Above: Star Island from the Boat, photo by Georges Nashon.

Star Hampshire Traditional Music & Dance Weekend  Star Island: Archives, 2012

Online Host: New Hampshire Old-Time Country Dance Web Site
Peter Yarensky, Publisher, Designer  & Nearly Everything Else
NH Country Dance Table of Contents 




NH Old-Time Country Dance Web Site Home Page





Star Hampshire Traditional Music & Dance Site Map





Music & Dance Weekends

  1. Ralph Page Weekend

  2. Star Hampshire Weekend

Music & Dance Community, History & Stories

  1. Photo Page Index

  2. Music & Dance Story
    General Index

  3. NE Contras & Squares Index

Dance Pages

  1. Country Dance Newsletter

  2. Dance Calendar Page

  3. Lamprey River Band

Music Pages

  1. Wednesday Jam, Durham

  2. Canterbury Fiddlers Picnic Barrington Natural Heritage

  3. Fiddle Tunes - Index, abc

  4. The Tunes, PDF Format

  5. abc Musical Notation

  6. Peter’s abc Help File

  7. Links - Recorded Music Sites

Site Information

  1. Contact/Link Information

  2. Update Notes

  3. Feedback Page






NH Country Dance
Site Navigation

Section Home Pages are listed here; a few major Subpages may be as well.

A more detailed listing of each section may be found on each Section Home Page.

 

Quick Guide to the Star Hampshire Web Site


On This Page:

Left Column

  1. Music & Dance Staff Listing

  2. Registration Forms & Information

  3. Links of Interest

Right sidebar

  1. Publicity Flyer (soon)

  2. Contact Information

Other Star Pages:

  1. Staff Information Page: Bios & Photos

  2. About the Weekend & Star Island: About the Location & the Weekend, and a Brief History of the Weekend

  3. Archival Pages: About Past Weekends, Previous Staff, etc.

  4. Photo Pages from previous weekends

For more information about these pages and links to the various archival and photo pages, look below on the left.

__________________

2012 Information for Weekend Attendees


The following are the attachments from this year’s Welcome letter.

2012 Welcome Letter

2012 Final Schedule

Directions to Portsmouth Ferry

2012 Star Hampshire draft schedule

Star Island Map

 
  1. Star Hampshire Publicity Flyer, 2012. Click on the link to download this year’s flyer.


Music & Dance Staff ~ 2012 Weekend

Dance Master: Lisa Greenleaf - Contras & squares.

Music By

  1. Jay Ungar (fiddle) & Molly Mason (piano, guitar, bass)

  2. Carol Compton (keyboard, accordion, recorders) & Thal Aylward (fiddle/violin, viola)




About the Music & Dance Staff ~ 2012 Weekend


Staff Information. Here is some information about the staff courtesy of David Millstone.

Lisa Greenleaf has been treating dancers across the country to her high spirited, witty calling and is known for precise walk-throughs of zesty  and flowing dances. Her wide knowledge of traditional and modern dances (both contras and squares) and her community-building attitude put her in high demand at camps around the country.
Jay Ungar & Molly Mason have performed on A Prairie Home Companion, their own live radio program Dancing on the Air on WAMC in Albany, and on film soundtracks. Millions were entranced by the music they did for Ken Burns' PBS documentary on the Civil War, which features Jay's "Ashokan Farewell" as its signature tune. The soundtrack won a Grammy and Ashokan Farewell was nominated for an Emmy. This tune was originally inspired by the week-long Fiddle & Dance Camps that Jay & Molly have organized for several decades in the Catskills for musicians and lovers of traditional American music and dance. With fiddle, guitar, piano, bass and vocals, they provide outstanding music in a wide variety of genres.

A personal note: I have been going to Northern Week at Ashokan since 1991. It’s one of the most enjoyable events of the year thanks to Jay and Molly who set the atmosphere for Ashokan. They are outstanding musicians and inspire excellence in the staff and campers. They also encourage an atmosphere in which we are encouraged to try something new and not worry if we sound terrible at first. I can’t count how many people started playing the fiddle there, or who started playing music or a new instrument. Patrick hoped to get Jay and Molly to Star Hampshire, and I’m glad it’s finally happening! ~ Peter

Carol Compton & Thal Aylward.  Thal Aylward  (violin, viola) and Carol Compton (keyboard, accordion, recorder) met playing for contra dances with Northern Spy and quickly expanded their partnership to include English Country Dance music.  They've been bringing their eclectic blend of New England, French Canadian, English, Scandinavian, Celtic, Colonial American, Classical, Gypsy Jazz, and Swing inspired flavors to dances ever since.

Thal's musical career includes stints with the New Hampshire Symphony; the Boston Opera Company; the Boston based jazz band Living Proof; the Institute for Contemporary Dance (MA); and the Vermont-based R&B band, Frydaddy. More recently he has played with the award winning Stone Cold Roosters; Michele Choiniere, a Vermont-based Franco-American singer; and renowned Vermont mandolinist Will Patton.

Carol grew up 20 miles from Appledore, in a family steeped in traditional dance and music from all over the world. In college she gave up classical music in favor of playing for contra, English Country, and Colonial era dance in the Philadelphia area.  She has performed at the Smithsonian and Winterthur, has played festivals and dances from Ontario to West Virginia, teaches workshops for dance musicians and has been spotted playing for morris dancers in the streets of Southern England.








2012 Registration Information


Please read the registration information below carefully. It will insure that you do it correctly and also help you to take advantage of an opportunity for a discount. We’re using the official Star Island Registration Form this year for the first time so a few things have changed.

2012 Registration Form. Registration officially opens April 1, as stated on the Star Island Corporation website, but you may send your forms earlier if you wish. 

  1. Weekend rates are based on room type and occupancy.  Motel rooms have private toilet.  Parking ($30/vehicle) and fuel surcharge (about $4/person) are added to your hotel bill, payable on Star Island.

Per Person Rates:

  1. Triple: $340 ($80 program fee + $260 room, board & ferry)

  2. Double: $355  (80 program + 275 r/b/f)

  3. Single: $420  (80 program + 340 r/b/f)

  4. Motel Double: $406  (80 program + 326 r/b/f)

  5. Motel Single: $535  (80 program + 455 r/b/f)

  6. All registrations postmarked on or before April 2 will be processed at once. In the event that we are over-subscribed at that point, spaces will be filled using a lottery and wait-list system. 

  7. Chrissy will email the confirmations after April 8.  Registrations postmarked after April 2 will be processed in order of postmark date.

  8. Discounts available! Star Island Corporation offers discounts of up to 50% off Room & Board to Old Shoalers who bring New Shoalers to Star.  See 10/10 Bring A Friend for more information.  Send all 10/10 forms to Chrissy Fowler, registrar.

How to Register:

  1. 1.Download the 2012 Star Island Registration Form (click on link above).

  2. 2.Complete both sides.

  3. 3.Print and mail, with $180 deposit per person (payable to Star Hampshire), and 10/10 form if applicable (see information on the left), to:

  4. Chrissy Fowler
    93 Kaler Road
    Belfast, ME 04915

  5. 4.Questions?  Contact Chrissy (207) 338-0979.




Check out our Facebook Page! Information, updates, photos, comments contributed by people who attend and love this weekend.




An Amazing Sunset on Star Island, photo by Patrick.  





Links of Interest

Here are a few links that will be of interest in learning more about the Weekend, about Star Island; and for those of you who already know about it, for reminding yourself of what a marvelous place it is and what a great time the weekend is.

Star Hampshire schedule 2011.pdf.  This should give you a good idea of what to expect in the way of programmed activities. There are more gaps than you might expect, but it’s such a wonderful place to be that you’ll want those gaps.

Star Island Corporation Home Page. The Star Island Corporation owns and runs Star Island and coordinates all the conferences that occur there, of which Star Hampshire is one. From their web site you can learn a lot more about the island and you can get an aerial tour of the island in a slide show.

Star Hampshire Photo Pages. I’ve assembled two pages, one for 2003-2005 and one for 2006. You can’t go wrong with photos of Star Island! This is the Main Photo Page; check out some of the other Photo Pages while you’re there.

Star Hampshire Archival Pages: 2007 2009 2010 2011. These are recreations of the original web pages of the 2007, 2009, 2010 & 2011 Weekends for reasons of enjoyment, curiosity, and historical interest.