JUNE 29 - JULY 6, 2013

History

Welcome to Folklore Camp!  This pioneer of folk dance camps in northern California began as a weekend in the town of Mendocino in 1962, followed the next year with a full week in town.  Madelynne Greene, the founder, had taught at Maine Folk Dance Camp that year and decided with C. Stewart Smith to try a West Coast camp.  She wanted it to have a woodsy setting, much like Maine Camp, and to also be a place where not only international folk dances were presented, but where music, customs, folklore and ethnic foods set the scene for a truly unique experience.

Two years later Madelynne moved the camp to the Mendocino Woodlands and it flourished under her creative direction as The Madelynne Greene Folklore Camp.  In 1970, Madelynne’s death left the camp in the care of C. Stewart Smith, Gordon Engler and Nora Hughes and they managed the camp that year and the next.  Then Honora Clark organized a group to continue the camp.  In 1972, she, Dean and Nancy Linscott, and Joan and Dale Donleavy became directors of the Mendocino Folklore Camp.  Under their dedicated leadership, Folklore Camp and the Woodlands saw growth and improvement in every possible way.

The directors have evolved through the years with Leon Pinsker, Knute Fisher, Jeff O’Connor, Marilyn Smith, Mary Korn, Mark Wegner, Sharon Fisher, Dave Charlebois… plus Phyris Tobler and Bev Man, who still add their creative touches to the name badges each year, and continue their support of Folklore as campers.

The camp is a member of the Mendocino Woodlands Camp Association, which has worked through the years to preserve and protect the natural beauty and rustic charm of our camp, as well as Camps 2 and 3.  Russell Linscott, who virtually grew up coming to camp with his parents, was the first Woodlands naturalist and developer of the Nature Center and trails in Camp 1.

True to Madelynne’s dream, the camp remains one of the most unique experiences of international folk culture in the United States.  Superb dance and music teachers from all over the world have taught here and many dance teachers have made their premiere appearance in North America at Folklore Camp.  There is an ever growing emphasis to dance to live music at camp, and we are very fortunate to have our “Camp Band” back again this year under the direction Becky Ashenden.  We should all be in for a great week of music and dancing!

We owe heartfelt thanks to our many supporters over the years - staff and campers who always perform their “special” jobs which make the camp run smoothly and enjoyably; people who endlessly donate their time, talents and creativity to add the magic to our parties, our friends who constantly promote the camp, and people who have been so generous in their donations through the auction and our fundraising to keep the camp going.  We are here because of you.

More history at the Mendocino Woodlands Camp Association.