Fresno Famous

Every summer for the last 7 years, the Northern California Dance Collective (NCDC) has hosted its summer dance camp at Camp Hye Sierra, just 50 miles east of Fresno. About 200 dancing campers gather over the course of nine days to create a dance village in the Sierra foothills. NCDC has been hosting dance camps in California for almost 15 years, and the site at Camp Hye Sierra has become a favorite. With perfect summer weather—plenty of sun but not too hot (much sunnier and warmer than the previous site in Pescadero on the coast)—a lake, three dances floors (imported to the site), and trees all around, campers return year after year. People from all over California, and as far away as Holland, come to dance, connect, make new friends, visit with old friends, play music, and just relax.

Each year an energetic group of volunteer organizers (NCDC is a 501c3 organization with no paid staff) pull together a packed calendar of dance in many forms. This year the teachers' committee is including standards, such as 5Rhythms & Sweat Your Prayers, Contact Improvisation, African Dance, and Body Tales, along with new offerings, such as Dragon Dance, Body Choir, and Trapeze & Aerial Dance. Evenings boast high-energy boogies with deejayed music, community performances, and drumming by the fire.
NCDC's Dance Camp has also become increasingly family friendly. As the main organizers have aged and had their own children, there's been a blossoming of children of all ages. The Kids' Camp offers fun activities every day during class periods, so that the adults can enjoy the rich offerings, and kids can enjoy activities created especially for them.

Although dance camp is a stone's throw from Fresno, not many people come from the neighboring town. Dance camp is happening June 19-28, 2009 (please see the listing in the calendar), and Fresno folks would be very welcomed into the dancing tribe. For more information and on-line registration, go to www.ncdcdances.org.