Karen Sandler

Tag: dance camp

  • Dance Camp – Last Thoughts & Talent Show

    For some reason, the first few days of dance camp seem to go by more slowly, maybe because there are so many days ahead, it seems to be wonderfully endless. We’ll just keep dancing and dancing, learning new steps and styles, twirling and spinning, grapevining and circling with our friends, old and new-found.

    Then with an unexpected suddenness comes Saturday and we’re near the end. We’ve learned twenty or thirty or even forty new dances, and are charged with taking those pieces of culture back to our “villages,” our own dance groups back home.

    Imagine a time when folk dancing was an everyday experience, when this village or that would have a certain special dance, or several that were passed down from parents to children. They might do the same dance as in another village, but with a twist–two turns instead of one, a grapevine that starts with a forward cross instead of backward. They might travel to another village and bring with them those variations or even entirely new dances. Their unique twist on an integral part of their lives–dancing–would be shared beyond their small world, from one village to the next, down the generations.

    I like to think that those who attend dance camp–this one in Stockton and other camps and workshops around the world–have an opportunity to send out into the world new ways of thinking about things (and not just dance) in the same way that a villager from the past shared with others and thereby shared their culture. As I said in a previous post, if we’d only dance together, we wouldn’t have time to argue, we wouldn’t have time to fight. We’d just dance.

    Here is a video and a few photos from this afternoon’s talent show:

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVFSjC_68vI]

  • Dance Camp – Settling In

    The first day is relatively easy. We got ourselves registered around 4pm, then some helping hands (my son and a young volunteer) helped us schlep stuff up to the room. You’ll see from the picture below it’s a typical dorm room, and just as messy as any college kid’s room.

    Because the camp-sponsored meals don’t start until Monday morning, a group of us headed out to dinner, looking for a place hubby had spotted on the way in. Due to faulty directions (mine), everyone promptly got lost. When we’d finally all gathered, it turned out the chosen restaurant was closed and we had to regroup at a Mexican place.

    Dance camp starts at 8pm on Sunday with a program of old favorites danced to a live band. After the old favorites, each of the camp instructors give a sample of what they plan to teach, offering up an easy (sort of) dance. Eight instructors means eight dances taught (twelve if you count both square dances, the contra, and the last waltz), so that part of the evening wasn’t over until 10:30pm. It was followed by the after party which we passed on, although we could hear it since our room overlooks the courtyard that’s outside the party room.

    This morning (Monday), the program officially began, with four class sessions in the morning, a cultural assembly and special workshops in the afternoon. I spent the first hour of classes babysitting my beautiful granddaughter, then took three classes–Vintage dance, Portuguese and Israeli. All fun, but in Israeli I learned (mostly) this wild-crazy dance I’d seen my daughter-in-law do that I’d always wanted to learn (Adama Veshamayim). I’d also planned to attend the “What’s Hot in Europe” workshop, but I was kind of dazed after my nap, so I missed out. I’m hoping to catch it tomorrow.

    If you’re not an official photographer here, you can’t take pics during the classes, so I don’t have much to share yet. Later in the week, I should have some cool photos of folks in their costumes.

    The pictures below, in order: (1) registration, (2) our very messy dorm room, (3) the big ballroom, (4) flags hung behind the stage in the ballroom, and (4) a map showing where the instructors are from.

  • Dance Camp!

    I’m heading off to a week-long dance camp today in Stockton, CA. This is an annual pilgrimage for my husband and me (and a 100+ other dancers from around the world). On the schedule this week are classes in Portuguese, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Israeli, Vintage, English Country, What’s Hot in Europe and Square dance. We stay in the dorms of the University of the Pacific and eat yummy (not so much) dorm food.

    Here’s what my piles o’ packing look like:

    You’ll notice the kitties are a little apprehensive of all the disarray. We have a great housesitter lined up to stay with them, but they don’t know that. They don’t like it when we leave.

    In the third picture, those big black bags are clothes on hangers. Since we’re at dance camp for a solid week and because we’re dancing our little footsies off for several hours a day, we need lots of changes. Plus there are parties every night, some of them that involve costumes. So hubby and I need lots of changes of clothes.

    I like to make sure each outfit–skirt, blouse socks (yes, socks with a skirt. You can’t wear dance shoes barefoot, and it’s mighty hot for hose)–to be color coordinated. So I put them together on hangers so when I go to the closet for an outfit, I don’t have to think about where everything is.

    Even still, in my don’t rock the boat/rock the boat fashion, I’ll probably end up mixing everything up. And there are also the bargain finds at the rummage sale which I might end up wearing.

    Here’s one of my coordinated outfits:

    On Wednesday of the camp, we all have pictures taken. It’s nice to wear a costume that night. Last year I got a screaming good deal at the silent auction on a German dirndl costume. At the live auction, I bought a complete lederhosen costume for my husband, so we’ll both be well outfitted for picture night. I am part German although I don’t know that my German Jewish great-grandmother would have ever worn a dirndl.

    I’m hoping I’ll have enough spare energy this week to post to my blog about the camp. My goal is every day, but it may end up being just a few times during the week. One limitation is exhaustion (have you ever danced 8-10 hours a day?). The other is that my grandbaby will be at camp this year for the first time and I hope to help babysit her. But with luck you’ll see posts from me complete with cool pictures.