Dance, Music & Spice at Cavell 2024

Build a joyful and intentional community by connecting with the past and shaping the future

Come join us at Camp Cavell for a week of dancing, music, singing, movement and art led by world-class instructors. Hone your skills, learn new ones, or just revel in the opportunity to do things you love with like-minded people. Located on the stunning Lake Huron, Dance Music & Spice at Camp Cavell is here to bring joy and learning to the amazing Midwest (and beyond!) communities. 

From quiet sunrise to late-night campfires, expect to be delighted. Come prepared to expand your horizons and to be amazed by the creativity and talent of staff and campers alike. We welcome newcomers, experts and everyone in between. Join us for an unforgettable week of friendship and joy as we connect with the past while shaping our future. 

Our theme for this year’s camp is, “connecting with the past while shaping the future.” With this theme we aim to create the perfect atmosphere to meet new friends and embrace the old ones – all while connecting with music, song and dance.  With an emphasis on English & contra dance programming with plenty of singing and arts and crafts, we have just the thing for you! 

Extraordinary Staff, Fabulous Program

Our staff leads the way in expanding horizons. They dance, call, teach, play, sing, and have hidden talents.  And they’re fun to hang out with, too!

Will Mentor and Dan Blim will delight you with the perfect mix of contras, squares and English dances.  Anna Patton, Owen Morrison, Brad Battey, Kendall Rogers, Scotty Leach, Audrey Jaber, Ben Schreiber, and Louis Henschen everything from raucous reels to the most sublime English dance tune. In addition to dancing to their music, you’ll have opportunities to join our staff in making music with daily jams during the afternoon Happy Hour. Bryce and Dana Carlberg will teach rapper dance. Alex Cumming will lead several camp-wide singing and song-leading classes. And last but not least, Anna and Owen will lead a contra musicians intensive course for those who sign up in advance. 

If you’d like to take a break from dance and music for a bit, or even spend your entire day doing other things, we have other offerings! This year will offer a morning workshop on body movement, taught by Fynn Crooks, who will also teach letterboxing in the afternoon, as well as lead our daily community gathering. Diane Sutliff will teach arts and crafts. And every day will feature an assortment of camper-led sessions. We don’t know what these will be yet, because you haven’t told us! What would you like to add to the mix?

Dance Terminology

We will use gender-neutral terms in order to create a supportive space for all gender identities and role-preferences in our community.  We hope this change empowers dancers to explore their role preferences, whether it’s a stylistic choice, injury-related, or simply exploration. Throughout the week, we welcome questions, constructive feedback, and open-minded discussion about terminology.  Having safe spaces to ask questions is important!

Gorgeous Setting

The sunrises and moonrises over Lake Huron have to be seen to be believed – and you can see them from the dance hall. Camp community is focused on the here and now – The rustic camp surroundings emphasize the opportunity to take a break from daily habits, intrusions and responsibilities, replacing those with direct person to person exchanges in real time. Cell phones and email are at least hidden if not abandoned, and energy is, instead, focused on being part of, and supporting, this community.

Join Us!

The staff is just the foundation of this camp; you’re the ones who make it happen! The only prerequisite is a willingness to join in the fun in whatever way is most authentic for you. Camp is both a great place to renew friendships and to learn new skills. New folks are encouraged to jump right in— this inclusive community is excited to embrace you. See you on the shores of Lake Huron!

~Audrey Jaber & Ben Schreiber, Program Directors

Program Directors

• Audrey Jaber
• Ben Schreiber

Program Staff

• Alex Cumming
• Anna Patton
• Brad Battey
• Owen Morrison
• Dana Carlberg
• Bryce Carlberg
• Will Mentor
• Fynn Crooks
• Diane Sutliff
• Dan Blim
• Scotty Leach
• Kendall Rogers
• Louis Henschen

Period 1

ECD: Something Old, Something New – Dan Blim with Kendall Rogers and Brad Battey

English dancing is full of innovative choreography, from new devisers and some unusual figure in older dances. This course will highlight dances with interesting figures and formations for unique dance experiences, and talk a little bit about what’s in fashion now.

Singing Through Harmony – Alex Cumming

Join Alex for a daily dose of harmony singing with specially arranged songs for camp. We’ll explore the rich shared repertoire of England and the Appalachians with songs collected by the likes of Olive Dame Campbell, Cecil Sharp and more. We’ll also have some fun exploring the world of harmonisation and finish the week creating our own special arrangement.

Period 2

Stylish Contras – Will Mentor with Scotty Leach and Audrey Jaber

Delightful dancing for all, with an emphasis on good connection and satisfying choreography.

Morning Body Movement – Fynn Crooks

As we dance more, jump higher, morris around, and sashay about sometimes things tweak a little. We feel a twinge here or a pull there that didn’t used to happen. Aches in new places and strains in new spots. We’ll spend this class stretching and moving in ways that both aid and ease old injuries, prevent new ones, and build some strength to help us move even better. We’ll do a combination of dynamic and static stretching, targeted strength building, and using props like foam rollers and shepherd’s hooks to help release the tight stuff. Come give your body some supportive love, it will be time well spent! Bring a yoga mat if you have one and any other body work props that you’d like to master.

Contra Musicians Course – Anna Patton and Owen Morrison

By pre-registration only. Contra Dance Musicians Course

Period 3

ECD: The Right Place at the Right Time – Dan Blim with Brad Battey & Kendall Rogers

English Country Dancing is not just about the individual moves but how they fit together. Being in the right place at the right time can unlock magic moments in dance and provide the best interactions with your partner and set. We’ll explore a variety of dances that offer such rewards, offering advice on how to phrase your movements, and give you time to practice as the dance continues.

Monoprinting – Diane Sutliff

Monoprinting is a process that begins when a surface is inked, and marks or impressions are made into the ink. A piece of paper is pressed onto that surface and the transfer of ink creates a single print. Marks show the hand of the artist, but you can also use impressions taken from foliage to capture subtle details of plants and grasses. The first print pulled from that inked surface will be clear and distinct. It is also possible to pull a second, more subtle transfer that is sometimes referred to as a “ghost print.” A single impression takes only minutes, and layering the transfers one over another allows for interplay between shape, color, and texture. We will gather leaves, flowers, and grasses from all around Cavell and use them in our one-of-a-kind prints. There will be gelli print stations, ceramic tile print stations, lots of colors of ink, and plenty of paper. The print studio will be open at all hours so artists can work whenever they please. No experience necessary, and as always, wear clothing that does not matter. Our inks are not washable. We will also have traditional linocut tools and materials if artists would like to design and create blocks for traditional woodcut style printing.

Contra Musicians Course – Anna Patton and Owen Morrison

By pre-registration only. Contra Dance Musicians Course

Period 4

Different Formations: Squares, Contras, Triplets – Will Mentor with Scotty Leach and Ben Schreiber

Variety is the spice of life and Will likes it SPICY! Dancers of all levels welcome.

Singing by the Lake – Alex Cumming

Enjoy the beautiful scenery while sharing songs! We’ll introduce easy-to-learn songs for you to take home with you. All songs will be taught by ear and we’ll play with lots of different ways to participate in singing: verse/chorus songs for instant singalongs, rounds, and more! Come share your own favorite songs as well!

Rapper – Dana and Bryce Carlberg with Louis Henschen

Rapper sword dancing is an English tradition dating back to the late 1800’s when steel became flexible. 5-7 dancers are linked together and the dance is created by dancing the swords in interwoven patterns to jig stepping. (They are only called swords due to their length but are not swords in way you may be thinking.) Smooth soled shoes are recommended. Note: Daily attendance after the 2nd day of class is requested in order to maintain sets.

Period 5 and Beyond…

Letterboxing – Fynn Crooks

Come check out this unique hobby that combines the art of stamp carving with adventure, exploration, hiking, and sometimes even codebreaking! Started in 1854 on Dartmoor, letterboxing has grown into an international treasure hunt, and now is coming to Cavell! Learn how to carve your own stamp, and how to find hidden pieces of art stashed all around camp. You’ll leave with a nice souvenir and an opportunity to explore all week long!

Old Time Jam

An all instruments-welcome Old Time Jam. Join us in playing Old Time tunes, where Old Time is open to our collective interpretation.

Camper-led classes & activities

Course Leaders

Owen Morrison & Anna Patton

Program Description

This intensive class will focus on learning to play in a way that is simultaneously supportive and exciting for dancers, but also interesting and fun for the musicians. Essential elements to this combination include 

• Being able to lock into various rhythmic grooves
• Being responsive to what one hears from other musicians and the dancers themselves
• Techniques for introducing variety to an intrinsically repetitive musical experience. 

We will focus specifically on playing for contra dancing, although some skills learned in this class will be transferable to other types of dance accompaniment.

We’ll meet for two hour-long periods each day, sometimes all together and sometimes breaking out into smaller ensembles for specific exercises. The rest of the day and evening, you’ll have full access to Dance, Music & Spice Week.