CDS-Boston Centre's July 4th Session at Pinewoods Camp
July 2–July 6, 2020
Virtual J4
Friday–Saturday July 3–4
Since the summer has been canceled, we invite you to celebrate the passing of the July 4th Weekend virtually!
Check out the "Virtual J4" page of this website for the schedule and details about donating to support the J4 staff.
Be in touch on the J4 event on Facebook!
Check out the "Virtual J4" page of this website for the schedule and details about donating to support the J4 staff.
Be in touch on the J4 event on Facebook!
Pinewoods Camp is closed for the 2020 season.
Dear Pinewoods Community,
It is with sadness that Pinewoods Camp, along with our five program providers, Country Dance and Song Society, Country Dance Society-Boston Centre, Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, Folk Arts Center of New England, and the Folk Music Society of New York announce the cancellation of the 2020 summer season. Your health and well-being are of the utmost concern to us, and it is with that in mind that we all feel that it is safer to wait until next year to resume dancing and singing under the pines.
After careful deliberations by our entire board and looking at various scenarios including postponing the opening date, we have decided that the safest scenario is to close Camp for the season. Camp takes at least two weeks to open, and so any date we thought might be safe to open would need to be preceded by getting crew here two weeks earlier—when it wouldn’t be safe. In addition, the fact that our pastime is social dancing, which involves touching hands with everyone in the room, is a recipe for disaster. There are also economic considerations to consider, as even the partial opening of Camp requires a significant investment with the looming possibility that we would have to close a short time later, if we experienced any outbreak.
It is therefore time, dear Campers, to sit this dance out and come back stronger than ever in 2021.
Pinewoods Camp, Inc. Board of Directors
It is with sadness that Pinewoods Camp, along with our five program providers, Country Dance and Song Society, Country Dance Society-Boston Centre, Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, Folk Arts Center of New England, and the Folk Music Society of New York announce the cancellation of the 2020 summer season. Your health and well-being are of the utmost concern to us, and it is with that in mind that we all feel that it is safer to wait until next year to resume dancing and singing under the pines.
After careful deliberations by our entire board and looking at various scenarios including postponing the opening date, we have decided that the safest scenario is to close Camp for the season. Camp takes at least two weeks to open, and so any date we thought might be safe to open would need to be preceded by getting crew here two weeks earlier—when it wouldn’t be safe. In addition, the fact that our pastime is social dancing, which involves touching hands with everyone in the room, is a recipe for disaster. There are also economic considerations to consider, as even the partial opening of Camp requires a significant investment with the looming possibility that we would have to close a short time later, if we experienced any outbreak.
It is therefore time, dear Campers, to sit this dance out and come back stronger than ever in 2021.
Pinewoods Camp, Inc. Board of Directors
Dear CDS-Boston Centre’s July 4 Session at Pinewoods,
As you can see from the above message, Pinewoods Camp, Inc. has decided, along with their five program providers (including CDS-Boston Centre), to close Camp for the summer. Given the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, and all predictions for how long precautionary measures must be taken, we entirely support this decision. We are, of course, heartbroken. Speaking for ourselves, in some ways we both grew up at Pinewoods, and the idea of not returning to Camp this summer is like being kept away from home. We know that many of you feel the same way. The July 4 Session at Pinewoods is one of the most beautiful, fun, and rejuvenating weekends of the entire year, and this is a huge loss. We will be in touch with ideas about how we can all celebrate that weekend remotely, with all of its history and memories, when the time gets closer. In the meantime, stay at home, be in touch, and take care of yourselves.
Sincerely,
Amelia Mason and Natty Smith, Co-Chairs
CDS-Boston Centre’s July 4 Session at Pinewoods
As you can see from the above message, Pinewoods Camp, Inc. has decided, along with their five program providers (including CDS-Boston Centre), to close Camp for the summer. Given the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, and all predictions for how long precautionary measures must be taken, we entirely support this decision. We are, of course, heartbroken. Speaking for ourselves, in some ways we both grew up at Pinewoods, and the idea of not returning to Camp this summer is like being kept away from home. We know that many of you feel the same way. The July 4 Session at Pinewoods is one of the most beautiful, fun, and rejuvenating weekends of the entire year, and this is a huge loss. We will be in touch with ideas about how we can all celebrate that weekend remotely, with all of its history and memories, when the time gets closer. In the meantime, stay at home, be in touch, and take care of yourselves.
Sincerely,
Amelia Mason and Natty Smith, Co-Chairs
CDS-Boston Centre’s July 4 Session at Pinewoods
Great dancing, beautiful music, rejuvenating singing, brilliant tune swaps, exuberant parties—the Country Dance Society, Boston Centre's July 4th Session has it all. How do we cram so much fun, music, and dance into just one long weekend? Come and find out! One of Pinewoods' longest-running camp sessions, this event has been held, in some form, since the 1950s. Walking into J4 is like arriving at a never-ending party full of great friends you haven't met yet. The session celebrates both the depth of traditions and the exciting new possibilities in English and American music and dance.
Join us! The weekend will feature:
Teaching by:
Joanna Reiner
Dan Blim
Lisa Greenleaf
Ben Moss
Meg Ryan
Lily Kruskal Leahy
Jamie Beaton & John Mayberry
Miss Laura Sprung
Music by:
Alex Cumming
McKinley James
Aaron Marcus
Emily Troll
Stomp Rocket!
feat. Dave Langford, Glen Loper, & Bethany Waickman
Sound by Dereck Kalish
Learn more about our staff members on the Staff Page!
This year, July 4th Session at Pinewoods will include gender-free calling! We believe the weekend should be a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ dancers, and incorporating gender neutral dance terminology is an important step toward a more inclusive camp experience. Expect a mix of gender-free and traditional calling styles at J4, as well as space for a robust discussion of this growing trend in American social dancing. We look forward to your participation and feedback.
Join us! The weekend will feature:
Teaching by:
Joanna Reiner
Dan Blim
Lisa Greenleaf
Ben Moss
Meg Ryan
Lily Kruskal Leahy
Jamie Beaton & John Mayberry
Miss Laura Sprung
Music by:
Alex Cumming
McKinley James
Aaron Marcus
Emily Troll
Stomp Rocket!
feat. Dave Langford, Glen Loper, & Bethany Waickman
Sound by Dereck Kalish
Learn more about our staff members on the Staff Page!
This year, July 4th Session at Pinewoods will include gender-free calling! We believe the weekend should be a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ dancers, and incorporating gender neutral dance terminology is an important step toward a more inclusive camp experience. Expect a mix of gender-free and traditional calling styles at J4, as well as space for a robust discussion of this growing trend in American social dancing. We look forward to your participation and feedback.
The July 4 Session at Pinewoods Camp is a program provided by the Country Dance Society, Boston Centre (CDS-BC), an Anglo-American dance organization based in the Greater Boston Area.
The session is held at Pinewoods Camp, a traditional dance and music camp in Plymouth, Mass. that is owned and operated by the non-profit organization Pinewoods Camp, Inc (PCI).
For more info, contact the 2020 Co-Chairs, Amelia Mason & Natty Smith, at july4@cds-boston.org.
The session is held at Pinewoods Camp, a traditional dance and music camp in Plymouth, Mass. that is owned and operated by the non-profit organization Pinewoods Camp, Inc (PCI).
For more info, contact the 2020 Co-Chairs, Amelia Mason & Natty Smith, at july4@cds-boston.org.
Banner photo by Natty Smith.
