Program: Class Descriptions 2013
For details on the schedule, click here.
For details on the ECD Callers Course with Scott Higgs, click here.
Click on the links below for details of the 2013 classes.
Longsword: Evolution and Adaptation of Traditional Sword Dances
For dancers of ALL abilities
Kalia Kliban with Charlie Hancock
Using the traditional longsword dance of Flamborough (which we will learn at the start of the week) as our jumping-off point, we'll look at ways that teams can adapt traditional material to meet the needs and challenges of modern performance groups.
English Country Dance: From Set Dance to Longways
For dancers of ALL abilities
Andrew Shaw with Wayne Hankin, Debbie Jackson, and Anne Ogren
Enjoy a selection of the Choicest Old and New Tunes from the twelve editions of The Dancing Master published by John and Henry Playford between 1651 and 1703.
English Country Dance (Advanced): Next of Kynaston
For EXPERIENCED and ACCOMPLISHED dancers
Andrew Shaw with Jon Berger, Rebecca King, and Jim Oakden
Learn challenging dances by Nathaniel Kynaston and other composers from the dance collections published by John Walsh in the early 18th century.
English Country Dance: Dancing for Joy
For dancers of ALL abilities
Kalia Kliban with Debbie Jackson, Anne Ogren, and Martha Stokely
We will focus mostly on dances composed in the last hundred years. With 
some forays into ways to improve our style and timing on the floor, we'll explore the amazing breadth of choreographic invention since the turn of the last century and learn how to leave all our partners smiling.
English Country Dance: Perfect Harmony
For dancers of ALL abilities
Scott Higgs with Jon Berger, Charlie Hancock, and Martha Stokely
Explore a wide range of styles and moods -- each dance notable for memorable music beautifully paired with movement. Scott's favorites often feature connection and interaction; we'll find opportunities for both 
experimentation and play.
English Country Dance: Morning Mischief
For dancers of ALL abilities
Sharon Green with Charlie Hancock
Warm up your body, mind, and spirit with an eclectic mix of accessible modern and historic dances, some elegant, some playful, all cheerfully taught.
ECD Open Mic for Musicians, Callers, and Dancers
For ALL abilities
Kalia Kliban and Rebecca King
Dancers—enjoy another opportunity to do English dance and support your fellow campers who are playing and calling. Callers—get some practice calling and share favorite dances with your friends. Kalia will give you supportive feedback if you desire. Musicians—get practice playing for dancing while having fun on the main stage with your fellow campers. Charlie will lead the open band on piano and accordion. Come in one role, two, or all three—a good time will be had by all!
ECD Reconstuction: The Old Jokes Are the Best
Andrew Shaw with Rebecca King
We will play with a set of notations published by John Walsh in the early 1730s and attempt to work out danceable versions. The notations have a linking theme derived from a popular bawdy song of the day - a link which extends even to the New York fire department!
English Country Dance Beginning Callers Class
Open to ALL
Sharon Green with Wayne Hankin
This class is designed for people with little or no calling experience. Sharon will cover how to call ECD from the ground up. Our sessions will include discussion and practice in class. All callers will have opportunities to call at Open Mic and Campers Night.
Couple Dance
For dancers of ALL abilities
Adrienne Simpson with Debbie Jackson
Partner dancing offers an opportunity to build your strength and sensitivity as a dancer on many levels. With a focus on musicality, we’ll start with basic footwork for classic couple dances, focusing on waltz, polka, Schottische, mazurka, and other dances we are likely to have at parties throughout the week. Then we’ll add in partnering skills, room awareness, and independent grace, bringing them all together for transcendent dancing that can be applied to any dance you do! All levels welcome, no partner needed.
Singing: Madrigals, Rounds, and English Folk Songs
For singers of ALL abilities
Adrienne Simpson
There’s a simple joy in an instrument you always have with you, and in the practice of letting that ring out. Throughout the week, we’ll explore rounds, madrigals, and English folk songs, as well as techniques we can use to sing with more clarity and freedom. Adrienne is also available to meet privately with new singers who want to build skill at matching pitch.
Recorders and Voice: Sacred Music for Consort Playing
Some experience playing recorder required
Wayne Hankin
We will focus on some special works arranged for recorder-and voice-ensemble. We will look at the Ainsworth Psalter, the earliest printed music in America, were sacred hymns that traveled via France to England and finally New England in the early 17th Century. We will also play late Renaissance English music, some which are rarely performed on the recorder scene. Finally we will explore the latest arrangements from the Wayne's printed collection, The Sacred Recordox.
Band Workshop
For EXPERIENCED musicians
Martha Stokely
Learn to play as an ensemble with an emphasis on listening to and watching each other. We will work on tunes old and new, and find ways to enhance and develop them using variations of harmony, rhythm and instrumentation. We will also discuss presentation and performance of music in general and, during the first part of the week, prepare tunes for Camper Night.
Prerequisite: at a minimum you should be familiar enough with your instrument(s) that you can play scales of up to 3 flats and sharps, and you must be able to read music and/or be able to pick up complete melodies by ear. If you cannot do this yet, consider taking the slow jam class.
Slow Jam
For musicians of ALL abilities
Jon Berger
Come play beautiful slow and moderate tempo tunes from Barnes 1 and 2. Bring your Barnes books if you have them. Advanced players may use this time to improvise harmonies. All musicians are welcome.
Playing Harmony on the Fly
For musicians who can sight-read
Jim Oakden
Playing for English country dance requires a very specific skill set, and the ability to harmonize “on the fly” is essential. We will discuss how to turn a page of dots into music the very first time you see it, using parallel, chordal and contrapuntal harmonies. All instruments are welcome.
Photography
Paul Bestock
Take better photos, and have fun doing it! We will work with whatever you take photos with: digital camera, smart phone, tablet--anything that will put an image onto a computer. We will take lots of photos: portraits, dancers, musicians, landscapes. We will look at them, discuss their strengths, suggest what would make them stronger, and then take even better ones. If you bring a laptop, that will be a bonus. If you have any photo editing program on your device, that's another bonus. If you wish, we will will create a web page for your photos, and await your royalties.
Photo credits top to bottom: Paul Bestock, Michael Siemon, Michael Siemon, Julie Grieves, Julie Grieves, Julie Grieves, Michael Siemon