Dance, Music, & Song Camps“We started by bringing our children; now, our teens bring us.”
–Tom Cole
August 11-17, 2025 // Schwenksville, PA
For Adults & Families
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Program Description
Cascade at Camp Kweebec, located north 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 parent’s footsteps as music educator for the young and singing leader for all. Add to this seasoned players who have inspired generations of players (Danny Noveck and Karen Axelrod), musicians and teachers who also 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 dances, harmony singing workshops, step-dance instruction, and a class for budding callers. Twice a day the whole camp will come 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 will commence.
If you are looking to dance the week away to phenomenal music, or a musician looking to build their repertoire or deepen their knowledge of traditional music, or someone who wishes they 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
Schedule
Monday Arrival Schedule:
| 4:00 pm | The earliest you can start arriving at camp |
| 5:00-5:45 | Welcome Party & lifeguard on duty for swimming |
| 6:00 | Tour of Camp |
| 6:15 | Dinner |
| 7:30 | Community dance and gathering |
| 8:30 | Bedtime for ages 9 & under |
| 8:30-10:45 | Opening night dance |
| 9:30 | Bedtime for ages 10-12 |
| 11:00 onward | Opening night party |
Sunday Departure Schedule:
| 8:00-9:00 | Breakfast |
| 10:00 am | Final departure |
Daily Schedule
| 8:00 am | Breakfast |
| 9:00-10:00 | Class Period 1 |
| 10:00-10:15 | Snack |
| 10:15-11:15 | Class Period 2 |
| 11:30-12:20 | Community dance and gathering |
| 12:35 pm | Lunch |
| 1:45-2:45 | Class Period 3 |
| 3:00-4:00 | Class Period 4 |
| 4:15-5:15 | Class Period 5 |
| 4:15-6:00 | Swimming |
| 5:30-6:00 | Adult Schmooze and Sing for your Supper |
| 6:15 | Dinner |
| 7:30-8:30 | Community Dance & Evening Gathering |
| 8:30 | Bedtime for ages 9 and younger |
| 8:30-10:45 | Evening dance |
| 9:30 | Bedtime for ages 10-12 |
| 11:00 onward | After-dance activities for ages 13 and up |
Class Descriptions
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 also play some singing games to keep us moving.
Classes for Kids – Talls (Ages 10-12): Stories, Songs, and Dance – Elizabeth Laprelle and Mary Wesley
Description coming soon!
Ages 13 & 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 & 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 with fabulous music that will progress in complexity as the week goes on.
Period 2
Classes for Kids – Smalls: Music & 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, 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: Songs & Crafts – Elvie Miller
Description coming soon!
13 & up: Morning Contras – Mary Wesley with Sam Amidon and Danny Noveck
Description coming soon!
13 & up: Clogging – Sophie Wellington
Description coming soon!
13 & up: Finding Harmonies – Anna Patton
Description coming soon!
Period 3
Ages 13 & up: ECD Theme & Variations – Joanna Reiner Wilkinson with Karen Axelrod, Ben Schreiber, & 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 & up: All-camp Chorale – Peter Amidon, Mary Alice Amidon, 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 oldtime tunes with Sally. We will focus on technique, bowing, and learning by ear.
Back-up Guitar – Danny Noveck
Description coming soon!
Teen Class – Fynn Crooks
Description coming soon!
Camper-led activities
Period 4
Ages 9 & up (under 9, if passionate, with an adult): Mummers Play with Brian Dolphin & 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 & up: Dance Band Class – Elvie Miller & Danny Noveck
Description coming soon!
Ages 13 & up: Callers Workshop – Mary Wesley with Ben Schreiber
Description coming soon!
Period 5
Ages 9 & up (under 9, if passionate, with an adult): Ballads & Crankies – Elizabeth Laprelle & Anna Patton
Description coming soon!
Ages 10 & up: Old Time Jam – Sophie Wellington, Sally Jablonsky, & Sam Amidon
Description coming soon!
Camper-led Offerings
Dance Terminology
| English country dances | Positional and Larks/Robins |
| Contra dance | Positional and Larks/Robins |
Registration and Fees
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
| Standard Fee | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $750 | $900 | $1,025 | $1,100 | $1,250 | $1,400 |
Fees for kids
| Ages 0-1 | Ages 2-3 | Ages 4-6 | Ages 7-9 | Ages 10-12 | Ages 13-15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $75 | $350 | $600 | $675 | $800 | $1,000 |
You can find more information about the registration process here.
Staff
