Ashokan Music and Dance Camps were established in 1980 at The Ashokan Center, a breathtaking 385-acre nature retreat and environmental education center situated on the Esopus Creek in New York’s Catskill Mountains.
Our camps are a learning vacation where you’ll meet like-minded people, have a ton of fun and enjoy in depth, hands-on classes led by our supportive staff.
Our programs are designed to be richly rewarding for musicians and dancers of all levels, from beginners to seasoned professionals. You can create your own schedule and attend any classes or workshops that fit your skill level and pique your interest. Combine this with great food, comfortable lodging, friendly people and the magical beauty of nature and you have a recipe for leaps of learning, good times and priceless memories.
Everyone can attend! We offer youth pricing, work-exchange, plus a limited number of youth scholarships so all can afford to attend.
Upcoming Camps Calendar:
June 25-July 1, 2017
Western + Swing Week
Swing, Jazz, Country and Western-Swing music and dance
Learn the Lindy and West Coast swing, Two step, waltz and other C&W dances, squares & contras, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, steel guitar, piano, vocal technique, harmony singing, band clinics, improvisation, music theory, jam sessions, song swaps, and more.
Register for Western+Swing Week
July 10–14, 2017
Swing, Blues, Jazz, Celtic, Pop, Folk, Country
plus practical music theory, mini-concerts, jam sessions and song swaps. World class guitar instruction featuring a variety of levels and styles including flatpicking, fingerpicking and more!
Register for Guitar Camp
July 16-22, 2017
Northern Week
New England, Quebecois, English and Scandi music and dance
Contras, squares, English dances, Scandinavian turning dances, fiddle, nyckelharpa, mando, guitar, piano, singing, calling, band clinics, dance parties, jam sessions, song swaps and more!
Aug 7-11, 2017
Family Camp
Music, dance, puppetry, nature, crafts and family fun.
For everyone, from babies to grandparents. A wide variety of age-specific and skill-specific workshops and activities. Create family memories that will last a lifetime!
August 13-19, 2017
Southern Week
Appalachian, Old Time, Cajun and Zydeco music and dance
Square dancing, flatfooting and clogging, Cajun & Zydeco dance, accordion, fiddle, banjo, guitar, mountain singing, caller’s workshops, traditional clogging team, harmony singing and band workshops, jam sessions, song swaps, dance parties, slow jams and more!
December 31, 2017–Jan 3, 2018
New Year’s at Ashokan
Three days of music and dance workshops and performances featuring old timey, swing, waltz, contra and square dancing plus a magical dinner and dance party to ring in 2018. And did we mention the wood burning sauna?!
Check back for camp details!
Spring 2018 Dates to Be Announced
Bruce Molsky & Debra Clifford: Old Time Rollick
Bruce Molsky & Debra Clifford will again host this Old Time Music weekend immersion camp. Beginner, intermediate and advanced Fiddle, Banjo, Guitar, Old Time Singing & Ballads, a Gospel Sing, Square Dancing, jam sessions and more!
Spring 2018 Dates To Be Announced
Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas: Trad String Fling
World-class Scottish traditional music workshops led by musicians and teachers Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas. Three days and two nights of workshops, jamming and a fun Sunday concert by our instructors. An unforgettable experience!
Spring 2018 Dates To Be Announced
6th Annual Uke Fest
A family-friendly weekend retreat for ukulele players of all levels. Uke greats James Hill & Anne Janelle, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marx, Gerald Ross, Jim D’Ville and Ben Hassenger teach a diverse offering of workshops, plus concerts, jamming, and lots of fun. Classes include beginner-level through expert instruction, technique workshops, genre-based classes like Jazz, Blues and Ragtime, soloing skills, embellishments, turnarounds and more.