Goodbye to Summer '09

Hello readers,

Here I am, writing to you from my house in Illinois, less than 24 hours after returning home from Ballibay. After a nice long sleep and spending some time with my family, I realized that I had to write just one more entry here because I never really got the chance to properly finalize my thoughts on this summer.

I don't know if it was partially because I directed "Peter Pan" for the last three weeks (one of the most fantastical musicals ever written) or partially because Ballibay seems to be such a transforming, life-changing place, but I really feel like the only word I can use to sum up this entire summer is magical.

As a staff member, I can assure you that yes, there were definitely stressful aspects of the summer -- especially during the 3-week session when my head was constantly full of thoughts like, "How am I going to teach the music, blocking, choreography and lines of a full-blown musical to 22 children in approximately 20 days while also making sure I keep a cabin of 10-year-olds happy and loving each other and camp?" But when those thoughts started swirling through my head, all I had to do was sit on the hill for a moment, breathe in the refreshing country air, and glance over at any of the activity areas to see campers doing something they loved -- be it acting, singing, dancing, horseback riding, drawing, painting, hula-hooping, gardening, cooking, jamming out on their instruments, or just holding hands with their camp-best-friend who they'll have to wait an entire year to see again. That is the only thing I ever needed to stop those thoughts and remind myself that Ballibay always has been and always will be about the journey.

The summer was magical for a thousand different reasons. Our new food program was a journey in and of itself and it ended up being a smash hit, as well as a way for campers to really engage themselves in an area of camp that never used to be hands-on. The intensive and Farm Arts sessions infused a great mix of campers who brought special skills and talents with them to camp, thus expanding the artistic knowledge of all Ballibay campers. And all the campers themselves, per usual, were phenomenal children -- smart, funny, talented, passionate, witty, loving, thoughtful, and just generally enjoyable to be with.

Is it too premature to say that I hope to be back at Ballibay next summer? I don't think so.

Thank you for reading this summer. Much Balli-love to you and your campers.

More next summer,
Elizabeth C. (EC)
Ballibay Blogger

p.s. In case you were wondering..."Peter Pan" turned out better than I could have ever dreamed. I literally sat backstage and sobbed for 50% of the time, and the other 50% was spent laughing my head off with a combination of pride and joy. Enjoy some pictures!

My two tiniest, but definitely fiercest pirates! Delanie as Noodler (L), and Hope as Cookson (R)

Grace K. as Peter Pan and Grace F. as Tinkerbell. What incredible talent.

How did we get here?

Hello readers!

Well, it's official: the last week of the summer at Camp Ballibay is upon us.  On Saturday, we said goodbye to the campers from Farm Arts 3 and Rock Intensive 2 -- a bittersweet feeling after ending their two week stay with an incredible art show and Band Night (check out this great picture of Sarah F.H.!)

However, the last week of camp doesn't mean that anything slows down around here -- quite the opposite actually!  We have jam-packed week, with a major show or performance every single night.  Our last week schedule is as follows, just so you can be kept up to date with what's going on here:

Monday: Tonight is our last-week comedy, "Just Desserts."  Tucker and his cast have been working tirelessly and I for one am excited to see it.  After typing up the program for the show this morning and looking at the cast list, it looks like it's going to be quite a crew of talented actors and actresses!

Tuesday: "Lord of the Flies" -- there is no way I'll miss this one, directed by Molly.  It's going to be on the Outdoor Platform and from what I hear, it's going to be unlike any other drama we've seen here before.  

Wednesday: The Ballibay Follies, complete with musical, dance, and instrumental pieces.  

Thursday: Another drama, this time set in a courtroom -- "The Night of January the 16th," directed by Andy.  

Friday: drum roll, please..."Peter Pan"!  I'm definitely more than a little bit partial to this one, because Mel and I have been working on it constantly for the past few weeks and I've been preparing since April to do this show!  Aside from the Follies, this is the only true musical production of the session and the campers in the production are really and truly engaged in making the show the best it can be.  I can't wait!

Doesn't it sound like we're going to have a great last week?  I think so!  

More soon,

Elizabeth C.

Ballibay Blogger

Catching up!

Hello readers,

I am so sorry that I haven't been able to write to you, but I promise there is a legitimate reason why I've been absent: I've been struck with a Balli-bug, of the stomach variety, and I'm just now getting over it.  I'm sorry!  I'm going to get you all caught up, though!

Wednesday night: The Festival of One Acts!  Honestly, I think it was the hardest I've laughed at any show so far this session.  Tucker's "An Evening with Shel Silverstein" was composed of small skits that were just delightful, and Laura's "Murder Most Fowl" had the entire audience giggling straight through at Michaela M., Jake S. and the rest of the cast's hillbilly hilarity.

Thursday night: Music and Dance Showcase -- we got to watch campers perform excerpts from what they're working on in their instrumental and dance lessons.

Tonight, the last night before closing day of Farm Arts 3 and Rock Intensive, is Band Night.  It's a full night of real rock-n-roll, and I love watching and listening to it because it's a chance to see the Rock Intensive campers (as well as plenty of rock-oriented Ballibay campers!) do their thing.  Is it too vague to say that they just rock out?  Because that's the best possible way to explain it.  I'll definitely get some pictures of them up tomorrow so you can see what I mean, but I'm sure it's going to be a truly awesome show, just as it was during the last Rock Intensive session!

Thanks for being understanding, readers -- now that I'm feeling a little better, I should be back on board for the rest of the session (despite my constant mourning at how rapidly it's all moving!).

More soon,

Elizabeth C.

Ballibay Blogger

Reason #2,981 to love Ballibay

Hello readers,

There are so many wonderful aspects of Ballibay, many of which I've written about here in past entries, many which I will continue to share, and some which are indescribable unless you're here, at camp, in the moment. But undeniably, the best part about Camp Ballibay is happy people. What can compare to walk around, anywhere on the entire campus, and seeing people smiling and laughing without holding back? Whenever I think back to my blissful days as a Ballibay camper and place them alongside the good times I've experienced working here for two years, I think of lyrics from the musical "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown":

Happiness is singing together when day is through,
and happiness is those who sing with you.
Happiness is morning and evening, daytime and nighttime too.
For happiness is anyone and anything at all,
that's loved by you.

Did they mean to write those lyrics about Camp Ballibay, or is it just a coincidence?

More soon,
Elizabeth C.
Ballibay Blogger

Time is a-flyin'!

Hello readers,

I just can't understand it -- I really can't. Somehow, we are in our second week of second session. In less than two weeks, Ballibay will be over for the summer and campers and counselors will be back home. I've been at camp for six weeks, and some staff members have been here for longer than that, but I honestly don't feel as though it's been longer than a few days.


Ballibay -- and I mean this in a positive way (let me explain!) -- has something very time warp-ish about it. Campers enter Ballibay at the beginning of the session and before anyone has time to blink, the session is over and they're saying tearful goodbyes as they climb into cars or planes or busses to head back home. When they're at Ballibay, campers don't necessarily stop to think about the fact that they've learned how to trot on a horse for the first time and make a coil pot in the ceramics studio and tried amaranth porridge in the dining hall for the first time and performed in the musical and toasted the perfect marshmallow at campout, but somehow at the end of the summer all of that has been accomplished. Often the first things parents remark when they see their campers on visiting is, "You're so tall! You've grown so much." And indeed, when you see your campers at the end of this session, they will look taller, but trust me...they've grown in more ways than one.


More soon,
Elizabeth C.
Ballibay Blogger

"My House Was Collapsing Toward One Side"

Hello readers,

Happy Sunday! We just finished our first intense Sunday cleaning of the session and my-oh-my does it feel nice to have a clean cabin!

I wanted to let you all know that Friday night was our script-in-hand reading, "My House Was Collapsing Toward One Side," a post-modern play by Charles Mee. I know that I'm partial to the cast (I did direct it, after all!), but the show was, in a word, incredible. The play, which is quite conceptual and non-concrete, is loosely based off of memoirs of Hiroshima survivors, broken up into small monologues and dialogues. The actors performed with "Adagio for Strings" by Samuel Barber playing in the background and it set an atmosphere that I had not yet seen in the Ballibay Theater once this session. It truly was a moving piece of theater. As a director, I felt proud of the entire cast, and especially for a few performers who had never been in a play before...ever.

After the show was over, one of the cast members, Kayla H., came up to me and said, "I've never had an appreciation for theater before. Thank you for helping me 'get' it." All I could say in response was, "Thank you, Kayla."

More soon,

Elizabeth C.

Ballibay Blogger

The story of my 6:45 p.m. "crowing lesson"

Hello readers!

I just experienced one of the best evening activity periods I've had in a long time and I can't wait to share the story of it with you!

Earlier today, during "Peter Pan" rehearsal, the camper playing the title role, Grace K., came up to me and asked if I could help teach her to crow.  If you're not familiar with the musical, Peter Pan often crows when he is proud of himself or the Lost Boys, or as a greeting to those he sees as he flies around Neverland.  Needless to say, there is a bit of crowing involved in the show, and Grace thought she needed work on it (even though she's already a fantastic Peter!), so during evening announcements, I called her for a crowing lesson at the Outdoor Platform.  It was cause for a few confused looks from other campers, but Grace didn't seem to mind!

At 6:45 p.m., we met at the Platform, with my show's assistant stage manager, Mara J.  For a few minutes, we practiced crowing -- a cool thing to do when you're out in the wilderness, I'll have you know!  After we had crowed for a while, we started working on some of Peter's monologues or asides with the audience, including the most famous monologue of the show where Tinkerbell nobly drinks Peter's poisoned medicine to save his life.  It's one of my all-time favorite parts of any show I've seen, ever.  

Back to the Platform: I was sitting about a foot away from Grace as she spoke through the monologue over and over, working on both characterization and memorization.  Both Mara and I were 100% engaged in Grace's incredible performance, and the last time I had her read it, I was almost crying from the start of the monologue...

...and then we got to the point in the script where Peter Pan walks as far downstage as possible and, breaking the fourth wall, pleads with the audience to clap their hands to prove that they do believe in fairies.  As Grace recited the lines through her near-tears, people started clapping!  I turned around and a large group of campers and counselors was sitting behind me, clapping their Balli-hearts out.  Mara and I joined in, and what began as a crowing lesson turned into a performance with a standing ovation.

I don't know how else to explain the moment except for...perfect.  

More soon,

Elizabeth C. 

Ballibay Blogger

Off to a smashing (if not rainy) start!

Hello readers,

We're already half-way through the first week of this session!  I can't believe how quickly time moves at Ballibay.  The past two days have been quite rainy and muggy -- not the good, sunny weather we typically hope for, but the campers seem to be making the best of it.  As I write this from the office, I can see campers gathering around the computers to write emails home (hopefully to you!) and beginning to head up the hill now that the rain is finally tapering off. 

Tonight, we're going to have what we call "Jam Night."  In case you're not familiar with this Balli-term, it refers to a night-time activity where  campers get to select an art medium in which to "jam."  For example, tonight's jam area options include:

• theater jam
• art jam
• music/rock n' roll jam
• dance jam
• drum circle jam
• kitchen jam

They all sound cool to me!  I'm looking forward to hearing about what kind of projects the campers work on, what kinds of theater games they play, and how the drum circle pans out...the choices make me wish I was a camper again!  

On an unrelated note, today I had a conversation with a camper in my cabin, G2, as we walked down to the dining hall together for dinner.  Out of the blue, she turned to me and said, "I just love Ballibay so much!  All I want to do is theater and singing and dancing all day, and I can't believe I'm only here for a few weeks.  How am I going to get it all done?  I guess next year I'll have to come back for seven weeks!"  That's the kind of Ballibay spunk and enthusiasm that just puts a smile on my face every day. 

More soon,

Elizabeth C.

Ballibay Blogger

Hello second session!

Hello readers!

Welcome to second session, and a special welcome to new readers who are joining our community for the next three weeks!  We are now on our first non-orientation day of camp -- rehearsals, lessons, and projects are underway and so far everything seems to be running like clockwork.

This session, I'm directing two shows -- another script-in-hand production (a more serious piece this time), and the last-week musical, "Peter Pan."  Today's rehearsals were so productive...much more than I anticipated!  My campers and I read through both scripts and already I'm amazed at how fast the campers pick up on direction and how eager they are to work on character development.  I can't wait to see what they do with their parts and songs...I'll keep you updated on the status of the Pirates, Indians, and Lost Boys, for my part!  

Tonight will be our first production of the session: the Staff Cabaret.  I'm looking forward to seeing staff performances, especially those who didn't get a chance to perform last session or who are new to the Ballibay community.  

I haven't used my camera much in the past few days, but I'm going to starting tomorrow, so be prepared for picture-updates, as well!

More soon,

Elizabeth C.

Ballibay Blogger

So long, so long, and onto the next one...

Hello readers,

Well, it's official: first session has ended.  I cannot believe it.  Only now, after almost all of the campers have left (except those staying seven weeks, who are all up at the Ballibay Theater for a movie night as I type this), can has it really begun to settle in that the first four weeks are over.  It's sad, it's bittersweet, and it's hard to say goodbye, but I can personally say that -- from the eyes of this camp blogger -- this session was a time of amazing growth, and growth that encompassed every single camper.

Just as a quick review, here are some of the highlights from Camp Ballibay, first session:

• Camper-wise, numbers were high, including a few weeks where we were at full capacity.  However, Ballibay continued to retain a feeling of small community, and even with well over 100 children, I still knew all of the campers names!  It's a miracle!
• We spent two weeks with the Dance and Rock Intensive campers, forming new friendships and getting to witness the phenomenal Dance Concert and Band Night.
• 3 Camper Cabarets, 2 Jam Nights, 2 Bonfires, a script-in-hand Shel Silverstein show (near and dear to my heart, always), performance art, a D.J. dance, a solo & duet cafe, the Festival of One Acts, a dance showcase, "Two Gentleman of Verona," the Ballibay Follies, the David Ives Medley, and two nights of "Beauty and the Beast."  
• Delicious new dishes, home-cooked, locally produced and bought, all part of Ballibay joining a food revolution (including my all-time favorite meal...the shrimp boil!  I'm still all about the shrimp boil!)

Phew!  Can you believe all of that happened in just a month?  Somehow, it did.  Again readers -- and specifically first session readers -- thank you for giving your campers the chance to come to Ballibay and experience all of the many gifts this camp has to offer.  

Signing off for a bit (don't worry, I'll be back next session!),

Elizabeth C.

Ballibay Blogger

p.s. Sorry this is so late -- second session has JUST begun and the first few days are always madness.  I should be back to you tomorrow night!

More great performances

Hello readers,

I'm about an hour away from heading over to the Outdoor Platform to help house manage for "David Ives Medley," the big comedy for this session.  As you know, I love outdoor shows, and I'm looking forward to having a giggle or two -- it'll be a good reliever from the end-of-session stress that seems to be piling up.

Last night, I was backstage assisting during The Ballibay Follies.  During the show, I found myself really reminiscing about my days as a camper here -- some parts of the show were very much like the music and dance revues I used to be in every summer...some of the songs were the same ones I sang years ago!  It was so special to watch the performers put new twists on the songs, and the combination of reminiscing and enjoying a fantastic show made for a great evening.  I still haven't been able to stop humming, "Skid Row"!

I can't believe how fast this week -- not to mention this session -- is flying by.  I can't believe there are only a few days left with this group of campers!  Personally, I'm going to continue to relish them.

More soon,

Elizabeth C.

Ballibay Blogger

 

Last week jitters begin!

Hello readers,

We're about half-way through our last week of first session and it is starting to get a little crazy in these here parts!  Every day is crammed full of rehearsals and last-minute preparations for the productions occurring each night of the upcoming week.  We kicked off the last-week shows with the Shakespeare production last night, "Two Gentlemen of Verona," and tonight will be the Ballibay Follies.  All of the last-week shows are shaping up to be fabulous productions, and I'll keep you as updated as possible, beginning with a little review of last night's Shakespeare!

As a precursor, you should know that I was in a few Shakespeare productions during my time at

Ballibay -- I think I played some sort of servant in "Macbeth," and I played Thisbe in scenes from "A Midsummer Night's Dream," but never had to memorize more than a page or two at most.  Works of the Bard -- which I love to read and study in class -- has never been my forte.  Last night, sitting in the audience of the show at the Outdoor Platform (which, just so you know, is my absolute favorite performance space on campus...something about open-air theater just strikes a chord in me!), I tried to remember any of the lines I'd said in Shakespeare plays I'd been in ...and I couldn't.  It's so challenging!  The show started, and five minutes in I was completely enthralled.  One of the girls in my cabin, Maya P., was playing Julia, one of the gentlemen's love affairs.  She was a main character, knew all of her lines in Shakespearean English, which might as well be Greek, and she's only 13 years old!  Two of my other girls were in the show, as well, and their parts went on without a hitch.  As I watched the show, I couldn't believe how well the actors knew their lines, or -- if they flubbed -- how smoothly they could save the moment.  Sometimes I feel like I miss the jokes in Shakespearean comedies because I don't understand what's going on, but the actors understood the script so well, that they were able to fully communicate it to the audience and not a joke was missed!

Completely unrelated: one of the best things about Ballibay kids is that they're just so darn cute!  See picture below!

More soon,

Elizabeth C. 

Ballibay Blogger

Sorry for the delay!

Hello readers!

As the title of this post reads...sorry that I missed a day!  I have been so busy!  It has just been crazy around Ballibay as we bid farewell to the Rock and Dance Intensive campers -- a lot of tearful, but happy goodbyes within my cabin.  Right before my last Dance Intensive camper, Sara G., left, she slipped a note into my hand and asked me to read it to all the girls left in the cabin after she was gone.  It was addressed to me, as well, so I took a quick peek at it (sorry, Sara!) and found myself in happy tears within moments.  The gist of the note was Sara thanking her cabinmates and counselors for making her feel so welcome.  She'd never been to sleep away camp before, she explained in the note, and she had been scared to live in a cabin with girls she didn't know.  But as soon as she got to Ballibay, she realized that there was nothing to be scared of -- she felt welcomed with open arms.  She ended the note with a promise to return next summer.  

There's a good message in that note.  The way that Sara G. felt upon leaving Ballibay is the same way I felt my first summer...that "I can't believe this incredible experience I just had, and how fast it went, and how much I want to go back already."  I continue to feel that way, ten years later.

More soon!

Elizabeth C.

Ballibay Blogger

The beginning of the end (but only sort of!)

Hello readers,

We have two major events happening in the next two nights here at Camp Ballibay: tonight is Band Night, and tomorrow night is the Dance Concert, both signaling the end of the Rock and Dance Intensive sessions. As a counselor in a cabin with four campers falling into the previously named categories, I am definitely having my emotional heartstrings tugged as this week draws to a close. I'm just not ready to say goodbye, and neither are the campers who will still be here one more week (or for the rest of the summer!) For example: right before the Intensive campers arrived in my cabin, I wondered how close the girls in my cabin could get with each other. But I have to be honest with you...I totally underestimated (or maybe just forgot!) the manner in which 12 and 13-year old girls bond and form friendships. In the words of Maya P., the next two days are going to be "heartbreaking," because she just doesn't want to have to say goodbye. They've already exchanged email contact, phone numbers, and home addresses and posed for countless pictures together, but it doesn't make it any easier.

The upside to all of this? Every single one of them is already planning out cabin requests and bed arrangements for when they come back and live in a cabin together next summer, in addition to reminders of, "Bring that sweater back next summer! I totally want to borrow it!" or "Let's take guitar lessons together next summer! We can play at the bonfire!"

Amidst the melancholy moments as Ballibay prepares to bid farewell to the Rock and Dance Intensive campers, we're still finding some spots of sunshine. More to come after Band Night and the Dance Concert!

Elizabeth C.
Ballibay Blogger

Midweek musings

Hello readers!

Once again, I have quite a lot to share with you! Last night was The Dance Showcase, which has always been one of my favorite Ballibay productions, as long as I've been here. It differs from dance concerts or The Follies because the Showcase focuses on excerpts and exercises from class work, rather than fully choreographed pieces. It encompasses all styles and levels of dancers, giving virtually every student taking dance classes a chance to perform and share what they've been learning.

At my meal table earlier in the day, Erika L. was nervous about the Showcase; she had been wavering back and forth trying decide whether or not to participate, primarily because she also wanted to try doing video for the show. Additionally, she explained to me, she had only tried flamenco a few times and was nervous she'd "mess it up." Well, thank goodness for Karlie K. who leaned across the table and said, "There's no messing up at Ballibay! The point is just to give it all a try!" What wise words!

Zipi, Erika, and Karlie

All of the performers in The Dance Showcase did an outstanding job and the show ran smoothly. I'm proud to report that I sat backstage and watched Erika perform her flamenco dance and jog back to her camera to finish filming the rest of the Showcase. And Karlie, who performed in almost every other piece, proved her theory: Ballibay is about giving it all a try if you want to.

Flamenco girls before the Showcase!

More soon!
Elizabeth C.
Ballibay Blogger

Radio-heads!

Hello readers!

Yes, indeed, I spent my morning as a radio-head (and I'm not talking about Thom Yorke...although that would have been equally cool!).  Today I co-hosted a morning radio show with four girls from G1, G2, and G3!  This meant, however, waking up a half hour before I usually do (it may not sound like a lot, but on a counselor time frame, every moment of sleep is precious), and making my way over to the radio room by 7:15.  Now, as a pre-cursor you should know that I never really got involved with the radio program when I was a camper here -- although I always wanted to, I just could never squeeze it in!  I think I may have done a show once or twice with a friend at the beginning of my Balli-career, but the memories are fuzzy because my first summer here was ten years ago.  Therefore, ridiculous as it sounds, I was a little bit nervous to make my real radio debut.  I'm proud to report that it was...

a huge success!

A major upside of being a counselor at Ballibay is the option to dabble in a few new areas of interest in your free time, and I think co-hosting the morning radio show definitely falls into that category.  Alongside the campers, I learned how to properly wear the microphone and headphones, giggled along with the girls as they danced to the crazy music we played, and chatted with them about the high adorable-factor of the many kittens we have pouncing around campus.  The campers didn't miss a beat and kept up the chit-chat for 45 minutes, although the entire experience was so fun, we probably could have gone for another hour.  I hope I get to co-host again before the end of the summer!  

In unrelated news, we've passed the half-way point for first session, and I can't believe there are less than two weeks left with this group of campers.  I realize that I tell you this on a regular basis, but they are just incredible people -- so smart and funny and talented -- and such a perfect blend.  It's too soon to get blue about their departure, so I'm just going to continue enjoying their presence here!

More soon,

Elizabeth C.

Ballibay Blogger

Just a thought

Hello readers!

I know that I'm constantly sharing my thoughts with you (hey, it's my job!), but here is a special one I think will make you smile!

Emily and Paula

So, for the past few days, I haven't gotten to spend too much time with my G5 cabin girls; some mornings I help out in the kitchen before breakfast and my co-counselor feeds the horses, so they've been woken up and walked down by counselors from the cabin next door, and I had a night off leading into yesterday as my day off so I just didn't see too much of the girls. This morning, as we were getting ready for the day, one of my girls, Memory, turned to me and said, "I missed you."

"Yeah, I missed you guys, too! Nothing like waking ten girls up at the crack of dawn to get ten showers started and then have ten of you straighten each other's hair!" I joked back. Putting down her hairbrush for a second, Memory turned back to me and said, "I never even thought of all that! Thank you for everything," and continued brushing her hair.

Well, let me tell you...hearing something as sweet as that determined my positive mood for the rest of the day. It isn't always easy living with ten girls who are 12 and 13-years-old, but it is definitely worth it. They are fun, happy, they make me and each other smile and laugh, and I couldn't ask for better campers -- and I know I'm not the only counselor who feels this way!

Memory and Morgan

More soon,
Elizabeth C.
Ballibay Blogger

Beautiful day

Hello readers!

First of all, I just wanted to extend a welcome to any readers joining us during the Farm Arts 2 session. Ten new campers moved in today and are being oriented as I write this. Just like the beginning of the rock and dance intensives, it's nice to see some new faces around camp and observe each camper's process of settling in.

This morning was Cleaning Day, as all Sunday mornings are here at Ballibay. When I was a camper here for the first time and heard about cleaning day, I panicked! How could I, as a puny 11-year-old, clean the entire shower and make it really squeaky clean? Well, I can assure you that even the youngest of campers do a bang-up job cleaning their cabins and, as one of my G5-ers said to me today, "it's actually really fun! We put on music and dance around with our brooms and mops and...I like it!"

Tonight is going to be our second Camper Cabaret, and I'm not house managing, so that means I'll be sitting in the audience, taking some pictures and getting ready to write to you about the performance!


Until next time,

Elizabeth C.
Ballibay Blogger

Catch-up time

Hello readers,

I am so sorry that I didn't have more of an update for you yesterday.  I sat down, wrote my blog, and then stepped out of the office for about 5 minutes and someone had moved away from the page.  The entry was gone!  I left you those fun shrimp boil pictures, but I know it wasn't much of an update.  I'll try to get you all caught up now. 

The last two nights we've had our Festival of One Acts, including the shows "Love," and "Hate," written and directed in collaboration by counselors Molly, Laura, and their casts.  As house manager, I always get the unique view of how both the actors and the crew are functioning and once again it was quite special to see the hard work done by every member of the production.  The bows of the show were set to the tune "All You Need is Love" by The Beatles, and even though we always use proper theater etiquette at Ballibay, almost all of the audience was humming along or singing quietly on the chorus.  It was, to say the least, a touching moment.  It almost makes me wish that I had a video camera attached to me at all times so you'd never have to miss any of the incredible things that happen here on a daily basis!

Additionally, today we're saying farewell to our Farm Arts 1 campers.  They've been a joy to work with, play with, and watch grow.  They will be missed at Ballibay, but we hope to see them back next summer.  As always, thank you parents, friends, and any other readers for sharing your fantastic children with Ballibay!

More soon,

Elizabeth C.

Ballibay Blogger

Pictures, as promised!

Hello readers!

Remember those shrimp boil pictures I told you about?  Here they are!

Look at all those happy faces!

That's Mihoko on the left, enjoying a delicious dinner, and me on the right (in case you were jonesin' to see what I look like!)

Happy Birthday, John!

Good ol' fashioned shrimp boil, PLUS: DJ Dance!

Hello readers,

I wish you all could have been at our incredible celebration last night!  Partly because we were celebrating John's birthday and partly because Ballibay-ers are just a fan of festive occasions, we threw one of the biggest dinner parties I can remember ever having here!  

During the day, campers and staff members decorated the dining halls with balloons on every person's chair, and prepped the dinner tables with newspapers for the upcoming meal.  When campers and staff arrived at dinner, they were informed that the meal was a real shrimp boil, 

complete with corn, sausage, potatoes, and cornbread and strawberry salad on the side.  The entire meal was doled out in family-style portions on the tables...directly on the newspaper!  For many (including me!), this was a "first," but in my opinion, it was one of the most exciting and fun meals I've ever eaten at Ballibay!  For dessert, everyone enjoyed a lemon birthday cake (with a rousing version of "Happy Birthday"...the loudest one ever!)

The dining hall did get a teeny bit loud, but as I looked around, campers were just elated.  All we needed was some Cajun music and we would have been a snapshot straight out of a bayou cookout.  Pictures will be added ASAP because this is one event I wish you could have all witnessed!

P.S. On Tuesday night, we had our DJ Dance.  Everyone there was red-carpet-worthy!

More soon,

Elizabeth C. 

Ballibay Blogger

Gray skies are gonna clear up? (the answer is yes!)

Hello readers,

This morning I woke up very early -- around 5 a.m. -- to the sound of pouring rain, and thought, "Oh no, how am I going to stay cheerful and peppy and enthusiastic with all this rain?"  Honestly, it's kind of tough to do so with the weather we've been having at Ballibay.  Almost every day we've had a combination of thunderstorms and bright sunshine, often alternating between the two extremes over and over.  Somehow I mustered the energy to get up and shower, and wake up my wonderful campers in G5, and get the day started.  

I'll be honest, at first it wasn't easy.  But then I got to breakfast, where I sit with some of the most energetic kids here (some of the girlies from G1) and they perked me right up.  By the time breakfast was over, the sun was shining and I can say with no hesitation that my whole day was just...better.  There's something special about Ballibay campers; they possess the ability to brighten days just by the way they speak and act, or even just by the smile they give you across the dining hall.  Every single one of them is one of a kind.

Some G5 girls

The sun finally came out!

Elizabeth C.

Camp Blogger

We're Balli-busy

Hello readers,

As the dance and rock intensives got thoroughly underway today, Ballibay campers were busy!  Some of them were totally booked, including a camper at my meal table who had this schedule:

9:00-9:30 Art Barn activity

9:30-10:00 Swimming

10:00-10:30 Violin lesson

10:30-11:00 Snack

11:00-11:30 Voice lesson

11:30-12:00 Dance 

Phew!  But somehow, kids at Ballibay just get it all done.  They're genuinely interested in all those areas (and more!), they want to give it all a try, and they do.  Even as a former camper who spent six summers operating on that kind of a schedule, it's still amazing to watch Ballibay-ers jet off to their respective activities, at times and locations that change daily.  How do they do it all!?

On another quick note, we had our first Camper Cabaret last night.  It was phenomenal!

Opening Day: Dance & Rock Intensives

Hello readers,

Today we are welcoming approximately 50 dance and rock intensive campers to the Ballibay community! It is opening day for both sessions, and it is wonderful to see so many new faces around campus. Even though the first day of the intensives hasn't truly kicked off (campers still need to have their orientations), I've already witnessed a moment that truly pinpoints the essence of Ballibay campers. Less than half an hour after checking in, a new camp parent walked back into the office to say goodbye and informed me that her daughter had already been whisked away by a fellow camper and had found a group of friends for the rest of the afternoon. Smiling, the parent said, "Every single person is just so friendly! My daughter already feels right at home."

As a former camper, I can second that statement 100 percent. Ballibay always felt like a second home to me -- coming back each summer felt like coming home again. Campers who have been here one or two or ten summers seem to universally understand this concept and go out of their way to make each new camper feel just as welcome as they have felt during their time here. As I check in both new and returning campers arriving today, it is comforting to see Ballibay-ers extending a welcoming hand.

Elizabeth C.

Ballibay Blogger

Weave me the sunshine!

Hello readers!

Last night, I was standing backstage in the Ballibay theater, watching the lights shine on the animated faces of the 16 performers -- my wonderful cast -- as they walked onto the stage to begin a script-in-hand production of "where the sidewalk...begins" (a compilation of Shel Silverstein poetry and stories).  Before the show began, we fought the battle of ripped costumes, lost hairbrushes, missing scripts, and (totally justifiable) stage fright.  However, 25 minutes later, as the beaming children took their bows, I found myself backstage, tears streaming down my face.  I've done a lot of wonderful things 

in my life so far: visited foreign countries, gotten into the college of my choice with a full scholarship, and learned how to play musical instruments, but in my opinion there is no one thing that has ever brought me more pride than watching children perform at Camp Ballibay.

  When the youngest member of my cast (6 years old!) ran off stage and said, "I'm so proud of myself!  I did it!" the tears really started flowing.  Readers, you have amazing children who do amazing things on and off the stage.  Words cannot describe what a pleasure they are to work with.  The cast of "where the sidewalk...begins," the first campers to appear on the stage of the Ballibay Theater this summer, wowed us all last night!

More soon!

Elizabeth C.

Camp Blogger