Reason #503 Why I Love Camp Ballibay

Hello readers,

Growth is a big deal here at Ballibay. When parents pick campers up at the end of a session, I can't even tell you how many, "You must have grown half a foot"-like statements I hear. While most campers do grow a little taller during camp, they grow in so many more ways than that. And every once in a while, I come across a camper whose growth at Ballibay is just so remarkable that I have to share it. This is one of those stories.

Olivia F. is a second-year camper here, and in addition, she's a 7-weeker, meaning she is here for the entire Ballibay season, from start to finish. During the first 4-week session, Olivia opted not to do any theater, choosing instead to focus on tech theater and a bit of rock 'n roll. Out of curiosity, I asked Olivia (who had been in one of my plays last summer) why she chose not to do theater. "I don't know, I guess I just don't feel like it. It seems like a big commitment."

Well, let me tell you...Olivia has decided to make the commitment this session. After taking 4 weeks of voice lessons with Mihoko Y., one of our wonderful vocal instructors, Olivia showed up to both her acting and her singing auditions prepared and ready to go. "You're not going to believe this, but Olivia wants to do musical theater," I was informed at auditions. Honestly, it was easy for me to believe it because her auditions were phenomenal. Not only did she audition with an interest in musical theater, but she did so well that I cast her in "The Wiz" as the character Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North. Not only does this part mean she has a cast of 7 Munchkins following her everywhere, but it also means a solo song and two large scenes in the show. In her first big musical production ever, Olivia is thriving. Just last night, she approached me and asked me if I would call her during evening activities to work on developing her character. Incredible!

Olivia F. is the definition of the kind of growth that makes me want to return as a staff member here year after year. She is the kind of camper that inspires and motivates me to make every day a day of growth.

More soon,
Elizabeth C.
Ballibay Blogger

p.s. Just as an added bonus, here is Olivia singing at our Cafe this past week! Sorry that the camera wasn't steady...I tried!

Week 1, half-way through?

Hello readers!

Welcome to a Wednesday afternoon at Camp Ballibay! As I stated in my last post, everyone is keeping quite busy, making their way from rehearsal to rehearsal, to band practice, then to a silk-screening lesson, and then back to another rehearsal.

Anyway, as I promised, I brought my camera along to the Staff Cabaret last night to document the wonderful evening. I thought I'd include some pictures of the night, but then I realized that I had taken a video of my favorite act of the evening. Listen to it below, please, because the re-written original lyrics (created by Molly M. and Jesse M.)

More soon!
Elizabeth C.
Ballibay Blogger

Can't you feel a brand new session?

Before anything else, look how adorable Mihoko and the goats/sheep are!

Hello readers!

Welcome to the beginning of Ballibay 2nd Session/Rock Intensive III/Farm Arts III! As I type this, our first full day of non-orientation activities is coming to a close. It has been quite the busy day as campers adjust to new cabins, new schedules, and new rehearsals. Today was also the first day of rehearsals for the 2 shows I'm directing this session: "Free to Be...You and Me" (a script-in-hand version), and "The Wiz" (the last musical of the summer!) I've got to tell you -- so far, so good!

Our activity this evening is this session's Staff Cabaret. Unfortunately, I'm not able to sing in the show as I had planned because I'm pretty vocally exhausted from all the singing we did in "Seussical" last session, but the entire campus has been abuzz with excitement for the show. I always remember how eager I was to see my own counselors perform in the Cabarets when I was a camper, and I've seen the same looks on the faces of campers all summer when the Staff Cabaret is approaching. For campers, getting to watch their guitar teacher, voice instructor, or theater director perform on-stage is elating...and I have the same kind of excitement to see my fellow staff members perform!

Here's to a great show this evening -- the first of 2nd session!

More soon,
Elizabeth C.
Ballibay Blogger

Oh the thinks we thought!

Hello readers!

Well, you heard it here first: "Seussical: the Musical" was...a great success! Of course, per usual, I'm going to have to give you the background story of the show day before revealing all the details of the performance (you know my story-telling style by now!), so listen up!

At Ballibay, show days work as follows: a cast that typically rehearses once each day (either in the mornings or in the afternoons) are cleared from all their other activities to spend the entire day preparing for their show that evening. Directors organize the time in a variety of ways -- some doing last minute set or prop work, some making sure that all of their campers' costumes needs are met, some running scenes that are technically challenging, etc. -- during the morning, and then plan on doing a full tech run-through in the afternoon. So, in the morning, we worked scenes that needed a few more runs, and in the afternoon we did a full run-through of the show... sort of. We completed the run of the show, but the kids were tired and drooping, literally -- and so was I! "Seussical" is a fast-paced operetta-type show with 27 musical numbers, in total. The majority of the songs are high-energy with movement and choreography. The kids were a little worn out -- vocally and mentally. Instead of giving notes at the end of the run I asked them how they thought the practice had gone, and they sat on the front of the stage in a clump and took turns raising their hands to share the positives of the day and what they thought could be worked on for that evening. Again -- like the time I'd done the activity early on in rehearsals -- they all gave a quite accurate analysis of the afternoon with every single camper explaining to me, "I have to give more energy to the performance tonight. I know I have more energy to give." I, too, knew that they had more energy to give -- after all, I cast each and every of the 23 campers based on their high energy levels and incredible stage presence.

Well, I never had any doubts that the show would improve for the evening's performance (after all, it always happens that the dress rehearsal seems scattered and all the pieces fall into place magically during the evening) but I had no idea of the degree of initiative the campers would take. At the end of the afternoon I told them, "The show is your show now. It used to be our show, but I am giving it to you. It is your turn to make it something wonderful." ...and they did.

One of my main goals for "Seussical" had been to be able to sit in the audience and watch the show unfold. I did just that, and I don't know how else to describe the campers' performance except to say that they literally shone. As soon as the curtains opened for their first "Seuss!" until their last proclamation of, "I do not like Green Eggs and Ham!" they never lost a snippet of energy. When I finished directing the show "Peter Pan" last summer, I told myself I'd never be prouder than I was at the end of that performance, but "Seussical" really took the cake.

Thank you, parents, family, and friends for having such incredible campers.

More soon,
Elizabeth C.
Ballibay Blogger

p.s. Speaking of incredible campers, last night we had the Dance Intensive's concert and tonight is the Rock Intensive's band night. What a talented group of intensive campers we have here this summer! They continue to amaze everyone!

I have been far too absent!

Karlie K. getting Grinch-y for Seussical!

Hello readers!

Oh my goodness -- please accept my apologies for my absence! It is hard to describe what the last week of camp is like because the word "busy" doesn't even begin to describe it. As a theater director who also assists backstage with the majority of the productions here, it is a week of non-stop work and fast-paced preparation for the shows and performances. In the past five days, we've had "The Importance of Being Earnest," a Camper Cabaret, and our evening of Follies (which, by the way, was fabulous!) and now coming up tonight is this session's Shakespeare performance: "A Midsummer Night's Dream." I must say that I am quite anxious and excited to see the show because it is being performed in a circle of trees outside the Ballibay Theater, called the Dream Grove. It really looks like it will be a magical evening and I am looking forward to seeing the Dream Grove being used for the first time in a very, very long time.

In other news, do you know what tomorrow is? If you aren't feverishly following your nighttime program calendar, I'll remind you: Seussical, the musical! This is the first time since I've worked here that the 1st session musical is in the middle of the last week (as opposed to the final show of the session), so it has really snuck up on us. The campers continue to have moments of panic, saying, "We're used to having four more days of rehearsal!" but, for one of the first times in my life as a director, I feel completely content and prepared for this show. I am proud of the campers in the production, as well as all the campers who are helping backstage, on video, and in tech -- all are enthusiastic and excited for the show. I think the combination of nervous energy about the shows and the campers' drive to perform the show provides all the impetus I need to maintain a sense of confidence about the show's opening tomorrow night.

After "Seussical" is over, there is still half a week left of 1st session, but I know it will fly by. It always does, and then I find myself hugging campers goodbye and wondering how a month passed so quickly. However, I can firmly promise more frequent updates for the rest of this week, as I will have plentiful free time. Until then, send some happy, Seuss-y vibes to the cast tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m. Balli-time!

More soon,
Elizabeth C.
Ballibay Blogger

Doin' what comes naturally!

Hello readers!

I apologize for my absence this week. I have been feeling a little under the weather -- the Balli-bug, if you will. I'm going to try to get to the doctor this week and clear it all up, but until then, I feel the need to reflect on a rehearsal I was part of last night. The instrumental music, musical theater, and dance departments are currently in the midst of preparing for a show next week called "Follies." It is a night of pieces that have been rehearsed during evening activities, and for the first time this year, I am assisting with the staging of one of the pieces.

I am working with five campers, most of whom are in the youngest girls cabin, on a song from the show "Annie Get Your Gun." We started rehearsing the song, which is called "Doin' What Comes Naturally," less than a week ago, but the girls have latched onto the song in such a strong way that we have made major progress in a short amount of time. It's quite fitting that the title of the song matches the performance styles of the campers in the piece: these campers live and breathe musical theater, to the point where it simply "comes naturally" to them. The moment they get into rehearsal, they beg to perform the piece over and over again. Last night, Hope P. suggested, "We should probably just do it thirteen times in a row!" Luckily for you (and for us!), John was able to stop into our Follies rehearsal to tape a snippet of the girls running through the piece, and I can share it with all of you right here!

They're real naturals, aren't they?

More soon,
Elizabeth C.
Ballibay Blogger

Weekend musings

Hello readers,

It is Saturday evening, meaning that, as of this afternoon, we have said goodbye to all of the campers who have spent the past two weeks here for Farm Arts 1 or Rock 1. This means that my cabin and the cabin adjoined to ours shared a tearful farewell with a total of 4 girls. This means that many of the campers who starred in my script-in-hand last week have boarded a bus or climbed into their family car to head back home for the rest of the summer. If you haven't picked up on it by now, I can be quite the emotional counselor at times, and saying goodbye to campers/watching campers say goodbye to each other only heightens my emotions.

It is always fascinating for me to see the transformation that campers can make, even in a span of 2 weeks. It may not seem like a long time to them (although I'm certain it feels like a lifetime for camp parents!) but the changes I, as a staff member, can see in the children are plentiful. By the time Farm Arts 1/Rock 1 campers leave, many of them have participated in theater productions (either as a performer or in a tech aspect), worked in the art barn to create pieces that were shown at last night's art exhibit, and rehearsed in bands that displayed their hard work at last night's Band Night. It consistently amazes me.

...and as hard as it is to say goodbye , it's nice to remember that new campers arrive on Sunday, and it all starts again!

More soon,
Elizabeth C.
Ballibay Blogger

(Balli)food, glorious (Balli)food!

Hello readers,

I've just walked up to the office to get started on my morning work, and on my way up to the office I thought to myself, I'm already having a beautiful day and it isn't even 9 a.m. yet. Of course, at Ballibay, why wouldn't I be having a beautiful day? We are on a picturesque mountaintop, there are creative thoughts and actions happening all day, every day, and the fresh country air is a daily reminder of how lucky I am to work here. As I made it into the office, I realized that in addition to all of previously mentioned facts, my morning was especially good because of the delicious breakfast I had just eaten: farm-fresh scrambled eggs, porridge with brown sugar and a little bit of milk drizzled on top, fresh strawberries, and banana bread (baked by campers during evening activities last night). Every breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the Ballibay chefs and kitchen staff work tirelessly to prepare the fuel we need to have happy, productive days.

Emily L. loves the fruit options at every meal!

In addition to a large parent/family/friend reader-base on this blog, we also have a significant amount of former Ballibay campers who read to find out about what is going on this summer. For those former campers who were here in the days before the installation of a new and (certainly in my opinion) much improved food program at Ballibay, I suggest clicking here to read all about the real food we serve here now. Because so much of our camp philosophy is about growth (as an individual, as an artist, as a performer, etc.), providing diverse, sustainable foods fits right in.

Here's to more delicious meals that give us more beautiful days!

More soon,

Elizabeth C.
Ballibay Blogger

Havin' a heat wave (but it's a good one!)

Good morning, readers!

When I say that we are having a steamy days here, I mean it! We're really toasting up on our mountain here. Yesterday was one of the hottest days I can remember ever experiencing at Ballibay. Every program area had coolers of ice water to prevent campers from melting, but it was certainly a testing day because of the heat index (nearly 96 degrees yesterday).

However...the campers here are certainly incredible and devoted to their arts, because at "Seussical" rehearsal, we had one of the most productive days yet, with every single cast member working harder than ever. It's one of the things I love so much about working at this camp: the kids truly love what they do and have a strong devotion to the commitments they make. No amount of sun or rain holds them back from keeping themselves energized and focused at their program areas. While this applies throughout the camp, I think I notice it in the theater department because that is where I spend most of my time. A perfect example is centered around all the wonderful younger campers who play "Whos" from "Whoville" in the show. We ran their number nearly 5 times yesterday to make sure everyone was comfortable with the song, and even though the stage lights were on and we were nearing the end of a long rehearsal, the energy level was high, and the campers had just as much stage presence as ever. I was incredibly proud of them, and I was reminded again of how driven Ballibay campers are -- driven to learn, to achieve, and to make themselves proud.

They are wonderful.

Even though it's warm, we're having so much fun here!

More soon!

Elizabeth C.
Ballibay Blogger

Campers are the DJs, the Outdoor Platform is the dance floor

Hello readers!

Last night was the first DJ dance of the summer! For those of you who aren't sure what the DJ dance is, it is a night of crazy outfits, fun music, and nonstop dance on the Outdoor Platform. Campers take turns DJ-ing for the event with music from their own iPods and mp3 players.

G1, G2, and B1 getting funky!

Fiona F., Sydney S., Christina O., and Tait N. having a great time!

When I was a camper here, I always had mixed feelings about going to the DJ dance because I never felt like I was a very good dancer and I'm sure I was a little self conscious because of that. However, now that I am a counselor watching my campers get ready for and participate in the event, I wish I had never allowed myself to feel that way when I was younger. It is one of the most enjoyable and energetic nights at camp, and all the campers -- from the youngest to the oldest -- just get a chance to let go and dance. It was wonderful to watch, and I did manage to hop on stage for my personal favorite song of the night, "Party in the USA"!

Now it is Sunday, which around here means...cleaning day! Campers will spend the majority of their morning tidying up their cabins so they are fresh and clean for the beginning of another jam-packed Ballibay week. And just a quick heads up: we will have a wide variety of evening events coming up this week, so I will be on top of it with blog posts!

More soon,
Elizabeth C.
Ballibay Blogger

First show of the summer...check!

Hello readers!

I have fantastic news for you all: last night, my cast of the script-in-hand show had a smash hit with the first show of the summer! Eleven campers, with the majority of them under the age of 10, performed "3 by Munsch," a staged reading of 3 stories by the children's author Robert Munsch. For those who are not familiar with the process of a staged reading at Camp Ballibay, it is as follows: 2-3 days of rehearsal time, 1 dress rehearsal with tech and video, and then...it's show time! I love everything I do as a Ballibay staff member, but in my opinion, the staged reading is the highlight of the summer. It is a chance for campers who have never done theater before or who are a little nervous about being on stage (or veteran actors and actresses, as well!) to be the stars of a show. Last night we did 3 small plays in one, based off of the storiesStephanie's Ponytail, Thomas' Snowsuit, and The Paper Bag Princess.

Iris S. and Mia W.

I gave the actors and actresses three notes before the show started: pace yourselves during the show, project and speak loudly, and (most importantly) enjoy yourselves and be proud of everything you do on stage tonight. They followed all of the directions perfectly, and even elaborated a little bit on all of the staging and direction I had given them during our two days of rehearsal. My favorite moment of the show was when 7-year-old Mia W., who played the Paper Bag Princess' Lady-in-Waiting received the biggest laugh of the show. In a portion of The Paper Bag Princess, the narrator remarks that the dragon "didn't even have enough fire left to roast a marshmallow." Mia had been given the instructions to hold a marshmallow on a stick and attempt to roast it. Before the show started she took me aside and said, "EC, if I do a good job, can I have the marshmallow after the show is over?" and I had said she definitely could. In the heat of the moment, or perhaps because she just secretly planned it all along, right after trying to roast her marshmallow, she stared into the audience, smiled, and the put the entire marshmallow from the stick into her mouth. It barely fit and she just stood on staged and chewed until she was done. By this time, the audience was in an uproar, clapping and laughing. When the show was over she told me it was the best night of her life, "so far."

Here's to more best nights!

More soon,

Elizabeth C.

Ballibay Blogger