Eric Schedler plays accordion, banjo and piano for contra and English country dancing with Midwest-based bands the Cosmic Otters and Supertrad. With his playing firmly rooted in traditional Irish music, Eric has performed and taught at camps and festivals around the country, and currently serves as program director of Cascade of Music and Dance and the all-ages Cumberland Dance Week, a project of the Lloyd Shaw Foundation, of which Eric is also a member of the board of directors.
LLisa Terry (viola da gamba, violoncello) practices, performs and teaches viola da gamba and violoncello in New York City, where she is a member of Parthenia and the Dryden Ensemble (Princeton). Lisa is principal cellist and viol soloist with Tempesta di Mare, Philadelphia’s baroque orchestra, and she serves the Viola da Gamba Society of America as Past-President. Lisa teaches viola da gamba and cello privately in New York and at workshops around the country,
Laurel Swift is an inspiring instigator of creative new projects and performances rooted in the folk arts. Laurel has choreographed and devised national touring dance productions for Morris Offspring, co-created and performed Under Her Skin with Debs Newbold, advised theatre and film companies on using folk music and dance material, performed and taught at festivals in the UK and America, founded an organization to develop youth folk arts projects, teaches and contributes to education projects in the UK,
Anna and Dennis have both attended Camper’s Week since their (very) early days and are honored to be helping to guide this iteration of Camper’s Week.
Both have lived and worked as artists in various capacities over the years, but these days Anna is a nurse working in quality and education at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Dennis is a full-time dad and sea shanty instructor to their young son,
Naomi Morse grew up surrounded by music and dance in the folk communities of New England. She is known for her energetic and driving fiddle playing for both contra and English dancing in many bands, including The Poor Cousins, Night Watch, Housetop, and the mega-fiddle-band Childsplay, among others. She has toured extensively with the world music ensemble Northern Harmony and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and son.
Rachel Fifer was first introduced to contra dancing when her father dropped her on her head as a particularly wild neighbor swung him off balance. Gaye Fifer leapt dramatically off the stage, only to discover that baby Rachel was unharmed, yet would have a lifetime connection to contra dancing. Rachel has since sampled every dance and music style she could. She is fascinated by the history of our creative communities and the ways that we honor our roots by continuing to both remember our past and move towards intentional progress.
Gaye Fifer has been calling at dance weekends/weeks for many years. Her pleasant style and graceful teaching put dancers at ease and set the stage for a great dance experience. She now lives in Pittsburgh, PA. and travels whenever there is a safe opportunity to do so. Gaye is currently President of CDSS and has a passionate interest in supporting dance community leaders and organizers.
Fynn Crooks used to have a fear of hurdles, but she got over it. Oh, that’s terrible! As a storyteller, humorist, and teacher Fynn has been sharing bad jokes, tough riddles, and a healthy enthusiasm for life with her students, young and old, for a decade. She loves leading group games to encourage communication, cooperation and just plain goofiness. You might find Fynn launching a rubber chicken across camp, leading a silly circus, lifeguarding,
Betsy Branch, from Portland OR, is a dance fiddler and private fiddle teacher. She plays both contra and English Country Dance music, and her repertoire includes tunes from Ireland, Scotland, Appalachia and Quebec. She is also the Associate Music Director for Portland’s Christmas Revels production, where she is the house fiddler, band leader, and frequent music arranger. In 2019, Betsy co-published, with Kevin Burke, a tune book with transcriptions of Kevin’s playing on 4 of his influential solo albums,
Max Newman has made a living as a practitioner of traditional music for the past decade and half. He has developed a reputation as a favorite amongst dance musicians and dancers across North America and the UK. With a keen interest in New England music and dance, Max has graced many a dance hall playing with luminaries of the style. His primary project is The Stringrays, a veritable supergroup headed by New England fiddle legend Rodney Miller with Stuart Kenney,
Dance, Music, & Song Camps