Location

Deep in the Angeles Forest, under majestic trees, is Camp Sturtevant.   Established in 1893, it is the only camp from the Great Hiking Era still in operation in southern California's San Gabriel Mountains.   Surrounded by the largest virgin stand of Big Cone Spruce trees in the United States, Sturtevant's canyon setting provides a unique opportunity to experience wilderness, an historic location, and contra dance! The four-mile hike leads you up the lush, cool and shady Santa Anita Canyon to the cozy, inviting canyon setting of this beautiful camp setting.   Complete with bunk bed cabins, a bathhouse, and a dining and dance hall, with maple floor that has the natural spring of hundred-year-old horizontal pole framing.   It is an intimate location for 40 campers.   A pack train of burros hauls the food, creature comforts, and fuel up a trail that leaves roads, cars, crowds, disturbance, worry, and the bustle of LA miles away.   The quiet canyon setting provides perfect solitude.   The camp includes heated cabins, hot showers, a 30-foot tree swing, zip-trolley line, volleyball court, fireplaces, a warren of hiking trails, and the great outdoors for relaxing.   It is a place designed for weekend fun, fantastic traditional music and, of course, CONTRA DANCING!

The Avant Gardeners

A mixture of traditional and composed tunes has contributed to the delirium of dancers at countless dances and concerts from coast to coast.   Their range of performing styles from traditional swing, Celtic and old time and their facile improvisation on fiddle, piano, accordion, guitar, mandolin, and percussion have earned this group their reputation as one of the premier contra and swing-dance bands in the country.   Light has fiddled for dances and festivals for 30 years.   Her repertoire includes old-time & swing, New England, Scandinavian, Cape Breton, Quebecois and Irish, as well as her original compositions.   George Paul was born to play piano, having been exposed in to his mother's accordion and piano playing.   He has been influenced by jazz, blues, funk and country, with a sprinkling of Irish for good measure.   Jubal Creech became enamored by percussion at an early age.   Traveling in West Africa and Haiti, Jubal studied traditional rhythms and dances.   He has trained and taken many masters classes in the United States.   Along with performing and recording Jubal dedicates much of his time to educational programs in public schools and is an avid storyteller.  

Cis Hinkle

She has delighted contra and square dancers since 1985 with her skilled teaching, welcoming manner, playful enthusiasm, and masterful selection of dances.   She is in great demand at music and dance festivals all over the US, England, and Denmark, and is currently coordinator for Dance Week at the Augusta Heritage Workshops in Elkins, West Virginia.    When not on the road, Cis teaches t'ai chi classes in her native Atlanta, Georgia.  

The hike

We will meet at the trailhead no later than 2:00 PM on Friday to hike in together.   We plan on returning to the trailhead by 5:00PM Monday.  

Accommodations

Heated bunk bed cabins, with separate Men's and Women's restrooms & hot showers nearby.   An optional tent area is available.  

Meals

There will be nine nutritious, filling meals, prepared in modern kitchen facilities, provided as part of the weekend.   A variety of refreshments will be provided throughout the day.  

Pack train portage

The pack train of donkeys will be hauling our food, fuel, equipment and supplies.   For $1 a pound, 10 pounds maximum, they will haul personal effects round trip.   Items must be delivered at a drop off point (3 or 4 throughout the LA area) by Wednesday night (two days before).   Items will be returned the Friday following the camp (five days later).  

Registration

Early registration fee of $275 if postmarked by April 26^th 2010.   Regular registration of $300 after the 26^th if space allows.   Applications will be accepted as they are received.   Consideration will be given to gender balance.   Registration is not transferable.   Please download and print the registration flyer Camp Sturtevant Flyer and send it in along with your check to the California Dance Cooperative.  

Cancellations

If you cancel before April 26^th, 2010 a refund, less $50 cancellation fee, will be given, 50% after April A full refund may be available if a replacement dancer is registered and attends.  

Work Scholarships

A limited number of partial work scholarships are available.   Please contact Dan for more information.  

For more information

Browse the site menu on the upper left.

Contact Dan for camp and programming: dan@vilter.us 626.422.4364 or Lynn for housing and registration: lynn_ricketts@yahoo.com

For more information and history about Big Santa Anita Canyon including the pack station and Camp Sturtevant the canyon association web page is:

http://www.bigsantaanitacanyon.com/

http://www.sturtevantcamp.org/