YDW 2014

Youth Dance Weekend 2014 took place September 26-28, 2014 at Kinhaven Music School, Weston, VT.

Schedule

Friday

  • 4:00 Check-in opens
  • 6:30-7:30 Potluck dinner
  • 8-12 Welcome Dance: Contra, English, Waltz
  • Midnight - 2AM Techno Contra in the Dance Hall: Julie Vallimont and Ed Howe; snacks, singing, jamming, fireside hang in the Dining Hall

Saturday

  • 8:30-10 Breakfast
  • 9-10 Shape Note Singing in the Dining Hall
  • 10-11:30 Choose Your Own Adventure!
  • 11:30-12:30 English Dance
  • 12:30-1:30 Lunch
  • 1:00-2:00 Camper-Led Workshops
  • 2:00-4:00 Dance Session; Open Mic for callers and camper bands (mostly pre-registered but come talk to us!)
  • 4:00-5:30 Community Discussion
  • 6-7:30 Dinner
  • 8-12:30 Evening Dance: Contras \& English
  • 12:30 and on jamming, singing, snacks, hanging out, whatever…both the Dance Hall and Dining Hall are available

Sunday

  • 9-10:00 Breakfast; pack your bags, sweep out your cabin
  • 10:00-11:30 Slangpolska Workshop!
  • 11:30-1:30 Farewell Dance: A Little Bit o’ Everything
  • 2:00-3:00 Lunch
  • 3 PM you absolutely gotta leave now, see you next year!

Talent

2014 featured an outstanding lineup of callers and musicians.

Rachel Shapiro Wallace

Calling contras

Rachel Shapiro (IL) is a contra dance caller who strives to communicate the joy of dancing. Having discovered contra dancing in Boston, Rachel eventually realized her passion for calling after moving to Chicago. Since then she has called throughout the Midwest, Southeast, and New England. Rachel’s high-energy approach involves clear, concise walk-throughs, flexibility in teaching and programming, and working with the band to create that groove that dancers love.

Adina Gordon

Calling English

Adina Gordon (VT) finds an outlet for her loves of travel, music, dance and silliness by calling and dancing throughout the US and Canada. Combining a voice that makes you want to do what she says with a commitment to using that power for good and not evil, Adina calls contra, English and squares that cause spontaneous eruptions of joy on dance floors. Based in Burlington, VT, she has called dances in 37 US states spanning all six time zones, as well as 3 Canadian provinces and Israel.

Free Raisins

Playing for contras, English, and couples dancing

Free Raisins is Audrey Knuth (fiddle), Jeff Kaufman (mandolin, trumpet, feet), Amy Englesberg (piano, accordion). An energetic dance band from Boston, MA, the Free Raisins fuse New England roots with a modern groove.

Phoenix

Playing for contras, English, and couples dancing

Phoenix is Nora Smith (fiddle), Corey Walters (flute, mandolin), and Christopher Jacoby (guitar, mandolin). A trio of talented musicians with experience playing English country, contra, and Irish music.

Julie Vallimont and Ed Howe

Friday night techno contra and sound

A rare collaboration between techno contra pioneer Julie Vallimont of FireCloud (piano, sequencing) and live-looping master Ed Howe of Perpetual e-Motion (fiddle). They also provided sound for the weekend.

T-Shirt

YDW 2014 T-Shirt Design

The 2014 YDW t-shirt was printed on “vintage orange” Hanes Nano-Ts. The “fitted” style was a v-neck. Design features dancers under a tree with birds.

Charts & Graphs

Newcomers vs. Returnees

From the first year of YDW (2008), when 100% of attendees were newcomers, the newcomer percentage dropped steadily and leveled out around just over 40%. In 2014, for the first time, the lottery was adjusted to guarantee at least 40% newcomers.

Pay-What-You-Can

Since 2011, YDW has operated on a pay-what-you-can system where attendees choose any amount over the minimum. Each year the average payment has tracked within a couple dollars of the quoted at-cost price per person (which was $120 for several years, then raised to $130 in 2014). 2014 was the first year the average payment came in above the quoted cost per person — a milestone for the system.

The “below minimum” category includes attendees who paid nothing or a discounted price because they were hired staff (musicians, callers) or supervolunteers.

(Chart images from the original post are no longer available.)

Committee

Mog (Magdalen Zander), Sarah Pilzer, Max Newman, Mary Wesley, Alex Sturbaum, and Harris Lapiroff (new member, replacing Julia Nickles).

Pricing

  • Minimum: $105 (raised from $90)
  • At-cost: $130 (raised from ~$120; first year average payment exceeded quoted cost)
  • Sponsor ($170): covers one person at minimum
  • 2× Sponsor ($210)