Register by clicking here for Echo Summit Dance Camp on September 15-17, 2017, featuring the Syncopaths, The Free Raisins, Cis Hinkle, and Luke Donforth. We look forward to seeing everyone! Last year we filled up by mid-June, so get your registration in promptly to join in the fun!
Come to Camp Sacramento, high in the Sierra, for a weekend of great contra dancing and music with your friends old and new! Camp Sacramento is two hours east of Sacramento off Highway 50 just west of Echo Summit at an elevation of 6600 feet. Nestled in the tall trees of the Sierra Nevada, Camp Sacramento’s refinished wooden dance floor and rustic small cabins are waiting for you to enjoy. Camp staff even sell espresso drinks in the morning, and beer and ice cream in the afternoons to keep your dance energy going.
THE CALLERS
Luke Donforth brings a warm and inviting playfulness to the hall with his calling. Contra caller and choreographer, based in Burlington, VT, he calls new and traditional contras at weekly dances, festivals, barn dances, weddings, and parties. Luke has shared the joy of dancing far and wide — in over a third of the US and a fifth of Canadian provinces.
Cis Hinkle has delighted contra and square dancers since 1985 with her skilled teaching, welcoming manner, playful enthusiasm, and masterful selection of dances. She is in great demand at music and dance festivals all over the US, England, and Denmark. When not on the road, Cis teaches t’ai chi classes in her native Atlanta, Georgia.
THE BANDS
The Syncopaths
From dance floors to concert halls, the Syncopaths bring a fresh, contemporary spin to music and songs rooted in the Scottish, Irish, and American folk traditions. At the heart of the band’s sound are the twin engines of Ryan McKasson’s dynamic, Scottish-based fiddling and the amazing picking of mandolinist Ashley Broder. Jeff Spero provides inventive piano accompaniment, anchored by the driving power of Christa Burch’s bodhrán. Christa also lends her singular voice — warm, supple, expressive, and intimate — to the band’s songs. Together, they create a “chamber folk” sound, characterized by the compelling, rhythmic interplay of fiddle and mandolin, rich vocals, and unexpected colors and rhythms from the piano and bodhrán. The exuberant joy they derive from the music and each other is palpable and contagious.
The Free Raisins
An energetic dance band from Boston, the Free Raisins fuse New England roots with a modern groove. The band features Audrey Knuth on a driving and lyrical fiddle, Amy Englesberg on creative piano, and Jeff Kaufman on foot-stompin’ mandolin and dance-movin’ trumpet. They promise a versatile mix of supremely danceable tunes, guaranteed to get your feet moving. Come out and get your two scoops worth!
Sound by Victor Garza.
THE PROGRAM — Registration starts on Friday at 5 pm, a potluck dinner is at 6 pm, and the dancing starts at 8 pm. The weekend includes dances, dance and music workshops, and concerts by the bands. Camp ends at 3:30 pm on Sunday. Five meals are included. There are no beginner’s lessons at camp.
LODGING – Lodging is in small rustic cabins, with bathrooms in separate buildings nearby. Couples get their own cabin; singles get a cabin with one to three other people of the same gender. The cabins are unheated and nights can be near freezing. BRING WARM BEDDING. Space heaters and heating pads are not allowed because of old electric wiring. You are allowed to sleep in your vehicle (van or car); no large RVs or trailers are allowed due to access issues in case of fire. No tent camping is allowed because of bears. For those who prefer other housing, please make your own reservations offsite. We are unable to reduce the camp fee if you stay offsite.
Sacramento Country Dance Society 