Jonathan Van Gieson has attended Camper’s week since 1986, and is now slightly taller than he was then. He recently received his MFA in Creative Writing for Children from Hamline University. Outside camp, he is a producer, performer, and emcee for shows off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, and beyond, in places from his hometown of NYC to Las Vegas to Europe.
Kathy Talvitie, from the Delaware Valley, is active in the dance community as a musician, dancer, organizer and composer. In addition to playing piano with Hold the Mustard and A Joyful Noise, Kathy plays guitar with the contra band Raise the Roof and is a member of the Fiddlekicks clogging team.
Anna and Dennis have both attended Camper’s Week since their (very) early days and are honored to be helping to guide this iteration of Camper’s Week.
Both have lived and worked as artists in various capacities over the years, but these days Anna is a nurse working in quality and education at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Dennis is a full-time dad and sea shanty instructor to their young son,
Bio coming soon.
Sally Rogers began her career as a full-time touring musician in 1979, after encouragement from Stan Rogers, the legendary Canadian singer-songwriter. That was followed by an invitation from Garrison Keillor to appear on A Prairie Home Companion. She appeared more than a dozen times on that show, which launched her performing career. Her travels have since taken her to Europe, China, Hungary and Poland, England and Scotland and across the United States.
Hannah has been leading classes, workshops and concerts for babies and children of all ages for over a decade; she draws her repertoire from folk music and dance traditions in English and in French. A multi-instrumentalist, Hannah plays clawhammer banjo, oldtime fiddle, ukelele and guitar. Throughout the pandemic, Hannah has been leading virtual music classes for kids and their grownups across North America!
Hannah’s first CD, “Savez-vous plantez des choux?” was distributed across Ontario as part of the Early Years Literacy Kit.
Sarah Henry is a long-time member and leader of both Ring o’ Bells Morris and Half Moon Sword. Sarah has been a creative force behind lots of fun stuff at recent Campers’ Weeks — everything from rapper, English clog, longsword, and morris to ‘bacca pipes, string figures, giant puppets, and pysanky eggs. In “real” life, Dr. Sarah is a historian and museum curator and administrator.
Andy Davis calls traditional New England style contra and square dances. He plays accordion and piano for traditional dances. Andy’s specialty is calling community events inclusive of dancers of all abilities. For over thirty years Andy has taught music and dance in Vermont public schools, summer camps – and at weddings, parties and community gatherings. Andy is a founding member of “New England Dancing Masters,” publishers of dance books and recordings for the teaching of New England traditional dance.
Gillian has been teaching and performing sword dancing on both sides of the Atlantic since 2004. Hailing from the vigorous folk scene surrounding Boston, MA, she also indulges in morris, pub singing, percussive stepdance, and social dancing of many stripes. Her teaching has been described as “engaging, high energy, and accessible”. She currently leads Orion Longsword and dances with Candyrapper VSOP and Muddy River Morris. In her copious free time she enjoys social singing,
A leading caller of contras, squares, English country dance and family dance programs, Sue Rosen has been actively calling for 30 years in the Boston area, across the country, and overseas. She has built a collection of great dances and has written contras that have become part of the standard repertoire of dance callers across the contradance world. Her speedy and encouraging walk-throughs will have you cruising through dance after wonderful dance.
Dance, Music, & Song Camps