“You will have so much fun and gain a bigger family by the end of the week.”
–Kristen Planeaux
July 31 – August 7, 2021 // Lyman, NH
The week children take their families to
We are hoping to be able to have camps in person in 2021, but will be monitoring the COVID-19 situation and will adjust our plans as necessary. The health and safety of our community is our top priority. Where possible we are rehiring the staff we had planned for 2020, although there may be some changes. We don’t know when registration will open, but you can check back here for updates. To receive updates about camps and online programs via email, sign up for our email list.
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Program Description
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
Schedule
Full class schedule coming soon!
7:45-8:30 | Breakfast |
9:00-9:55 | Period 1 By age class period (kids can be dropped off at their class at 8:55) Mother Nature’s Music (2-3) – Amy Fredland Sing, Dance, and Play! (4-5) – Meg Dedolph Sing, Dance, and Play (6-7) – Erika Roderick Longsword (8-9) – Lily Leahy Be the Group! (10-12) -Nils Fredland English For All (13+) – Alexandra Deis-Lauby Cotswold Morris (13+) – Natty Smith Storytelling Workshop (13+) – David Sewell-McCann |
10:00-10:10 | Refreshments |
10:15-11:10 | Period 2 By age class period (Kids will be taken from class to snack and on to their next class) Sing, Dance, and Play! (2-3) – Meg Dedolph Makers and Shakers (4-5) – Amy Fredland (6-7) – Katy German Jubo (8-9) – Wayne Hankin Morris (10-12) – Natty Smith Contras and Squares (13+) – Nils Fredland Renaissance Polyphony (13+) – Naomi Morse |
11:20-12:00 | Morning Gathering: dances, songs, show & tell |
12:00-12:20 | Games with Fynn for all |
12:30-1:00 | Buffet Lunch Served |
1:00-1:30 | Bookstore staffed |
1:30-3:30 | Swimming! All ages, 9 & under must be with parent |
1:30-2:25 | Period 3 All ages, 9 & under w/parent Class, Swimming, or Napping Nature Walk – Amy Fredland Storytelling Workshop – David Sewell-McCann Advanced English: Complexity/Simplicity (13+) – Alexandra Deis-Lauby |
2:35-3:30 | Period 4 All ages, 9 & under w/parent Class, Swimming, or Napping Visible Mending (All ages, under 8 w/ parent) – Meg Dedolph All-Comers Ukulele Orchestra (9+, younger, if passionate, w/parent) – Max Newman Mummers Play (8+, younger, if passionate, w/parent) Dance Potpouri (13+) – various teachers |
3:30-3:45 | Afternoon Snack |
Bookstore staffed until 4:00 | |
3:45-4:40 | Period 5 Teen Class – David Sewell-McCann & Fynn Crooks Family Band – Becky Tracy Family Chorale – Nils Fredland |
4:50-5:20 | Stories at the Green Chairs – David Sewell-McCann & Wayne Hankin |
5:50 | Dinner |
7:10 | Community Dance |
7:35 | Evening Gathering – Nils Fredland & Amy Fredland |
8:00 | Pied Piper/Bedtime for 9 and unders |
8:05-10:30 | After Glow and Evening Dance Party |
9:15 | Bedtime for 10-12 year olds |
10:45 | After-dance Activities |
12:30 | Bedtime for teens (Teen Game Night – 1:30am) |
Class Descriptions
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) – Erika Roderick
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) – Alexandra Deis-Lauby
Music by: Aaron Marcus, 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) – Natty Smith
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) – Natty Smith
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 Tracy, 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) – Alexandra Deis-Lauby
Music by: Aaron Marcus, 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 Tracy
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.
Registration and Fees
Registration is not yet open for 2021 programs, please check back later. 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.
Family Week at Ogontz
Adult (18+) | $940 |
13-17 | $827 |
10-12 | $705 |
7-9 | $611 |
4-6 | $517 |
2-3 | $329 |
0-1 | $66 |
Staff
