Home

Next up: Memorial Day Weekend
May 2012, Santa Cruz, CA (tentative)

Welcome to Camp Blues, the only Blues Dance event where you get to "camp-out" with leading instructors, elite and beginning dancers and emerge a transformed enthusiast of the dance rooted in African movement, the juke joints of the early 1900's, and the deeply-grounded pulse of blues music.

Have you ever tried learning a new language? It can be a difficult and intimidating process when you have to struggle through new words and concepts on your own. It's a lot easier when you do it through immersion, surrounded by the language all the time, picking it up in a fun, social, supportive context.

At Camp Blues, you learn the language of blues dancing in the best possible way: through total immersion in a friendly community of instructors, experienced dancers, and the newly curious.

Over the course of several days you will grow into your new role as a blues dancer. You will make connections and share experiences with dancers from different backgrounds and skill levels, study with world-class dance instructors, and enjoy practicing your new moves at nightly dance events.

For those new to the camp, this is going to be a journey that will completely change your life as a dancer. With activities scheduled from 9:00am until 1:00am each day (don't worry, late night activities are optional, so you can get your beauty sleep), Camp Blues is designed to build your confidence and mastery with blues dance, develop your connection to the community, and cultivate friendships that will last for years to come.

If you've been to Camp Blues before, WELCOME BACK! Now you have the opportunity to fine tune your skills and add layers of subtlety to your dancing. There will also be lots of new faces at Camp Blues this year, so in addition to reconnecting with your fellow dancers from the community, you will have the chance to greet and usher in developing dancers, eager to learn with you.

LEARN, PRACTICE, DANCE (YOUR HEART OUT)

One of Camp Blues most valuable offerings is the rock-solid instruction from a host of world-class instructors. Stay tuned for the latest instructor lineup.

Best of all, Camp Blues offers a 4:1 student-teacher ratio, which means you get daily individual attention. All the instructors share one unified vision: We meet you at your level and take you well beyond the next. Classes fit together seamlessly to give you a holistic sense of blues dancing in a number of different contexts. You'll learn:

blues style (what makes it blues)
musicality and rhythm
body control, solo movement, and isolations
lead/follow technique
dance vocabulary and styles
creativity
connection and various embraces
tone and relaxation
balance, core engagement, and leverage
how to have fun (seriously :)
presence, breath
aesthetics and visual appeal
pivots, turns, and lunges
body shaping
advanced partnering and improvisation

In addition to great instruction, the camp offers you plenty of time to learn from others and to practice techniques with dancers above and below your skill level. So the next time you go out into the dance world you will know exactly how to get the most out of every dance with every partner.

We'll show you how to comfortably and confidently ask fellow dancers for feedback and how to "listen" to their movements as the most powerful indicator of how to improve your dancing. We ensure that what you learn sinks in.

EAT, PLAY, PARTY (TILL YOU DROP)

Every morning you'll be treated to a deliciously prepared breakfast. Every afternoon you'll receive a nourishing lunch and snacks. We provide everything you need to sustain a full day of dancing and to enjoy the company of passionate people. And then... WE PARTY!

Did you think Camp Blues was only about classroom instruction and drills? We didn't forget to schedule in the most important part of the event - time to dance! One night, we'll have a group dinner then invite the Camp Blues alumni to join campers and instructors-turned-friends for an old-fashioned Blues House Party! It's the kind of party where everyone knows your name, and no one is left out.

On Friday, we will raid Friday Night Blues together and take no prisoners on the dance floor.

Other nights, we will choose between staying in for more private dancing, going out for live music, and hitting one of the many public Blues Dance venues.

Every night you get to show up, show off, and the best part... The slumber party!

RELAX, RECOUPERATE, AND REJUVINATE (TO DO IT ALL AGAIN)

We'll be asking the locals to host the out-of-towners so everyonecan get a chance to know one another outside of the classroom and off the dance floor. Come join the slumber party! There will also be 1-2 "quiet houses" if you'd like to be social in a more bite-size way.

You'll want to bring comfortable clothes (in layers) and shoes to dance in. For the evenings, bring clothes to go out dancing.

And if you have any special talents you'd like to share, come prepared and let the craziness begin! In the past we've had national-caliber talent in such wonderful and zany arts as balloon sculptors, clowns, singers, a bubble lady (I now know how the world looks from inside a soap bubble), and many more. We want to know who you are off the dance floor too.

MEET, MINGLE, CONNECT (FOR FRIENDSHIPS THAT LAST)

The number one thing we hear from people is that Beyond Blues events are a great place to meet new people. So if you're an up-and-coming dancer, this is the perfect opportunity to talk to experienced dancers and make new friends.

If you're a veteran, you'll reconnect with some of the most talented dancers in the Bay area! You'll also get to meet all the new recruits.

"I met all my goals: improve as a dancer, have fun, make friends. *Especially* appreciate effort put into building community here -- one does expect to improve dancing at a 3-day workshop, but that group love thing doesn't always happen! "