Program: Class Descriptions 2018

For details on the schedule, click here.

Click on the links below for details of the 2018 classes.

 

ECD (Advanced): Impropriety

For SKILLED and ACCOMPLISHED dancerss
Brooke Friendly with Roguery (Anita Anderson, Dave Bartley, Shira Kammen, and Jim Oakden)

Enjoy a challenging class focusing on the more complicated dances of Brooke Friendly and Chris Sackett, from the five Impropriety Volumes as well as newer unpublished dances. Come dance to the great tunes—old and new—that have inspired the figures, phrasing, progressions, and nuances that are the signature of this duo’s work. In particular, we will look at many of their English country dances inspired by Scottish figures.

This session is intended to be challenging for intermediate and accomplished dancers. You'll need to have a strong sense of personal orientation and the ability to learn quickly without needing dances called after the first few times through, as well as the skills to recover well. You should also be familiar and comfortable with heys for three and four in various orientations, triple minor progression, double figure eights, and fast circular heys. These figures are our starting point and will not be taught.

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Dance Here Now

For dancers of ALL abilities
Brooke Friendly

Explore how to be flexible, creative, and present in your approach to English country dance. More than a "style" or technique workshop, this is a chance to experiment with ways to adapt your dancing to the music, the dancers around you, and the reality of the moment, be an excellent partner and member of a dance community, and have fun playing with great dances.

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ECD Technique: Stepping Stones

For EXPERIENCED dancers
Joanna Reiner

What does it means to be an advanced dancer? We will focus on skills and techniques necessary, including and beyond mastering complex choreographies. Selected topics include: flow, end effects, changing roles, phrasing, recovery, and helping dancers in helpful ways. Knowledge of ECD figures and basic repertoire is expected.

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ECD: Theme and Variations

For dancers of ALL abilities
Joanna Reiner with Alchemy (Karen Axelrod, Rachel Bell, and Eric Martin)

This fun and lighthearted class for all will explore dances with a commonality. Each day Joanna will pick a new theme to explore, such as: new dances, reconstructions, triple-time dances, double-progression dances, ECD Playshop, dances with unusual phrasing, etc.

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ECD For All: Lovely and Lively

For dancers of ALL abilities
Gaye Fifer

Experience the delicious variety of moods, music and movements that English country dance can offer. We will focus on common figures and explore the many ways they have been used to good effect, while dancing some of the loveliest and liveliest dances in the classic and contemporary English country repertoire. We'll also look at techniques for understanding and improving the way we move and thus the way we express ourselves within this idiom, individually, as partners, and as a set. While accessible to newer dancers, this class will offer distinct and satisfying challenges to any lifelong learner.

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ECD Callers Workshop

Open to ALL
Joanna Reiner

Both current ECD callers of any experience level and those considering a career in ECD calling are welcome. Each day’s class will focus on a different topic: creating an English dance program, working with musicians, building/teaching repertoire, teaching vs. calling, paying attention, etc. Class will include discussion, dancing, and opportunities to practice calling.

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Waltz

For dancers of ALL abilities
Gaye Fifer

Waltzing is not only about fancy moves and twirls, but first and foremost, about connecting with the music and with your partner. We will focus on the skills and nuances of aware, timely leading and following. What we do will apply to other couple dances as well, and to life in general!

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Border Morris

For dancers of ALL abilities
Alex Cumming

The fabulous tradition of Border Morris comes from the villages along the England/Wales border, most notably in the English counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire. Predominantly a winter tradition, the dancers would disguise themselves in rags, hats and masks and dance for fun and to collect money to help them through the winter (or at least to buy a round at the local pub).

This Morris dance tradition is really accessible and fun for all ages and abilities with simple single and walk stepping, fun stick clashing choruses and very satisfying figures and formations. During the week we will learn some of the traditional and modern dances done in England today plus have a go at creating our very own Hey Days Border Dance!

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Sing with a Theme!

For singers of ALL abilities
Alex Cumming

Do you have a song you just can't wait to sing? A chorus song you love hearing harmonies too? Want to learn something new and exciting? Or do you just want to sit back and be entertained? Then come along to ‘Sing with a Theme’. Each day will feature a different theme including Death & Destruction, Love, Lust & Loveliness, Booze & Bemusement, and more.

Each day there will be the a song share session where YOU can lead a song plus we will learn a new song or two based on that day's theme. Through the week we will also look at tips on how to chose, perform, and adapt songs to suit your own style.

Open to all singers, hairbrush divas, part time yodelers, and those who want to listen.

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Singing: Wit and Mirth (or Pills to Purge Melancholy)

For singers of ALL abilities

Shira Kammen

‘Wit and Mirth: or Pills to Purge Melancholy’ is the title of a large collection of songs and poems, published between 1698 and 1720. The collection started as a single book compiled and published by Henry Playford who had succeeded his father John Playford as the leading music publisher of the period. The original description holds here: Being a collection of the best merry ballads and songs, old and new. Fitted to all humours, having each their proper tune for either voice, or instrument: most of the songs being new set. We will sing both with sheet music and by ear to Shira’s excellent teaching.

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English Country Masala

For musicians of ALL levels

Dave Bartley

Break out of the usual treatments of ECD tunes. We will play with borrowing from other genres (cajun, reggae, ragtime, swing, calypso, etc.), building skills to do so successfully, including using quotations, as well as improvising, while maintaining the pulse and phrasing of the dance. We will also discuss when a playful approach is and isn’t appropriate.

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French Tunes

For musicians of ALL levels

Rachel Bell

Get an overview of various types of French dance tunes from a few different parts of France, learn some repertoire, work on style points, and explore how to back up each type of tune as well as how to create harmonies. We’ll also discuss how to play in a way that's danceable and dive into arrangements and ensemble skills. Those who wish may join staff musicians on a few tunes at a late night French soiree (with wine and cheese) on the penultimate night of camp.

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Not Everything in 3 is a Waltz

For musicians of ALL levels

Jim Oakden

When encountering a tune with a ¾ time signature, many musicians automatically assume it’s a waltz. Think again! We’ll explore the world of triple time--waltz, mazurka, sarabande, kujawiak, polska, redowa, hambo, oberek, polonaise, jota, bouree, minuet, etc--and talk about how to differentiate them so they work for dancing. And not all waltzes are in 3… We may also look at other 3-pulse rhythms (9/8, 3/2, 6/4). All instruments welcome. We will do lots of sightreading.

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Band Workshop

For EXPERIENCED musicians

Eric Martin
Hone your skills of English Country dance musicianship, exploring how to craft inspiring, danceable music as an ensemble. We will work in small bands to prepare music for campers' night with an emphasis on the big picture of arranging on the fly. We'll explore how to shape the energy of music over the course of a dance using dynamic range, rhythmic emphasis, and different textures and layers of instruments, and practice listening to other musicians and communicating to our bandmates through our playing. This class assumes you can play at dance tempo on your instrument and either read music or play confidently by ear.

Prerequisite: at a minimum you should be familiar enough with your instrument(s) that you can play scales of up to 3 flats and sharps, and you must be able to read music and/or be able to pick up complete melodies by ear.

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Community Organizers Workshop

Open to ALL

Gaye Fifer

Are you involved in and committed to organizing in your home dance or song community? Join Gaye to discuss and strategize about issues that affect local dances and song circles. While sharing, questioning, collaborating and connecting, we will devote time to creating solutions to “problems”, brainstorming, and practicing and giving feedback. We will create a network of support, and a toolkit of ideas, that each participant will be able to take home.

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Dance, Music, and More Grab Bag Sessions

All experience levels welcome

a variety of staff and campers

A wide range of choices through the week--something different every day! Campers will be invited to propose sessions as part of their pre-camp program questionnaire.

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Photo credits from top to bottom: English dance, music, Molly dance practice by Kenny Hughes, singing and waltz by Mady Newfield, happy campers and line of dancers by Kenny Hughes