July 4th Weekend in the Woods...

Nothing can convey the sheer joy of a session at Pinewoods!


Photo by David Cornelius

We danced Morpeth Rant on Saturday night, and Corn Rigs on Sunday, and others here and there. Doing these traditional dances in this space with fabulous dancers all around reminded me of the first time I experienced what a great swing and change felt like, the first time we all danced Softly Good Tummas at E&A, lo these many years ago when the room went wild, the beauty of that many stars over the pond as seen from the water after the dance.

Camp is always a magical place. I can't wait to get back there.

Sometimes we volunteer, or sometimes volunteering is thrust upon us...

I don't think anyone becomes a dance caller to make their fortune. I'm a dance caller for a number of reasons, but mainly because I want to help people discover the joy in dancing that I did at a critical stage in my life. And I'm beginning to hit this moment where I'm getting hired to do things. I love that.

But I'm also beginning to have these moments where ego meets reality, and it's left me with some dilemmas to puzzle through, mainly, is there ever a gig you say no to?

-I call for GCD once every couple of months. I get very little money for this, and it matters not at all. I love GCD with all of it's craziness. It's my home dance and I complain about it, but I support it, period.

-I teach at Swarthmore and get paid essentially a little gas and coffee money, and while in my head it's annoying because I know the college can afford more, I keep on because I love teaching in the college setting and working with the students, even though they think I'm old.

-I call for LCD this past weekend and make very little, but know going in that this will likely be the case. Fine.

-Any camp that hires me, if I'm that lucky, if they cover my travel, great. Call a dance out of town, ditto the travel thing, also great. Let's just hope I have the vacation time...

-Neffa. Total volunteer gig. I covet the opportunity every year, and fear that this is the year they'll say no.

All of these situations are clear in my head. And now I'm faced with a situation that I'm searching for reasons to say yes to.

-I won't get paid. I won't even get any discount on my admission.

-This year, I will have no teaching opportunity, just evening dance responsibility.

-It's for an organization I'm not a member of and don't have a reason to join.

-The organizers of the event don't think carefully about what goes into making a good, fun event for people outside their small circle of friends and admirers

On the other hand,

-This was my first camp, so I have some historical attachment to it

-Though none of my close friends will be there, there are lovely people I will enjoy seeing/dancing with/catching up with

-Though unlikely, there may be people with hiring power there which could lead to other gigs

-It IS nice to be asked to have a public role and remind people I exist in this genre from time to time, so maybe just suck it up and do it.

Sleep on it. Maybe it will be clear in the morning.

Almost there...

Hey! It's nowhere near 2am and I'm almost done packing. I think this might be a first. Secret - iron the night before. It's the only way.

Finishing now. Off to the woods in the morning...

Re-entry...

It's impossible to sum up a trip to a dance camp in a few sentences and make it instantly clear what the experience was like. I won't try.

The first time I went to Neffa, I knew I was having a good time, but I didn't know what to do, where to go, how to structure my day, what to do during the off hours. Even by the end of the festival, I wasn't sure it was for me. Come the next year, it was impossible to think about not going back. While my feelings for Mendocino aren't quite that way, I know if I don't go back, I'll miss some things.

I won't miss the hills and the lack of electricity and the too-small dance hall, but if I don't return, I won't get to catch up with all of the folks who rarely travel east to that other camp I sometimes go to, but that we don't discuss too loudly or too often in the west lest anyone sense competition. I met and danced with lovely people. I saw redwoods and the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco, albeit by car. I ate well, and got more sleep than I ever do at camp, and even acquitted myself well on the teaching front.

And if they ask me back, I'm there.