Harmony of Song & Dance at Pinewoods

Join us for a week of singing, dancing, and more! At Harmony of Song & Dance, we’ll enjoy learning and sharing in a variety of song and dance traditions. This year, the week is loosely focused on percussive dance and the musical conversations between and among dancers, vocalists, and instrument-players. If you love to sing, dance, jam, or do all of those at the same time, this is the week for you! Though there will also be plenty of opportunities to do them just one at a time as well. 

Each day’s schedule includes an all-camp singing session, an all-camp dance session (where both newcomer and experienced dancers will find a lesson for their skill level), and many types of singing, dancing, and instrumental workshops, including some that invite collaboration between and among dancers, musicians, and singers. 

Every evening, we will enjoy mini-concerts by our brilliant staff, followed by a dance featuring contra and English country dancing, plus some late-night festivities. Within each jam-packed day, there is also time built into the schedule for jamming, snoozing, swimming, chatting, or taking some solo time if you need it. Pinewoods offers a beautiful venue for a glorious week of song, dance, learning, connection, revelry, and rejuvenation. I look forward to singing and dancing with you there!

-Nicole Singer, Program Director

Arrival & Departure

Saturday Arrival Schedule:

Saturday Departure Schedule: 

Draft Daily Schedule

Period 1

Intro to Contra and English Country Dance – Gaye Fifer and Adina Gordon

Join us for fun, easy, accessible dancing—some contra and some English—to delightful music. A perfect opportunity to build confidence and enjoy connecting in new ways.

Contra and English Dancing – Gaye Fifer and Adina Gordon

English and American dances for those who are familiar with the moves. We’ll enjoy wonderful dances and music together, and enjoy opportunities to learn a few things along the way.

Period 2

All-camp Sing and Gathering – Jamie Bunce, with various staff

Each day, the whole camp gathers in one of the airy pavilions nestled in the woods to join our voices in song and harmony. Some of our fabulous singing staff will teach a variety of pieces from different singing traditions and styles. We’ll build a beautiful communal repertoire throughout the week and have a celebratory sing-through on the last day of camp. 

Period 3

Dance Variety Pack – Various leaders and musicians

Come dance with us! Every afternoon we’ll have a different flavor of dancing to enjoy during this hour. It may be contras, ECD, chestnuts, squares, advanced ECD, hambos, swing, schottisches, waltzes, ceilidh dances, or whatever else the dance band and caller(s) dream up! A more specific schedule will be posted closer to the beginning of camp. 

Appalachian Flatfooting for All – Nic Gareiss with Sophie Wellington

Flatfooting is a solo form of improvised percussive dance originating in the Appalachian mountains of what some people call the United States, with sonic and gestural connections to West African, Indigenous, and Western European dance. Using the toe, heel, and ball of the foot to strike and slide across the floor, flatfooting articulates the rhythms of old time fiddle and banjo music. Wear smooth-soled comfortable shoes with a low or no heel for this class. For movers of all experience.

Songwriting – Alex Sturbaum

Learn how to write new songs that sound old! Alex will demonstrate their process, analyze existing songs to find out what makes them work, and help you workshop your own songs from concept to completion.

Irish Fiddle: Bowing, Rhythm, and Ornamentation – Armand Aromin

Irish jigs and reels giving you a case of the wayward bow? Fair-weather fingers feeling more fickle when it comes to Irish fiddle? Come join the guided tour and learn how to navigate your way around the style—oh, and put on these special glasses, ’cause we’re going 4D, babyyy!

Morris Dancing for All – Gillian Stewart with Julia Friend

Jumping, skipping, throwing hankies in the air—morris dancing is an athletic style of dance from Cotswold region of England. We’ll learn a common dance and then write a new one using a tune that strikes our fancy! Wear sneakers or other supportive shoes.

Shape Note Singing – Becky Wright

Come and explore the rich tradition of shape-note music! In this class, we’ll learn the basics of reading shape notes and take a tour of different shape note musical styles. Singing is the main course here, with a side of historical and musical context to round things out. Open to all—each day will build on the last, so folks who are newer to sight-singing may find it helpful to attend consistently each day.

Period 4

Callers Workshop – Adina Gordon with Dave Wiesler

Description coming soon!

Rapper for All – Gillian Stewart

Rapper is a fast-paced, physical, percussive sword dance from the north of England. This class is open to anyone who is excited about tying themselves in knots with swords at high speed with friends—be prepared to sweat upon your neighbors. We’ll start with the basics, and then work on dance choreography, set cohesion, and performance skills. Please bring hard soled shoes.

Percussive Dance and Music Collaboration: Be (with) Music(ians) – Nic Gareiss and Sophie Wellington

Clog, flatfoot, and step dancers not only dance to music, they also are music. This class for movers with percussive footwork experience will foster conversation and facilitate practical experience around working with musicians. We’ll practice contributing to soundscapes together through in-class collaborations using both improvisation and set footwork sequences. By engaging step, sound, song, and gesture, this workshop aims to expand participants’ creative choices, enriching the process of being/being with musicians, and deepening shared pleasure-making across senses (sight/sound) and disciplines (music/movement). For movers with some percussive dance experience.

Guitar Workshop – Alex Sturbaum

Description coming soon!

Telling Stories in Song – Julia Friend

Dive into the process of learning, adapting, and singing old acapella ballads. This week, we’ll talk about choosing repertoire, ethics-checking the lyrics, and especially, effectively delivering your story. We will also take turns singing a bunch of songs and will dissect them, book club style, to uncover the characters’ motives and perspectives. This class will include listening to recordings of old singers. During the course of the week, students will choose from a provided collection of old recordings and will learn at least one verse, taking into consideration some of our discussions about singing style and song adaptation. Throughout the week, students will listen to and support one another during discussion and singing. We will make space for each person’s voice and will create a safe place for experimentation and reflection.

Period 5

Percussive Dance Repertoire – Nic Gareiss with Sophie Wellington

Many percussive dance traditions (i.e. Appalachian flatfooting) use small rudiments to create extemporaneous rhythmic phrases. Other forms utilize set steps and longer sequences. In this class we’ll learn some of this sequential repertoire, exploring a new set of percussive dance steps each day. The pieces will be contextualized by historical, ethnochoreological, and musical information and will span the Atlantic, including clog and step dances from Ireland, England, Scotland, and what some folks call the United States and Canada. For movers with some percussive dance experience.

Practical Harmony Singing – Brian Lindsay and Armand Aromin

There’s quite nothing like the unhindered joy of buzzing harmonies to tickle the ears and scratch that itch, but how do? While knowing music theory can be helpful, it’s not the only way! We’ll learn how to carve complementary paths around a melody; build a repertoire of recyclable harmonies through song arrangements; and, through wild gesticulation, share important diplomacy skills to better negotiate with harmony singers in the moment.

Playing for Dancing – Miranda Weinberg

It’s a great feeling when a whole hall is dancing together to the music. How do we work together to create amazing dance music? Let’s explore playing for dancing! We will have fun with tunes, exercises and games as we look at melody, harmony, lift, arrangements, and more.

Waltz Workshop – Gaye Fifer with various musicians

This class will focus on basic (and beyond) waltz steps, with an emphasis on the nuances of clear leading and aware following. We will learn various moves, prioritizing the skills of connecting with your partner and with the music.

Late Afternoon

Join in the Chorus – Julia Friend

This is a session on singing together. Each day we’ll use a different lens to explore the songs that we sing. We will cover topics such as effective song leading, supporting the mood/flow of a sing, an antiracist approach to folk singing, and more. Students are encouraged but not required to come with songs to share. We will make space for each person’s voice and will create a safe place for experimentation and reflection.

Old-time Jam – Sophie Wellington

In this jam, we’ll play tunes in a variety of old time styles and keys. This jam is inclusive of all levels and instruments, including foot percussion and lilting!

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

You can find more information about the registration process here.