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Dance New England Summer Camp 2008
Camp Northstar (formerly Omni Camp) in Poland Spring, Maine
Wednesday Evening August 20^th to Sunday August 31^st

Featuring classes in . . . Contact Improvisation, African Dance and Drum, Yoga, Partner Dancing, Music, Healing Arts, and much more!

Our 29th Dance New England Summer Camp!

Spontaneous waltzing in the Dining Hall; kids with painted faces screaming across the field; two women stretching together in the sun; an animated discussion at a picnic table long after lunch. It's just another day at Dance Camp. We've been doing this for 29 years. There will be classes in movement and much more, hot DJs and barefoot boogies every night, impromptu jams and live music dancing, festivals and family fun, swimming, canoeing and moments of serenity among the towering pines. We are a loving, changing, thinking, dancing, welcoming community. We share our joys, and we share the work. Come join in; come back and dance again. In our exploration of community and creativity, we emphasize: respect for the differences among individuals and cultures empowerment of children, elders, and all community members acknowledgement that our bodies and environment are sacred a drug free and alcohol free environment non-violence and creative conflict resolution safety to express ourselves acknowledgement of the contributions we each make to our community cooperative efforts to create community and community events **First Boogie On Wed. Aug. 20 at 9pm!**   Opening Circle and Orientation Thursday, August 21   Classes Begin Thursday afternoon, August 21 Closing Circle - Sunday afternoon, August 31 Community Day - Thursday, August 28 A day filled with community spirit, fun and frolic! Community Meeting, Sunday, August 24 1:00pm to 5:00pm - If you are not coming to camp, you may attend just the meeting without charge. There is also an option to stay for 24 hours and pay a day rate; contact the Registrar, Samantha Armer for details at (show phone), (show email). Accommodations - You may choose to stay in a cabin (bunks sleep 10-12 people) or bring your own tent. There will be designated cabins for women only, men only, families, and cabins open for anyone. Cabin space is limited, and fills up on a first-come, first-served basis. Camping space is available in the fields and woods. Please heed the signs designating tenting areas. Community Service / Volunteer Spirit - All campers are required to help with meals or general camp care. You will select your chore shifts when you arrive at camp. Chores are a great way to connect; some campers have rated chores as one of their best camp experiences. If you have a disability and require a light chore, or for more information contact Heidi Roper at (show phone), (show email address) Food - Three delicious, vegetarian meals and snacks are provided daily. Non-dairy, non-wheat and simple vegan options are available at each meal. If you have one of these restrictions, you should indicate it on your registration form. We understand that there are folks with other dietary restrictions; however because we are cooking for over 400 people, we can only accommodate the most common restrictions. If you have other dietary needs such as: anti-candida; no nightshades; no garlic/onions; no soy; Zone; gluten-free; high protein, you will need to bring your own provisions. These might include your own salad dressing, canned fish, packaged meats, etc. There is a separate refrigerator in the dining hall for your personal perishables (space is limited). Who We Are Dance New England, Inc. (DNE) is a creative collective of people who love to dance, as well as a consortium of cooperatively run, not-for-profit, freestyle, barefoot dances. DNE events include our annual summer camp and events throughout the year. Waterfront - We enjoy a beautiful secluded lake with a large dock for swimming, boating, and loads of fun. Fully supported by Certified Lifeguard Staff for your safety. There will be no lifeguard training this year- certified lifeguards looking for work at the waterfront should contact the water front coordinator, Joe Radziszewski at (show phone) or (show email address). Work Exchange/Financial Aid/Scholarships - Work exchange is available at $11/hour. You must fill out this section and pay your full camp fee prior to camp. You will be reimbursed no later than October 1st. Work exchange and financial aid are not guaranteed. You may request financial aid equal to the value of your work exchange; these monies are available based on financial hardship. Apply early, availability is limited. 18-25 year-olds and DNE elders are encouraged to apply. For details and award verification, please contact Samantha Armer at (show phone), (show email). Young People's Program (YPP) - Full day activities are offered when most adult classes are in session. Each age group (0-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12) is staffed by qualified and creative instructors. Young people engage in community-building activities, games, sports, arts/crafts, dance, drama, swimming and more. Teen Program Classes, workshops and activities are offered throughout the day and evening for teens to chose from. Staff and teens draw on camp resources to design classes and activities especially for teens, who are encouraged to attend some adult classes as well. The Teen Apprenticeship Program offers mentoring opportunities in the kitchen, at the waterfront, or other areas of the camp. Work Exchange offers paid work opportunities for teens interested in assisting YPP staff with younger children. In order to prepare our kitchen and YPP staffing, all children under 18 must be pre-registered through a two-step process. First Step Send in your regular registration. Second Step When your registration has been confirmed, download the Medical Release Form and Health Form (see links below). Complete these forms and bring to camp. NO PACKET WILL BE MAILED TO YOU. IMPORTANT PARENTAL INFORMATION (click on links for printable PDF files) Welcome Letter General Information Health Form (fill out and bring to camp) Medical Release (fill out and bring to camp) In accordance with state of Maine law and DNE policy, all young people under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Questions about YPP (ages12 and under): contact Susan McGinn at (show phone) ,(show email address) Questions concerning the Teen Program (ages 13 to 17): contact Jessica Flannigan at (show phone) ,(show email address). Camp Store and Fee for Service - There will be space to sell your crafts and products at camp. A 12% tithe to DNE is required. Space in the store is very limited, so please indicate your request for store space on your registration form. Also, you MUST contact Su Eaton before camp so she can organize the space. For info on the camp store call Su Eaton (show phone) ,(show email address) A 10% tithe to DNE is required for fee for service such as a bodywork and other services. For information on fee for service, call Lisa Geiger at (show phone) ,(show email address) Note:You must be a DNE member to sell goods or services at camp. Family Groups - Family groups are small groups that meet for an hour each day to share common interests and to provide a smaller community of support within the larger camp experience. There will be time during camp orientation to create and sign up for family groups. Some examples of family groups include Co-Counseling, Contact & Meditation, Women Only, Men Only, Singing, Gay/Lesbian/Bi, Parents & Small Children, Pan-fidelity / Alternative Relationships. Contact Andrea Rush (show email address) if you would like to lead a family group at camp. Special Needs - Do you have special needs (ie. significant physical or cognitive disabilities, debilitating medical conditions) and need assistance determining if yout needs can be accomodated at camp? The special needs committee can provide some support and accomodations but potential campers who have special needs should contact the Special Needs Committee prior to camp to discuss whether coming to camp is a viable option. Please contact Susan Arnsten-Russell at (show email address) or (show phone). Leadership Council - The Leadership Council (LC) is an elected governing board of directors of Dance New England. Elections for open positions are held once a year. In order to be eligible for the LC, one needs to have been a Rep, CCG member, Elder or have significant DNE or DNE Camp organizational experience. LC terms are 3 years. If you would like to be a candidate for the LC, please answer the following questions on a separate paper, and include it with your camp registration or send it to: Name, Address, Phone, Email History of DNE volunteer/work experience. Member dance you are affiliated with and your leadership experience. Which work areas specifically interest you? Why do you want to be on the LC? Include it with your camp registration or send it to Nancy Farber, 7 Lilac Lane, Amherst MA 01002-1102. For more information contact Nancy at (show phone) or (show email address) Camp Contacts and Key Volunteers Function Person Email Phone Registrar L. Samantha Armer (show email address) (show phone) Questions? Please consult our "frequently asked questions" before contacting the registrar. Camp    Coordinating               Group Gayle Anderson Email Jade Barker Email fox.. Email Alan McAvinney Email David Pruskin Email Aileen Gildea-Pyne Email Wendy Weinrich Email Note Taker Carolyn Falk Email Camp Coordinator Michael Wingfield (show email address) (show phone) Childcare             Coordinators Susan McGinn (show email address) (show phone) Set-Up Pasquale Strocchia (show email address) (show phone) Work Exchange   (show email address)   Want to make future dance camps happen? - Consider joining the Camp Coordinating Group (CCG). For more information, contact fox.. at (show phone). Printed registration materials have been mailed out via U.S. Mail. To be added to our mailing list, send your name and address to the Registrar at (show email address). Continue to Registration and Fees page Camp Flyer Designed by Catherine Lessard, Drawing Credit: Susan Arnsten-Russell, Picture Credit: Aileen Gildea-Pyne .