Family Week at Ogontz

Join us for a special CDSS family week at Ogontz, where the magic of tradition, humor, friendship and community brings us back year after year. This week is filled with singing, music, dancing and fun for all ages and this year we have an incredible staff of singers, multi-instrumentalists, and dance leaders! And as always, we invite campers to bring their talents to share as well!

Along with our traditional dance offerings of contras, squares, and English country dance, singers and musicians have the chance to participate in harmony singing, family band, and swap songs and tunes in a relaxed environment. Children’s classes are taught by caring and talented staff and include traditional singing and dancing. Days are full of choices in dance, song, crafts, mumming, fun games, and swimming in the crystal clear lake. Just before dinner we meet at the green chairs for story time. Twice a day campers get the opportunity to come together in a camp gathering to sing, dance, and enjoy entertainment by our talented staff and campers. And as always, our days end with a dance party and late night activities as roving monitors check on little ones asleep in their cabins.

Ogontz Camp offers woodlands and wide-open spaces where children can play, a mountain stream for exploring and a pristine lake that hosts a family of loons – perfect for swimming and canoeing. Whether you are having supper on the outdoor dining deck or simply relaxing in the circle of Adirondack chairs under the old white pine, you will enjoy peace and contentment as you take in the beauty of this piece of heaven in the foothills of the White Mountains. Delicious home cooked meals and fresh baked breads nurture your body and soul, fueling you through an unforgettable week.

~ Nils Fredland, Program Director

Full class schedule coming soon!

9:00-9:55

Mother Nature’s Music (2-3) – Amy Fredland

2s and 3s will delight in a morning filled with song, nature exploration, finger games, and storytelling. Daily themes will draw upon the music of the natural world — wind, water, birdsong, squirrel chatter, buzzy bees, croaking frogs-that brings joy and surprise to our youngest campers. With the idea that there is no “bad” weather, we’ll spend much of our time outside; depending on the weather forecast rain jackets and sun hats will be most helpful.

Sing, Dance, and Play! (4-5) – Meg Dedolph

What’s got 10 legs and likes to dance? The world’s most musical centipede? Two and a half sheep? An octopus with a friend? Nope – it’s the 4 and 5-year-olds, singing, dancing and creating music and stories. Try out some old songs, some new songs and some songs that we make up together. Kids only, no centipedes, sheep or octopuses allowed.

Sing, Dance, and Play (6-7) – Rachel Bell

We’ll sing, tell stories, dance, and play a ton of instruments– bells, boomwhackers, shakers, drums, and more! Every session will be creative and action-packed, fun and fully engaging for all these young music-makers!

Longsword (8-9) – Lily Leahy

A traditional dance from the north of England, longsword dancing is both exciting and fun! We will dance while linked up by “swords,” making cool figures, tying ourselves in knots and magically unwinding again. We will also learn a traditional calling on song and perform our song and dance at the end of the week. Expect some fun team-building games to make an appearance as well!

Be the Group! (10-12) – Nils Fredland

Music by: Becky Tracy, Max Newman: The 10-12s will spend the week exploring what it means to be a community: how to support each other, help each other learn, understand and respect our differences, and be better…together. Songs, dances, stories, and games will be our constant companions, and our goal through the week is to be the amazing group that we are! Nils, Max, and Becky co-lead.

English For All (13 & up) – Joanna Reiner

Music by: Karen Axelrod, Naomi Morse, Wayne Hankin: If English Dance is not your first language, if you are a new or returning English dancer, or if you want a chance to focus on and build your ECD skills, come to class! We’ll take the time to look at figures, how to dance to the great variety of ECD tunes, and so much more. This class is a great introduction to the joys and variety of English country dancing.

Cotswold Morris (13 & up) – Laurel Swift

Music by: Jonathan Whitall:

Storytelling Workshop (13 & up) – David Sewell-McCann

Using the four step process of “Storying” we will learn how to pay soft attention, how to develop a heart vocabulary, how to approach a story and then how to let the narrative lead. The process is at once intuitive and playful and all participants will see how the world is made of stories and that storytelling is the most powerful tool there is.

10:15-11:10

Sing, Dance, and Play! (2-3) – Meg Dedolph

We’ll explore some playparty games, sing songs familiar and new, and see where our imaginations take us. We’ll go in and out the windows, up to the sky and down to the bottom of the sea with some favorite tunes and games.

Makers and Shakers (4-5) – Amy Fredland

4s and 5s will engage with a multi-cultural palette of stories, games and songs that will set us up for a morning of scavenger hunts, exploration of the natural areas around camp, and tinkering with natural objects. Campers will be guided in tuning in to the sounds around them, and ultimately will explore ways to create their own instruments. With the idea that there is no “bad” weather, we’ll spend much of our time outside; depending on the weather forecast rain jackets and sun hats will be most helpful.

(6-7) – Katy German

Jubo (8-9) – Wayne Hankin

Morris (10-12) – Laurel Swift

Music by: Karen Axelrod: Enjoy learning the bounciest folk dance of all. Sticks, hankies, steps and figures combine to make a fun dance for everyone. Sometimes simple, sometimes complex, there’ll be plenty to learn and you might even create some dances yourself once you have the basics.

Contras and Squares (13 & up) – Nils Fredland

Music by: Becky Tracey, Max Newman, Rachel Bell: Spend the week dancing your way through the broad and rich repertoire of traditional American social dancing. Contras, Squares, and more! Nils will make sure that everyone – from the newest to the most nimble – feels welcome on the dance floor, and engaged by the selection of dances.

Renaissance Polyphony (13 & up) – Naomi Morse

Delve deep into some early European harmonies. This class will focus on one or two pieces from 15th-16th centuries with perhaps a quicker look at a few others. We will explore the luscious harmonies and exciting rhythms this music has to offer, and seek out the most resonant spot in camp to sing. Ability to read music is a plus, but the class is open to all who are willing to try!

12:00-12:20

Games with Fynn for all – Fynn Crooks

Join Fynn between morning gathering and lunch for her silly, crazy games, sure to bring many laughs and work up your appetite!

1:30-2:25

Nature Walk – Amy Fredland

Each afternoon campers interested in exploring the natural areas away from the cabins and structures of camp are invited to a guided nature walk. We’ll explore parts of the 350 acres campus as a group, focusing less on species identification than on collective observation and contemplation of our surroundings. We’ll chart our course each afternoon depending upon the needs and interests of the group, and the weather. We’ll walk in any weather, so bring along a rain jacket or umbrella if it looks like rain.

Storytelling Workshop (8 & up) – David Sewell-McCann

We all love stories in books, movies, comics and tv shows, but the best stories are our own. We will learn how to spontaneously make up the most exciting, curious, mysterious and funny stories – and the process will not only be inspiring but fun!

Advanced English: Complexity/Simplicity (13 & up) – Joanna Reiner

Music by: Karen Axelrod, Naomi Morse, Jonathan Whitall: This challenging session will take you beyond simply learning and renewing your acquaintance with English dances. We will examine complex choreographies from various eras to not only learn the geography, but dance them well, perfectly phrased to the music, and in time and in sync with follow dancers to create a harmonious whole. Dancers are expected to be familiar with all ECD figures.

2:35-3:30

Visible Mending (All ages, under 8 w/parent) – Meg Dedolph

Bring in your holey and worn, your ripped-up clothing yearning to be fixed … and learn about the art of visible mending. Like the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, which makes the repair into an element that enhances the original piece, we’ll explore some easy ways to use embroidery and hand-sewing skills to fix holes in your clothes. No sewing experience necessary.

All-Comers Ukulele Orchestra (9 & up, younger, if passionate, w/parent) – Max Newman

Ukulele is fun for anyone! Get a uke in your hands and join the band. No experience with ukulele required. In fact, no experience preferred.

Mummers Play (8 & up, younger, if passionate, w/parent) – Paddy Swanson

Music by: Wayne Hankin: The artistic director of Revels will lead us in the creation of another spectacular mummers play. Join the troupe and play your part!

Dance Potpouri (13 & up) – various teachers

Join us for a different flavor of dancing each day, ranging from Singing Squares and contra flourishes, to English Ceilidh, to Bal Folk and more! A rotating cast of staff musicians and dance leaders will keep it fresh and exciting all week long.

3:45-4:40

Teen Class (13-19) – David Sewell-McCann, Fynn Crooks

“How to Find your own Master Story – how storytelling can show you the future”

Our past, present and future all follow a golden thread – a narrative that connects every twist and turn of our biography. When we unpack all the stories that make up who we are, we find themes and repetitions and this gives us the possibility of seeing where our story is going. We can look into the future!

Family Band – Becky Tracey

Family Chorale (All ages, under 8 w/parent) – Nils Fredland

Family Week at Ogontz needs a Family Chorale, and this is it! Build bridges across generations, through song. Repertoire will vary from the familiar to the obscure, all of it engaging and fun! There will be something for everyone, and all songs can be learned by ear (written music available for those that find it helpful). All ages welcome and encouraged to attend, 8 and under with an adult.

4:50-5:20

Stories at the Green Chairs – David Sewell-McCann, Wayne Hankin

David will weave his storytelling magic every afternoon at the Green Chairs.

To register for this week, please log into CDSS Commons. You can find more information about the registration process here. If you need financial assistance in order to attend, please go to our scholarships page.