A day in the life of a first-timer at Cumberland Dance Week

by Peggy Craft

It's Thursday morning and as the sun wakes me up I realize that the alarm on my cell phone didn't go off. (There's some issue involving cell phone towers in different time zones, competing for dominance.) But it's only 7:46, so I rush to beat the 8:00 deadline for breakfast, my favorite meal - and an important one, since supper was 14 hours ago and I spent four of those hours dancing! Eggs, country ham, hashbrowns - enough fuel to hold me until lunch.

I've been contra dancing for 20 years, but Cumberland Dance Week is my first week-long camp, and my first intergenerational dance experience. I like the pace: busy, as you'll see, but manageable, and in a week I'll be able to master new skills and get to know new people in a more meaningful way than I could during a weekend dance. The diversity of ages has a large influence on the feel of this community. The children are refreshing and energizing, and there's something centering and informative about elders. Together they balance the big middle group.

After breakfast I help move the tables and chairs aside to make way for the first activity: stretching. Live music combines with skillful leading to turn this normally dull event into a lovely experience - one that contributed greatly to my ability to dance all week! Bob Tomlinson focuses on a different muscle group each day and ends with a nice folk dance.

The children join us for some community dancing before they head off to their own programs for the day. This planned children's program is critically important. I plan to help spread the word in my dance circles: it is possible to include the youngsters, and well worth the trouble.

Now it's 9:20 and time for Diane Silver to lead Advance Your Dancing. Her goal is to teach contra concepts as well as techniques and intricate moves. Topics have included end effects and the importance of giving weight. She taught some difficult dances, and the newer dancers appreciated her willingness to stop, clarify and try again - even when we had to do that three times!

In the next time slot, I go to the Intermediate Callers Workshop with Bob Dalsemer. I'm not sure I want to be a caller, but I do want a better understanding of how dances "work" and it seemed that listening to a master teach would be one way to accomplish that goal. I was right. Bob is fascinating to listen to and did a good job of helping even the newest caller in the room think about this difficult process.

Ah, now it's 11:30 and time to gather as a community at the fireplace. It's a safe and supportive environment for anyone to share talent or interests. There's music, stories, show-and-tell and a few novelty acts. It's a great way to spend time together as we wait for...

Noon: LUNCH! There's always a good salad bar, and today's hamburger and fries are appreciated - but not as much as the famous peanut butter pie that I've been hearing about all week!

The program that I was given when I got here was rich - but then more was added! At 1 pm I've been learning to belly dance, a totally new and quite gratifying experience, thanks to Daphne Reiley. But today there's another option: Hambo. It's a dance I've wanted to try for years, so I played hooky from bellydancing for one day. Bob Green and Martha Edwards do a great job of teaching, and after stepping all over my first two partners, I "get it" and feel like I am flying across the floor. Wow.

Now it's 2:00, time for the Waltz Workshop. Dancing to live music is always special, and there are many wonderful musicians here this week so we have incredible music, even for the workshops. We talk Bob Green into covering what we most want to learn next: the backwards turn, and the cross-step. This is the "threshold" day for me. I now feel confident that I can say "yes" the next time someone asks me to waltz!

It's 3:00 - my only empty slot. I could do Old Time Squares with Bob Dalsemer, but I fear I won't make it through the week if I do it all. Instead, I put my feet up, check my email, browse the bookstore and check my bids on various items in the silent auction.

I want to do all three classes that start at 4 pm: Hot Contras & Cool Squares with Susan Taylor, etc; Be a Dance Ambassador, with Bob Tomlinson; and African Drumming, with Jubal Creech. The drumming wins out - it's been an unfulfilled interest since I was twelve. Today we practice the traditional three part dance piece we've learned. Then Brad Brattey joins us on fiddle, a combination I hadn't expected to enjoy, but it worked beautifully. We'll perform on Friday at the Community Sharing time after dinner.

This class was supposed to end at 5:00, but we're having too much fun. We do break in time for supper, of course. One aspect of this camp that I particularly enjoy is that mealtimes are friendly and not cliquish. I sit with lots of different people and enjoy the time to share ideas and stories.

Well-exercised and well-fed, I head back to my room to shower and stretch out a bit before the evening dances. I am surprised and sad that I fall asleep and therefore miss the Community Dance. This time is very sweet, with children and adults interacting with respect and laughter.

The evening dance party has two parts. During the first hour, there's a separate program for the children, so parents can dance. During the next 45 minutes, hall monitors are available so parents can return for more dancing after putting their kids to bed. Then from 10:30 to midnight is the Late Night Dance, where new callers and musicians are encouraged to take that scary first step. There are about 20 hearty souls still dancing at the end. After lots of clapping for the musicians and callers, we bring the tables and chair back out on the floor, ready for tomorrow's breakfast to start us off on another full and fulfilling day of dance camp.