Join us for four days of great dancing at Northwest Passage Dance Camp, Aug. 30 to Sept. 2
By Sharon Gavin
It’s March, and spring will soon be here, which means that registration for Northwest Passage 2024—PCDC’s much-loved long-weekend of English Country dancing, singing, and music and dance workshops—will also be here soon-ish!
Held at the Kiwanis Camp on the scenic slopes of Mt. Hood, where the waning days of summer are warm and the evenings are comfortably cool, Northwest Passage is a delightful place to enjoy beautiful music, dancing that is both charming and challenging, and the company of friends from near and far.
The weekend offers dancing and workshops during the days, three big evening dance parties, great meals, and awesome snacks. If you need a break from dancing, you can walk to a waterfall, set up your own hammock amongst the trees, or simply hang out, visit, and jam.
This year’s camp will feature two talented callers: Graham Christian and Jenna Simpson.
Graham, a renowned historian, musician, and writer, attended Swarthmore College and has advanced degrees from Harvard University, Simmons University, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is a stage director and music director for several performing arts organizations in Massachusetts and Connecticut, as well as a scholar and writer. He has taught English country dance all over North America, as well as in England, Belgium, and Germany. He is the author of Tell Me More, a popular occasional column in CDSS News, as well as the historical dance anthology, The Playford Assembly.
Jenna is a caller and choreographer based in Williamsburg, Virginia. She recently taught at Pinewoods English Week in 2023, and regularly calls for both her local community English and Scottish Country dances as well as for the student ECD club at the College of William and Mary. Her ECD repertoire spans both the historical and modern canons. As a choreographer, Jenna is noted for her original and innovative dances, and her work often highlights tunes from modern composers. She has authored two books of dances, Under the Influence and Revelations.
Of course, even extremely talented callers like Graham and Jenna don’t work alone, which is why Northwest Passage also has two breathtaking bands for your dancing, listening, and learning enjoyment: Trio Con Brio and Night Heron.
We’ll have detailed information about these outstanding bands and musicians in the next edition of Footnotes, so stay tuned! Until then, please visit the Northwest Passage website for the latest information.