Dance, Music, & Song Camps“It’s a soul-nourishing reminder of the power of music and dance to connect people and bring joy.”
–Ellen Saltonstall
Online events July 18 – July 25!
Join us online for a week of great activities! In addition to CDSS-sponsored workshops and classes, we’re excited to be partnering with Carpe Diem Arts, Amherst Early Music, and Muddy Fork Farm & Bakery to bring you a series of virtual camp events.
Program Description
The heart of the week is the noontime gathering at the Daily Antidote of Song, which will feature many of our amazing and talented camp staff members. The week also features classes for kids, opportunities to sing, dance, and play music, and a great scavenger hunt you can work on all week. This will be a fun event for all ages! Please join us with your whole family!
Schedule
All times in Eastern Daylight Time
| Sunday, July 18 | |
| 12:00-12:30 | Daily Antidote of Song |
| Monday, July 19 | |
| 10:00-10:30 | Songs and Movement for Ages 0-6 – Hannah Naiman |
| 12:00-12:30 | Daily Antidote of Song |
| 2:00-2:30 | Virtual Choir Workshop – Peter Amidon |
| 4:00-4:30 | Beginning Sean-nós Irish Dance – Rebecca McGowan |
| Tuesday, July 20 | |
| 10:00-10:30 | Songs and Movement for Ages 0-6 – Hannah Naiman |
| 12:00-12:30 | Daily Antidote of Song |
| 2:00-3:00 | Transatlantic Tunes: Two Takes on Trad – Kate Barnes and Denis Liddy |
| 4:00-4:30 | Beginning Sean-nós Irish Dance – Rebecca McGowan |
| 7:30-8:30 | Campers’ Night! – Hannah Naiman and friends |
| Wednesday, July 21 | |
| 10:00-10:30 | Songs and Movement for Ages 0-6 – Hannah Naiman |
| 12:00-12:30 | Daily Antidote of Song |
| 1:00-2:30 | History of English Country Dance in America, from Colonial Times to the Present – Gene Murrow, assisted by Brad Foster |
| 6:30-7:30 | Community Family Sing |
| Thursday, July 22 | |
| 10:00-10:30 | Songs and Movement for Ages 0-6 – Hannah Naiman |
| 12:00-12:30 | Daily Antidote of Song |
| 4:00-4:30 | Beginning Sean-nós Irish Dance – Rebecca McGowan |
| 7:00-8:00 | Family Dance – Margaret Bary and Friends |
| 7:00-8:30 | Baroque Dance: The Folies d’Espagne and Canaries – Dorothy Olsson and Julie Iwasa |
| Friday, July 23 | |
| 10:00-10:30 | Songs and Movement for Ages 0-6 – Hannah Naiman |
| 12:00-12:30 | Daily Antidote of Song |
| 3:00-4:30 | Medieval Chant: À la Mode – Pamela Dellal |
| 4:00-4:30 | Beginning Sean-nós Irish Dance – Rebecca McGowan |
| Saturday, July 24 | |
| 12:00-12:30 | Daily Antidote of Song |
| Sunday, July 25 | |
| 10:30-11:00 | German-Style Soft Pretzels at Home, Part 1 – Eric Schedler |
| 2:30-4:30 | German-Style Soft Pretzels at Home, Part 2 – Eric Schedler |
Class Descriptions
Daily Antidote of Song
Presented by Carpe Diem Arts
Join us each day at 12 noon for the inspiration, connection, and joy of singing together! Our growing community includes song leaders and participants from across the country and around the world — this summer will be 500 consecutive days of singing together. Sing along with CDSS camp favorites like Peter & Mary Alice Amidon, Kathy Bullock, Alex Cumming, Katy German, Kinobe, Elvie Miller, Denis Liddy & Family, Naomi Morse, Hannah Shira Naiman, Eric Schedler & more.
Songs and Movement for Ages 0-6 – Hannah Naiman
This active and engaging program will kick off the day for kids and their grownups! Join Hannah every morning for a half hour of songs, dances, and fingerplays for kids 0-6 years old. Hannah will be playing a variety of instruments, and kids at home can join in with their own: every class will incorporate home-made percussion instruments with easy to find materials.
Materials: wooden sticks or spoons, jars full of beans or rice.
Virtual Choir – Peter Amidon
Peter Amidon will collaborate with up to 30 singers to create a four-part (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) virtual choir performance that will be posted on the CDSS YouTube channel. In this short Zoom workshop, Peter will lead a discussion on the process, play samples of some of the 100+ virtual choir pieces he created with his church choir over the last sixteen months, and solicit suggestions on which piece the group should sing.
Check out one of Peter’s virtual choir pieces: “Oh, Had I a Golden Thread” by Pete Seeger, arr. Peter Amidon
Beginning Sean-nós Irish Dance – Rebecca McGowan
Sean-nós (“old style”) Irish dance is improvised, rhythmic, and expressive step dancing, closely tied to traditional music. The footwork is low to the ground. We’ll start with a warmup and then learn and play with basic steps—the focus is on making great rhythm. All backgrounds welcome; no experience needed. Wear a pair of flat hard-soled shoes.
Transatlantic Tunes: Two Takes on Trad – Kate Barnes and Denis Liddy
This workshop will compare and contrast tunes from both sides of the Atlantic with the genius of Kate Barnes and traditional Irish fiddler Denis Liddy.
Campers’ Night – Hannah Naiman and friends
Come gather in the virtual Camphouse for stories, songs, jokes, and games!
History of English Country Dance in America, from Colonial Times to the Present – Gene Murrow, assisted by Brad Foster
Presented by Amherst Early Music
Gene Murrow will present a lecture illustrated with slides documenting the history and growth of English country dance in North America from Colonial times to the present. This lecture will draw on the work of Kate Van Winkle Keller among many others.
Community Family Sing
Presented by Carpe Diem Arts
Join Carpe Diem Arts and Washington Revels for the chance to sing with an extraordinary group of song leaders featuring songs and rounds from the American tradition in celebration of Independence Day (including shape-note, Appalachian folk, blues, and bluegrass), plus International Songs from the LPC-Ecole Songbook… and National Ice Cream Month!
Family Dance – Margaret Bary and friends
A community dance for all ages. Everyone is encouraged to participate! Longways sets, circles, squares and even easy contras come to life and ensure a future generation of enthusiastic dancers will continue these multi-generational traditions.
Baroque Dance: The Folies d’Espagne and Canaries – Dorothy Olsson and Julie Iwasa
Presented by Amherst Early Music
We will explore dance phrases from two popular Baroque forms, the Folies d’Espagne and Canaries, including notations by Louis-Guillaume Pécour, and Raoul-Auger Feuillet, with music by Jean-Baptiste Lully and Marin Marais. A handout will include the dance notations used in the class. Open to: all levels of dancers.
Medieval Chant: À la Mode with Pamela Dellal, voice
Presented by Amherst Early Music
In this class we’ll walk through the basics of Medieval chant, focusing on the special sound and technique of modal singing. We’ll learn the eight Medieval modes and how the resonance and tuning of each creates a universe of color and emotion. No prior experience required; monophonic chant, including Gregorian melodies and music by Hildegard von Bingen, will be studied with an emphasis on how the mode informs the pacing and character of each piece. Geared to all singers.
German-Style Soft Pretzels at Home – Eric Schedler
Presented by Muddy Fork Farm & Bakery
An authentic German Soft Pretzel has a soft and fat belly in the middle, crisp thin arms, a deep reddish-brown shine, and that intensely savory pretzel flavor that only comes from a dip in a real lye solution.
This hands-on workshop will be fun for the entire family! We will ship you the ingredients ahead of the class. Follow along from home step-by-step with owner, baker and experienced teacher Eric Schedler. Visit with Eric and your other Pinewoods friends throughout the day of the class, as we make a dozen soft pretzels. There will be ample time for discussion and asking questions. We will have one active period of thirty minutes in the morning to mix dough, and a two-hour period in the afternoon to roll, shape, dip, score and bake the pretzels.