FAQ

Here are a few answers to common questions about YDW. Have additional questions? Contact us…

Q: Is YDW just a fun excuse for young people to dance together?

A: YDW is very fun and younger people comprise the majority of attendees. But, as you can read in our mission, YDW is more than that. We at YDW believe each individual has a role in shaping our community. To that end, YDW is a place for making connections and building the next generation of leaders, whether they be dancers, organizers, musicians, callers, or sound people.

Q: What happens at YDW?

A: The YDW schedule features lots of dancing — contra, English, and more — as well as opportunity to play music, call dances, sing and develop community-building skills. During free time, campers lead activities ranging from yoga to shape-note singing. Experimentation and discussion sessions are also at the heart of what we do. To emphasize how central these sessions are, the first YDW called this the Bread & Butter session.

Large-scale conversations about dance community will always be a part of what we do, though the format of how we achieve this may change from year to year. We are interested in finding a variety of ways to fulfill this goal. We’d love to hear more ideas about how we can effectively incorporate this goal into sessions that you would enjoy.

Q: How does registration work?

A: There is a lot of interest in attending YDW and (unfortunately) we can’t accommodate everyone every year. So understanding how registration works is important!

  1. We have an initial sign up period.
  2. Assuming we have more people signed up than can fit, then we have a lottery to assign spaces.
  3. Everyone else is placed on the waitlist, as is anyone who signs up after the lottery.

To make sure you have the best chance at attending YDW, please make sure to join the mailing list and/or mark your calendar for the initial sign up. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Q: I’m significantly over 35; can I come to the dance weekend?

A: Yes! Our event targets participants under 35 but is open to anyone over 18. Our focus on youth is not meant to be exclusionary, but we want to ensure that there is space available for younger dancers to attend so that they can benefit from our programming. That said, we often have attendees in their 50s, 60s, and beyond and they are most welcome.

If you are interested in being a part of the event and are over 35, we encourage you to choose a payment option that will help cover a young person’s admission. Or, consider bringing a younger member of your dance community along with you.

Q: I am the parent of a small child. Can I bring them?

Yes! Parents of small children, if you are interested in attending YDW and would like to attend and bring your child, please contact us.

Q: Why can’t my 17-year-old friend come to this event?

A: We generally don’t allow underage participants because of liability. YDW gets better every year anyhow, so bring them next time.

Q: How much does it cost to attend YDW?

A: In 2011, we abandoned a sliding scale based on age and switched to “pay what you can” pricing. Read more about it here.

Q: Can I get a scholarship to come to YDW, or a discount in exchange for volunteer work?

A: YDW is designed to be affordable from the ground up. Our pay-as-you-can pricing system is designed so that those in need can pay less than at-cost, while still giving us the financial resources to put on a great weekend and pay our talented musicians, dance callers and cooks.

However, we do accept a limited number of “Supervolunteers” who are willing to do some extra, time-consuming tasks during YDW weekend in exchange for a reduced attendance cost. These are often skilled jobs, including but not limited to: photographer, first-aid person, kitchen assistant, sound engineer’s assistant, dining hall manager, etc. If you are interested in helping out extra, let us know (but no guarantees!)

We also offer a limited number of travel grants to help with travel costs for people coming a really long way to attend YDW.

If the cost is still prohibitive for you, we suggest asking your local dance group to sponsor you or contribute towards your travel costs. If you’ve got disposable income to spare, we encourage you to sponsor someone else or pay more than the basic rate to help someone else attend.

Q: Where is YDW?

A: Our event currently takes place at Kinhaven Music School in Weston, VT. We chose Kinhaven because we wanted a feeling of community throughout the whole weekend – not just when we’re dancing. It’s gorgeous, relaxing, and has an orchard full of delicious apples. (Are you sold yet?)

Q: What is Kinhaven like? How do I prepare?

A: Housing: Campers are housed in shared cabins, that sleep 4-8 people. The beds are twin-sized, and come with a bare mattress but no bedding. Some campers also choose to tent. There are communal bathrooms.

Temperature: Kinhaven is a summer camp, not designed for winter. The cabins have electricity for overhead light and charging phones, etc., but they are not heated or insulated. Whatever you do, remember: It’s cold in Vermont in September. Bring warm clothes and warm sleeping arrangements! 

Dance floor. It’s a beautiful wood floor. The amazing Stan Fowler keeps it in good shape for us. Be sure to thank him if you see him at a dance event.

Food. The food is made by YDW cooks on-site. It’s is sourced as locally as possible. And, if we say so, it is delish! We can accommodate the vegan, gluten-free, and just about any dietary restriction you throw at us……if you let us know beforehand.

Q: So, wait, is it cold?

A: Yes! It is cold, especially at night. Prepare for near-freezing temperatures. Have warm clothes and especially warm bedding. We’re not kidding.

Q: How do I get to YDW?

A: Transportation is an important issue for many. To help with this, we have a volunteer Rides Coordinator each year to put people in touch for carpooling and other transportation needs. Please reach out to us as early as possible if you have transportation concerns.

Q: What if I am flying?

A: We’re excited you’re going to make the trip to attend YDW!

The nearest airports are Hartford/Springfield (~2.5 hours), Burlington, VT (~2 hours), Manchester, NH (~2 hours), and Boston (~3 hours). We want to do everything we can to help make the travel logistics manageable. Our volunteer ride coordinator can help you find a ride between one of these airports and the weekend. The best options for rides will probably be from Boston, Burlington, and Hartford (in that order).

Don’t forget about those travel grants we mentioned above.

Q: Have you considered hiring X band or caller?

A: We love hearing suggestions for musicians and callers!

Who do we hire? Although we don’t exclusively hire “younger” performers, part of the goal of YDW is to highlight talented younger performers and instructors by hiring them to be on staff. Some of them are already nationally known, while others are just beginning to work outside of their local community.

We haven’t thought of everyone, so keep the ideas coming.

Q: How can I get hired at YDW?

A: Let us know you’d like to be hired or that you’d like us to keep an eye on you for the future! We encourage you to get in touch, whether you are saying “I think I’m ready to be hired at YDW!” or “What do I need to do to be ready to be hired for YDW?”

Q: How does YDW handle COVID protocols?

A: YDW COVID protocols are determined each year based on the current rates, and you can find that information on our website under the current year’s event. So far, we have used a combination of vaccination requirements, indoor masking requirements and rapid tests to mitigate risk. We also put air purifiers in the dance hall and offer outdoor dining options.