot Cayenne Band before their regular dances in New Hampshire. This year, she will teach Zydeco to teens at a local private high school. This year at Ogontz, Bettie will lead a Cajun, Zydeco and swing class.

Steve Zakon-Anderson has been calling contras and teaching dance workshops for over 20 years. He has performed at dance camps and festivals in 35 states, including Pinewoods, Buffalo Gap, Lady of the Lake, Augusta and Brasstown. Steve's clear teaching and energetic calling and sense of humor have made him a favorite of dancers of all ages and abilities. He'll be our American dance caller, contra workshop leader and will assist Bettie in the Cajun class.

Family Week 1 at Ogontz Daily Schedule click for tentative Detailed Daily Schedule
7:45 - 8:30	Breakfast
8:30	Morning Warm-up
9:00 - 9:55	Morning classes, divided by age group
10:00	Refreshments
10:15 - 11:00	Morning Gathering
11:00 - 12:15	Swimming, Bookstore Staffed
11:15 - 12:15	Sacred Harp Singing
12:15	Lunch
12:45 - 1:15	Bookstore staffed
1:30 - 2:25	Early afternoon classes/Rest time
2:35 - 3:30	Afternoon classes, divided by age group
3:30	Refreshments
3:40 - 4:40	Swimming
3:30 - 4:20	Late afternoon classes
4:55 - 5:30	Story Time
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
11:00	Optional after-dance activities

Class Descriptions: [Back to Top]

Children's classes by age group -- 9:00 and 2:15

Ages 2 and 3
Childcare provided -- staff person TBA.

Ages 4 and 5
John will draw his magic circle around the 4 and 5 year olds in the morning with music and make-believe. In the afternoon, Anne will lead them in art and craft activities, games and songs.

Ages 6 and 7
Mornings with Jeanne bring songs and stories, and the afternoon class will be led by John.

Ages 8 and 9
Morning class is lead by Mary Alice, who will bring American dances and songs of all kinds, and in the afternoon Ed will offer a combination of stories, drama and dance.

Ages 10 to 12
Peter A. will lead American dancing and other things to the music of Keith and Becky in the morning. Then the 10-12s will create a mummers play with Sue in the afternoon.

Ages 13 and up Morning classes (9:00)

English Country Dancing -- Sue Dupré / Peter Barnes, Dave Langford
Sue's enthusiastic, clear teaching will lead us through. old and new English dances to divine accompaniment.

Cajun, Zydeco and Swing -- Bettie and Steve Zakon-Anderson
With emphasis on style and partnering skills, Bettie teaches with joie de vivre! Music provided by great recordings of the real stuff.

Ages 13 and up Afternoon classes (2:15)

Rapper -- Laurie Cumming / Becky Tracy
Rapper is dynamic and challenging -- a ritual dance with footwork, swordwork, and above all, teamwork. All levels of experience welcome.

Contras and Squares -- Steve Zakon-Anderson / Keith Murphy, Dave Langford
Steve teaches with a great sense of humor and a great repertory of American contra and square dances.

Other Morning Classes

Morning Warm-up (8:30) All ages -- Jeanne Morrill
Wake up your body and voice for the day with fun and easy warm ups with Jeanne.

Sacred Harp Singing (11:15) All Ages -- Peter Amidon
The American hymn tradition with the shapely notation is a blast to sing with Peter.

The Early Afternoon Classes at 1:15

Singing Storybooks (4 - 8 with parent) -- Mary Alice Amidon
Mary Alice reads and sings aloud from her favorite picture books based on songs. A gentle quiet time for parents and younger kids.

Family Band (10 and up) -- Keith Murphy, Becky Tracy
No matter what your instrument, you can learn a tune and play it for the community dance in the evening! For players at intermediate level and up.

Storytelling (13 up) -- Ed Stivender
Make up your own twist on a well-known story. Ed will lead you through the creative process.

Making the Rounds (13 up) -- John Krumm
You can write a round! John has written loads of them and can bring out your inner composer.

The Late Afternoon Classes at 3:30

Molly (13 up) -- Sue Dupré / Dave Langford
It's aerobic, it's theatrical, it's a blast! Molly dancing is a ritual dance form that will make you smile and raise your heart rate.

Harmony Singing (13 up) -- Peter and Mary Alice Amidon
Raise your voice. The Amidons bring a great repertory of hymns, ballads and songs contemporary and traditional.

Recycled Crafts (8 and up) -- Jeanne Morrill
Make something new from something old, turn trash to treasure. A different project each day using some interesting materials!

Story Time -- Ed Stivender at 4:55
Everyone gather round in the green chairs and let Ed spin some tales for you.

Program Description Staff Class Descriptions & 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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