Summer dance camps are great! And, we offer financial support, both from CDR and from the national CDSS, for CDR members to attend summer dance and music camps aligned with our mission.
If you are a member, download and fill out a camp scholarship application form.
If you have any questions, contact the Scholarship Committee.
American Week 2025
by Sue DeFabbia
I feel extremely blessed and profoundly grateful to CDR and CDSS for the opportunity I was given to attend American Week at Pinewoods. The camp itself, a wooded property on two lakes in Plymouth, MA, provided me with a deep sense of calm and connection with nature. Against this backdrop, I reveled in the abundance of excellent music, fabulous dancing day and night, countless chances to establish and strengthen relationships, delicious food, and a palpable spirit of camaraderie. The experience was truly transcendent!
From the many choices of camp activities I opted for daily clogging and fusion classes. The instructors were knowledgeable and by the end of the week I had gained some real skills. I made sure to contradance every afternoon. During a one-off “hotshot” session I relearned how to juggle. Each day I carved out time to enjoy some solitude. I walked in the woods, swam, kayaked, showered, or just sat on my cabin porch doing the crossword puzzle. I appreciated being able to enjoy my time in whatever way met my needs. The evenings came alive with large, energetic contra dances followed by moonlight swims and socializing to the strains of jamming musicians. I fell into bed every night feeling utterly content and fortunate.
Before attending Pinewoods I had been told that it was “magical.” While I thought this a rather big statement, it did, indeed, prove true for me. Thank you to all the individuals who encouraged and enabled me to attend Pinewoods camp and experience this joyful magic!
Finding Our Rhythm at Pinewoods
by Bobbi Rossiter
We loaded up the car on July 12, 2025, ready to head off on a dance adventure. My two kids and I have been part of the Rochester Contra Dance community since Thanksgiving of 2023, and over time I kept hearing people talk about Pinewoods. It took a while for it to fully sink in what Pinewoods was—but after a six-hour drive, pulling up to the camp signs, I had a feeling we were finally going to “get it.”
From the moment we arrived, we were met with warmth. The welcome staff greeted us with smiles and handed us our required COVID tests. I truly appreciated that testing was built into the culture. My son prefers wearing masks, and I’m at higher risk for complications if I contract COVID, so this small detail made me feel instantly safer and more at ease.
While we waited for results, the kids and I took in our surroundings. Trees. So many trees. Tall, fragrant pine trees stretching in every direction. The name Pinewoods suddenly made perfect sense.
Our home for the week was Hunsdon House I, and we fell in love immediately. Three beds. Storage for all our things. And through the trees, a glimpse of a pond with sunlight filtering through—like something out of a storybook. We unpacked, grabbed our map, and set off to explore on our way to the dining hall for dinner.
We would walk that path many times over the week, but nothing matched the magic of that first trip. As we passed other bunkhouses, we heard singing, laughter, and joyful reunions. Nature hummed all around us. Campers greeted us like old friends. We walked dirt paths past covered pavilions with wooden floors, hooks for bags, and benches for tired legs. By the time we reached the dining hall and joined the line—after washing our hands, of course—we were already starting to feel like we belonged.
Then there was the food.
Every single meal was a hit, but that first dinner truly blew us away. With a vegetarian, a flexitarian, and an omnivore in our family, meals can sometimes feel like a logistical puzzle. At Pinewoods, it was effortless. Tomato-braised chicken, roasted potatoes, greens, Niçoise salad, vegan cheesecake, butternut squash chickpea salad, zucchini soup, kale salad, ciabatta, brownies—every dietary need met, every plate overflowing with options. The food quickly became part of our core Pinewoods memories.
Another thing we loved was that every camper had a job. We all contributed to the community. I was on dish duty after lunch and dinner, while the kids helped with chair setup for the evening gathering. These jobs became unexpected connection points, giving us a chance to bond with a smaller group of campers. Our dish crew found a rhythm, and I came to genuinely look forward to that time.
That first night felt like a deep, cleansing breath—the kind you take when you realize you can finally breathe clean air. We didn’t know the camp songs yet, but we were swept into a world where wholesomeness was celebrated, differences were honored, and belonging was the norm. You were welcomed simply for being you.
One of the most magical moments was watching the younger kids head off to bed—no FOMO-fueled meltdowns, just contentment. As the littles were sung off to their cabins with their parents, my heart swelled. It felt like witnessing a gentler way of being.
Family Week was a gift for parents. My kids got to safely stretch into independence, making their way back to our room each night while I stayed to dance late into the evening. Contra, then English. English, then Contra. Waltzes. Appalachian moves tossed in for good measure. Meanwhile, Rovers kept watch to make sure kids had support if they needed it. It was freedom with a safety net—and pure joy.
Our days flowed in beautifully structured blocks. Mornings brought two dance classes with snack breaks for kids. There were tracks for adults, kids, tweens, and teens, with older campers choosing their own adventures. I tried Appalachian and Morris Dance—two styles I had never even heard of before camp. They quickly became favorites.
After classes came community dancing, keeping the energy high with English and contra dances before lunch. The afternoons offered a buffet of possibilities: games, art, waterfront time, community band, nature walks, storytelling. Over the course of the week, we sampled a little of everything.
It’s amazing how time can stretch and compress all at once. On our final day, we had a costume parade complete with live music. The parade stopped at pavilions so campers could show off what they’d been learning all week. The pride on the kids’ faces was unforgettable. And the Morris Dance swords? Hands down, my favorite spectacle.
Looking back at our photos now, I’m struck by how much that single week gave us. When we started seeing regular traffic again after leaving camp, we felt a deep sadness. The magic was behind us.
Until next time.