Pinewoods

by Beth Birdsall

The annual Pinewoods Scottish dance camp proved a great success as always. 200 dancers of all ages poured into wooden cabins south of Plymouth, Massachusetts, for several days of dancing, music and fun. Held every year in mid-July and sponsored by the Boston Branch of the RSCDS, Pinewoods offers dancers the chance to come for a weekend, a week or both of Scottish dancing in an idyllic woodland setting. (The same camp also hosts a combined English-Scottish session, as well as several other folk dancing and music sessions.) Dancers stay in cabins without internet or phone lines, walk through woodland trails to get between classes and meals, and occasionally stand in line for the limited number of showers. Not exactly four-star amenities, but a great way to get away from the hurly-burly of everyday life and concentrate on the joy of dancing! We braved heat, humidity and mosquitoes, and enjoyed every minute. Pinewoods features three dance classes a day, as well as music classes and yoga. There's also plenty of free time to rest tired feet and socialize, or take a cooling dip in the ponds at either side of the camp. Every evening after dinner there is a social dance or a ball. Classes range from basic introductory levels to advanced technique, as well as teacher's choice. This year's RSCDS teachers were Linda Gaul, Martin Mulligan and Charlie Inglis, with Carolyn Buractaon and Jennifer Stephenson taking turns with Highland and Ladies' Step classes. They were all wonderful teachers. Boston's Tom Pixton was the music director, heading up an equally star-studded group of musicians who provided live music for every class and dance, along with frequent impromptu jam sessions that often lasted well into the night - what an experience! It wouldn't be a Scottish gathering without fun both on and off the dance floor, of course. This year's theme was “Movies”, and we celebrated it in style with costume parties based on Disney films, horror movies, historical period pieces and more. Where else might you see a grand march full of Disney princesses wending its way through the woods, or a reel of four filled with flappers; or an impromptu midnight rendition of the American line dance CottonEyed Joe followed shortly by McNab's Photographs of Pinewoods over the years by Don Cheetham and Meyers Billmers.

Bonnie Anne, both to equally impromptu live music? We enjoyed ceilidhs and the liveliest, most entertaining annual auction you'll ever see. We impressed the camp crew by getting up at 07:45 for breakfast - no mean feat when you've been playing board games until the wee hours after a full day's dancing. All late-night gatherings were contained, though, to allow the more sensible sleepers some peace and quiet. Alas, every vacation comes to an end. On the final morning of camp, everyone reluctantly packed up, bid farewell to friends old and new, and headed back to civilization. We were tired, footsore and utterly delighted to have been at Pinewoods. And, after all, there's always next year to look forward to!