Cascade of Music & Dance at Kweebec

Cascade of Music & Dance at Camp Kweebec, just northwest of Philadelphia, is a full week of music, art, and community celebrating the living traditions of song and dance. This week brings the whole singing Amidon family together on staff: singing leaders and music educators Peter and Mary Alice, who met at a CDSS camp in the 1970s; master musician Sam Amidon, who has taken his community-oriented folk music roots out into the world of performance art; and Stefan Amidon, who has followed in his parents’ footsteps as music educator for the young and singing leader for all. Add to this seasoned players who have inspired generations of musicians (Danny Noveck and Karen Axelrod), musicians and teachers who grew up in musical families (Sophie Wellington, Anna Patton, Elvie Miller, Elizabeth LaPrelle, Sally Jablonsky), some great callers with a wealth of knowledge about the craft (Joanna Reiner Wilkinson and Mary Wesley) plus ethnomusicologist/instrumentalist/singing leader/songwriter Brian Dolphin and lyrical fiddler and tunesmith Ben Schreiber and you’ve got the makings for a very special week!

Children attend classes with their age group in the morning, where they sing, craft, dance, and play, while the older campers attend their choice of dances, harmony singing workshops, step-dance instruction, and a class for budding callers. Twice a day, the whole camp comes together for a community dance and a gathering for games, stories, participatory songs, and staff and camper performances. After the kids are paraded to bed by the pied piper, watched over by roving monitors, more dancing and late night activities commence.

If you are looking to dance the week away to phenomenal music, or to build your repertoire or deepen your knowledge of traditional music, or wish you had more time to make art and sing, or if you are simply looking to make some connections with a fantastic group of people in this fractured world then make your way to Cascade!

-Stefan Amidon, Program Director

Monday Arrival Schedule:

Sunday Departure Schedule: 

Daily Schedule

Period 1

Classes for Kids – Smalls (Age 6 and under): TBD

Description coming soon!

Classes for Kids – Middles (Ages 7-9): Stories & Songs – Mary Alice Amidon

Come enjoy amazing folktales with lots of participation (Jack tales, stories from around the world). We will sing songs that you will not stop singing and play some singing games to keep us moving.

Classes for Kids – Talls (Ages 10-12): Dance to the Music – Elizabeth LaPrelle and Mary Wesley

This class is all about the joys of dance, music, and song! We’ll look at the ways they are all interconnected and the ways they can help us connect to each other. Together we’ll learn a variety of dances, explore tunes, songs, and stories, and generally have a great time!

Ages 13 and up: Shape Note Singing School – Stefan Amidon

In this class we’ll sing as much as possible, but will also take some time to work on the entrance points to participating in one of America’s oldest living polyphonic singing traditions.  New leaders will be encouraged and we’ll look at starting a song, getting starting notes, strategies for improving your sight-reading, and considering decisions such as tempo, repeats, and song selection.  And of course revel in the stark beauty of breathing new life into old songs.

Ages 13 and up: ECD For All – Joanna Reiner Wilkinson with Karen Axelrod, Ben Schreiber, and Anna Patton

Whether you’re a beginner and want to learn just exactly why you keep ending up in the wrong place or a seasoned ECD veteran who would like to polish up on the basics and add some style, this class will break down dance figures and feature them in a variety of English dances that will progress in complexity as the week goes on, all with fabulous music!

Period 2

Classes for Kids – Smalls (Age 6 and under): Music and Games – Stefan Amidon

Come inhabit a world of wild animals and circle dances, silly stories, and singing games. We’ll keep things moving with hand games, acting out songs and stories, and we’ll sing about nature and find ways to all sing and play together. Stars! Cows! Bling! Blang! Come for the zingo and stay for the zango!

Classes for Kids – Middles (Ages 7-9): Art – Sally Jablonsky

Explore nature through art making with Sally. We will do collage, observational drawing, leaf rubbings, and more!

Classes for Kids – Talls (Ages 10-12): Threads of Myth and Melody – Elvie Miller

Embark on a week-long creative odyssey that intertwines crafting, song, and storytelling inspired by the rich tapestry of Greek mythology. Using the timeless tale of Penelope as our muse, we’ll dive into the art of weaving, exploring techniques and traditions from across the globe. Your hands will stay busy as your imaginations and voices soar.

Ages 13 and up: Contras, Squares, and More! – Mary Wesley with Sam Amidon and Danny Noveck

Tap your toes and kick up your heels with a grab-bag of great dances from Mary’s collection.

Ages 13 and up: Clogging – Sophie Wellington

In this all-levels flatfooting class, we’ll focus on learning three basic flatfooting steps and using them to improvise. This class will help folks understand and feel the rhythms deeply rooted in old-time fiddle music, with a focus on repetition and groove. No experience necessary. Please bring a pair of hard soled shoes (leather, hard plastic, etc.) that don’t grip the floor. Check out thrift stores for affordable options, test ’em out before buying them for sound and grip—and comfort of course!

Ages 13 and up: Finding Harmonies – Anna Patton

For singers and curious listeners: a workshop to sharpen the musical ears and help us invent and sing harmonies. We’ll take songs that are easy to pick up (folk songs, popular songs, pub-style singalongs, etc.) and sing our way into the mysteries of what makes their harmonies tick. There will be some “music theory” in this class, but we will keep it to a homeopathic dose, concentrating on ears, voices, and intuition.

Period 3

Ages 13 and up: ECD Theme and Variations – Joanna Reiner Wilkinson with Karen Axelrod, Ben Schreiber, and Elvie Miller

On each class day, we’ll explore a different category of dance. Themes may include: new dances, triple time dances, Playford-style dances in longways formations, dances that begin with the letter D, dances where the key figure is staying still… What will it be today?

Ages 10 and up: All-camp Chorale – Peter Amidon, Mary Alice Amidon, and Brian Dolphin

A daily song-fest to keep us going in hard times, ranging from rafter-shaking harmonies to the poignantly sublime. Brian Dolphin and the Amidons will lead, from written music and by ear, arrangements (including some of their own) of old and new folk songs, spirituals, catchy and moody sing-along-able faves, and songs from around the world with joyful, bright, and dense harmonies.

Ages 10 & up: All-comers Fiddle Class – Sally Jablonsky

Come learn some old-time tunes with Sally. We will focus on technique, bowing, and learning by ear.

Back-up Guitar – Danny Noveck

In this class, we’ll learn to accompany contra dances and Irish sessions on guitar. We’ll focus on right-hand techniques for backing up reels and jigs, and how to use different kinds of picking to create texture and dynamics. We’ll use chord progressions, drones, and voicings to create a sense of flow and spontaneity in the music. The class will focus on DADGAD tuning, but we can also accommodate standard and drop-D tunings. Participants are welcome to bring up popular guitarists whose work they’d like to understand in more detail. This class is best suited to intermediate and advanced guitarists.

Teen Class – Fynn Crooks

Description coming soon!

Camper-led activities

Period 4

Ages 9 and up (under 9, if passionate, with an adult): Mummers’ Play with Brian Dolphin and Elizabeth LaPrelle

St. George and the Dragon? Fighting Knights? Aliens vs. Elvis? Mummers’ plays explore universal themes of conflict, healing, seasonal cycles, and the human spirit. Together we’ll create our own story and cast of characters. And come learn a sword dance which will be part of the play!

Ages 10 and up: Jig and Jam Dance Band Class – Elvie Miller and Danny Noveck

Join this dynamic ensemble class where we’ll explore the art of playing reels, jigs, and waltzes for dancing. Learn to create exciting arrangements that provide shape to rhythm and melody, all while focusing on flow and groove. Expect to learn by ear, with sheet music available as needed. Geared toward intermediate and advanced players on any melody or accompaniment instrument, this inclusive class encourages experimentation and open dialogue.

Ages 13 & up: Callers Workshop – Mary Wesley with Ben Schreiber

Description coming soon!

Period 5

Ages 9 and up (under 9, if passionate, with an adult): Ballads and Crankies – Elizabeth LaPrelle

Crankies are illustrated scrolls that can be performed to music, found sounds, storytelling, or ballads. We’re going to make our own! This medium can be serious, funny, sweet, mysterious, or whatever your heart desires. Putting images in order is a really fun exercise in visual communication, and when your crankie is finished, you’ll have an art object you can perform over and over again.

Ages 10 & up: Old-time Jam – Sophie Wellington, Sally Jablonsky, and Sam Amidon

Come learn and play old-time tunes with some great multi-instrumentalist old-time masters. Sam, Sophie, and Sally all have different styles informed by the area they grew up in (Sam in the Northeast, Sophie in the Southeast, and Sally in the Northwest), on fiddle, banjo, and guitar, and they share a deep understanding of this great and multifaceted American music.

Camper-led Offerings

This is your chance to share your knowledge or lead an activity! Sign up to lead a one time (or more) class. Past offerings have been cat’s cradle rope games, guided meditation, ukulele, sing-alongs, circus arts… whatever you want to lead!  We’ll have a sign up sheet at camp.

CDSS camps use a variety of calling terms, including gendered and non-gendered role terms, as well as positional language, at the discretion of each week’s Program Director. Read more about CDSS and dance calling language here.

Camp fees cover all accommodation, meals from dinner on the arrival day to breakfast on the departure day, and all of the various dance, music, and song events in the program. 

This year, all of our weeks have sliding scale pricing for adults to help make camp financially accessible to more people. The fee you choose will not affect your chance of getting into camp.

How it works:

• The standard camper fee covers program staff pay and travel costs, facility fees, and all of the other costs associated with running this camp week.
• The higher price options allow you to add an additional amount to your registration fee to help make camp more accessible to more people. Thanks for supporting this community!
• If the standard camper fee doesn’t work for you, no worries! Feel free to choose one of the lower price options.
• If the lower price tiers still leave camp out of reach for you, we encourage you to apply for a scholarship and/or work exchange. See our Scholarships page for more details

Sliding Scale Adult Fees

Fees for kids

You can find more information about the registration process here.

Program Director

• Stefan Amidon

Staff

• Anna Patton
• Ben Schreiber
• Brian Dolphin
• Danny Noveck
• Elizabeth LaPrelle
• Elvie Miller
• Fynn Crooks
• Joanna Reiner Wilkinson
• Karen Axelrod
• Mary Alice Amidon
• Mary Wesley
• Peter Amidon
• Sally Jablonsky
• Sam Amidon
• Sophie Wellington