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Just ask any of the Senior campers at Rockbrook to tell you about the first camp banquet they attended, and you’ll hear about an incredible, all-out, all-camp celebration that takes place at the end of each session. You’ll also learn that banquets are always a surprise, with a unique theme chosen by our CA (9th grade) campers. These girls take on the challenge of designing, planning, and executing every detail of the party with its elaborate decorations, themed treats, performers in costume (our CA girls and their counselors), skits, music, and dancing. Their secret theme brings all of this together into an unforgettable event. I bet every camper can tell you the theme of every RBC banquet they’ve ever attended.

Banquets are memorable for several reasons. First, the element of surprise combines with the awe that washes over the girls as they step into the dining hall and witness its complete transformation. Virtually every inch of the room is decorated to fit the theme: painted posters cover the walls, tablecloths and decorations fill the tables, and lights, streamers, and other props hang from the ceiling. With characters in full costume dancing around, the music and decorations combine to create an entirely new world. For the younger campers, this first glimpse can be nothing short of mind-blowing. And then, as the CAs perform skits and choreographed dances, the excitement builds into a lively, high-energy dance party for everyone.

The Outer Space Theme

Last night’s banquet, for our 2024 third session, was called “Rockbrook in Orbit,” and brought us into outer space. The theme included planets, sparkly stars, familiar constellations, colorful comets, glowing moons floating above, and all sorts of aliens and a few astronauts. Ms. Frizzle appeared too! With twinkling lights strung above and the tables decorated with space tablecloths, souvenir cups, temporary tattoos, and fun stickers for everyone, plus candy treats, the party was set.

For the menu, the CAs served fruit kabobs as an appetizer and then cheese pizzas as the main course. But the main event was the “dance battle” between the CAs dressed as aliens and the astronauts. First, there was a battle, but then another dance when they made peace. The counselors, dressed as astronauts strapped to rockets blasting off, performed their own dance number too. The famous dessert “Rockbrookies” rounded out the meal.

For the campers, who came dressed in this year’s RBC t-shirt, the banquet was an exciting mix of party treats, popular foods, the CAs’ performances, and a massive dance party. With great upbeat music pumping throughout, the girls would dance with their friends, eat a little something, dance some more, pause to enjoy the next performance, and then repeat. You can imagine the fun of this. Sure it’s a little hot and sweaty, but together with your camp friends, there’s nothing quite like it.

Closing Songs and Rockbrook Camp Forever

The final part of the banquet is a tradition where the CAs, and afterwards the Hi-Ups, sing a song to their counselors thanking them and expressing their connection with each other. The counselors likewise sing a song back to the campers. It’s a sweet moment of reminiscing about the session and a beautiful expression of just how close these campers and counselors have become. Now, in front of everyone, they’re crying and laughing at the same time, hugging and leaning on each other. The whole camp then comes together to sing “Rockbrook Camp Forever,” a song that’s been sung at every RBC banquet for as long as we can remember. It’s a perfect way to end the celebration and express our appreciation of camp and each other. As the song aptly reminds us, “Friends, true and faithful” …that sums it up nicely.

A Community of All Ages

One of the lovely things about life at Rockbrook is how much time we get to spend with people of all different ages. The girls who attend camp as campers can be as young as 6 years old, and they go all the way up to 16. And then there are the 17-year-old CITs, the college-aged cabin counselors, and the adventure staff, activity specialists, nurses and directors — all ranging from their 20s to their 60s! It really is true; we’re a community of 6 to 60.

The campers are sorted by grade in their cabins, and they sign up for activities by line assuring their instructors can tailor challenges to their age. Beyond the activity time and life in the cabins, however, everyday connects us with friends who are not our age. It might be when we’re grabbing a muffin on the dining hall porch during muffin break, or tossing our towel on the rock by the lake for free swim, or jumping into the gagaball pit for a game during twilight. Zipping with the awesome adventure staff, talking with the pottery specialists, and stopping by the health hut for our morning medications are other examples where we’re all mingling. It seems like we’re saying hello everyone we see: to the Hi-Ups when they’re setting the tables before lunch, to the Directors up on the porch of the office, and to the mob of counselors and campers in the “Rockbrook Runners” club as they jog by. Older girls talking with younger girls is the most natural thing here at camp.

All-Camp Shaving Cream Fight

Our all-camp special events are an excellent example of this too, like the shaving cream fight we held at twilight yesterday. This was such a fun event, literally for all ages.

We rang a bell to alert everyone to come down to the landsports field dressed in swimsuits. With some fun music pumping, the girls each grabbed a can of shaving cream and had a blast zooming around the grassy field spraying each other. The goal was simple; squirt and splatter the white slippery foam on everyone. Chase and be chased. Plunk blobs of shaving cream on anyone’s head. Rub it on their backs, pile globs into their hair, and help them create the wildest hairstyles possible.

Before long, everyone was covered in shaving cream, white and slippery, and looking utterly ridiculous. Of course, everyone was screaming and laughing the whole time too. The feeling of being covered in shaving cream, seeing everyone’s reactions, and watching the messy chaos unfold is simply hilarious. It’s the kind of silly fun we love at Rockbrook.

We also pulled out a sheet of plastic that, with a little water sprayed on it from a hose, made an excellent slip-n-slide. The girls were already plenty slippery, so they just launched themselves down the plastic and shrieked with delight on every ride. Tumbling and rolling, they had a blast.

An evening like this proved once again that these Rockbrook girls know how to have fun together. From the youngest junior to the counselors and directors, we all shared this experience of foamy glee. Where else can you laugh this hard, yet feel so relaxed around friends? Where else does age matter this little? Where else can something as simple as a shaving cream fight bring so much joy? Only at camp, of course!

A little change of pace feels good on a Sunday morning. With this much action, all this chatting, singing, and playing throughout or regular days, sleeping in for a little extra rest is great. Our day today began with a later wakeup bell and the girls drifting into breakfast, still in their pajamas if they wished. For an extra breakfast treat added to our sausage, eggs and bagels, the girls found freshly delivered Krispy Kreme donuts on their tables. Back at their cabins afterwards, the campers changed into their red and white uniforms, ready for the flag-raising ceremony and Chapel gathering.

The Hi-Up campers, our seasoned 10th graders, serve as the color guard for the flag raising. With the whole camp circling the flagpole on the hill, they raised both the American flag and a special Rockbrook flag commemorating the camp’s Centennial in 2021. We sang “The Streams and the Mountains,” which is a sweet traditional Rockbrook song, and then made our way to a special amphitheater in the woods for our Chapel program.

Chapel on Connection

At Rockbrook, what we fondly call “Chapel” isn’t a religious ceremony but a communal gathering where we pause and reflect on some of our core values. Each chapel revolves around a theme, featuring songs, poems, and often a story read by Sarah. It’s a time for everyone, regardless of their family’s religious/secular background, to feel comfortable and connected. The campers themselves select the readings and songs, and Sarah invites them to share what the theme means to them. Past themes have included community, generosity, friendship, and Nature. Recently, “Chapel” has become an acronym: Celebration of Happiness, Adventure, Peace, Earth, and Love.

Today’s theme was “Connection.” A few campers shared their thoughts on what “Connection” means to them during their time at camp— “We’re all connected,” “I feel so connected to nature here at camp.” “Connection is friendship,” for example. Sarah read the children’s book, My Thoughts Have Wings by Maggie Smith. She talked about building a “nest of connections” that can hold our thoughts safely. The girls seemed to nod in agreement when said that camp helps us build that nest.

Renaissance Fair on the Lawn

The afternoon was devoted to an all-camp activity down on the grassy Carrier House lawn— a lively Renaissance fair! The event buzzed with excitement, offering a variety of activities that allowed campers to bop from one to the next as they pleased. They could do something active, something creative, have a little snack, dance and frolic with each other. Like Barbie day, the girls knew before camp to bring costumes, so there were some great ones. Lots of maidens, a few jesters and knights, a elf or two, and even a dragon were seen.

Campers could weave intricate flower crowns, try their hand at juggling, ribbon dancing, and hula hooping. We played games like a burlap sack race (“The Burlap Bounce”), cornhole (“The King’s Kernels”), and a hidden table shuffle game with goblets (“Bamboozled”). Campers worked on calligraphy and painting portraits of each other. For another game, they scoured a mysterious path searching for golden doubloons, which they could trade in for prizes. Elsewhere, an intriguing gypsy was telling fortunes, and the “Wench’s Tavern” served kettle corn. Throughout the event, we played Medieval-infused musical remakes of popular tunes to keep things lively.

Be sure to visit the photo gallery to see more of our fun Ren Fair afternoon.

Over the last few days we’ve found ourselves in a weather pattern that’s common to this area in the summer. The days begin cool with temperatures in the upper 60s, far enough below the dew point for the whole camp to be blanketed by fog. It’ll be so thick that all the lush green of camp becomes more grey and mysterious. There’s also dew on everything exposed, all that humidity moistening our world. By about 10:30am, though, as the sun peaks out over the mountain behind camp, things begin to warm up and all that condensed moisture evaporates. The fog lifts and we can see the distant mountains again with a blue cloudless sky and bright sun. It’s a glorious display each morning.

Later in the day, that rising moisture makes a dramatic return in the form of a thunderstorm. As it rises and encounters cooler air, water vapor condenses forming clouds and even ice crystals that collide creating static electricity. This accumulating moisture and electrical charge eventually becomes unstable and the cloud releases lightning and rain. For us, we see a thunderstorm in the area around 3 or 4pm most days, and ordinarily lasting less than an hour.

Sometimes, these thunderstorms miss us; they pop up nearby, but not right over camp. Other times, however, we want to move everyone inside, protected from the threat of lightning, while the storm passes through. We have an automatic lightning warning system that sounds an alarm when there is a threat of lightning nearby. We all know that when we hear the alarm, even if it’s not raining or thundering, we should immediately seek shelter. The system works great. It continuously monitors the area and will sound an “all clear” alert when it’s safe to go outside again. We’ve heard that system about everyday lately!

Cabin Day Adventures

On Wednesday afternoon, as groups of campers scattered about for their cabin day activities, we enjoyed a clear afternoon without a storm. One cabin of girls wore their swimsuits for a hike to the “Mermaid Cove.” This is a wonderful spot on the camp property where Dunns creek drops into a protected pool of water. There’s a rock face on one side, a smooth rocky “beach” on the other, and nice waterfall in between. The pool also has a sandy bottom, making it an excellent little swimming spot. A game of “Marco Polo” turned into a wild splashing time.

Hiking to the Nest at Castle Rock

Another cabin group went in the opposite direction and hiked up the trail toward Castle Rock and to the “Nest.” This is another unique natural feature on the Rockbrook property where a cave has formed in the rock. Generations of Rockbrook girls have visited this cave, and now when we do, we bring hammocks. We’ve added anchor points in the rock where the girls can string the hammocks and enjoy hanging out in that unique setting. There’s a great view of the forest from up there!

Meanwhile, 4 cabins of Juniors took a trip out of camp to Dolly’s for an afternoon ice cream treat, but also to the Puckerup Berry Farm. The farm is a place to explore, to see rows and rows of carefully tended flowers and vegetable plants, and to marvel at its chickens and resident bunny. The girls had a great time cutting and arranging flowers, holding the bunny (so soft!), and getting to play with the chickens. Interacting with animals like this never fails to make the girls smile.

Finally, the needlecraft activity has been working on small sewing projects. Using cut swatches of fabric, yarns, buttons and beads, the girls have been sewing small purses, making stuffed pillows, and really getting into embroidery. The embroidery hoops make it easy for the girls to carry around their projects in a ziplock bag, and adding a few stitches whenever they have a minute of free time. One camper told me she was sewing a pillow for her brother. I said that was nice of her, and she replied, “Yeah, he’s 5 years old.”

Overall, the girls this session are relaxing more and more into the special feeling of camp life. They’re busy with activities while also enjoying the blocks of free time each day. They’re getting to know each other more and finding friends everywhere. Conversations are deepening, laughter is more frequent, and simple acts of kindness are feeling natural. What makes us a community— shared experiences and caring relationships built on kindness —is working its true magic. Each day this all grows stronger, building the Rockbrook experience we all love.

Summer camp is sometimes compared to a party— festive, social, extraordinary, delicious, zany, and fun. Today at Rockbrook it was a pink party because to everyone’s delight we declared it “Barbie Day!” The campers knew that this would be one of our dress up themes this session so many came prepared. Some simply wore a pink t-shirt, while others had complete Barbie outfits with hats, sunglasses, and various hair decorations. A couple sported trim pink and white dresses, while others went more neon with wigs, scarves and skirts. From the nurses to the directors to the counselors and campers, there were Barbies everywhere today.

Hi Barbie!

Barbie is inherently confident, outgoing and carefree, much like Rockbrook girls generally, so it was easy for Barbie mannerisms to pop up around camp today. All day girls would greet each other, in the most enthusiastic upbeat tone, “Hi Barbie!” “Hi Barbie” was the appropriate response. It was also fun to ask people, “What kind of Barbie are you?” As you know there are many Barbies, from tennis pros to yoga instructors, to rockstars and fashionistas. Everyone was glamorous in some small way, turning camp into a “dreamworld.”

This was also the first day of activities this session, so we saw many eager Barbies scurrying about Rockbrook, shooting arrows, climbing the Alpine Tower, and flying by on the zipline, for example. Apparently, Barbie is quite artistic too, enjoying needlecraft, working with clay and planning weaving patterns. The lifeguards said that Barbie loves the waterslide and jumping off the dock at the lake as well. You have to admit; Barbie is amazing.

Why Costumes Matter

Dressing up like this is a big part of Rockbrook. We love it because costumes always add a little silliness to whatever we’re doing. They help us laugh at ourselves, lightening things up a bit, proving that it’s OK to let your guard down and enjoy the freedom in that. When a lot of people are dressing up, it’s even better, as that sets an overall tone that brings us together. Costumes help you sing more, dance more, and be more playful. They help you lean into things with a more joyful and open attitude. Putting on a costume is just more fun like this. Ask your girls, they’ll tell you.

Our Barbie theme carried over into dinner too. With pink shiny mylar table cloths, pink streamers and flags, and few Barbie treats to accompany our meal of hotdogs, roasted potatoes, homemade coleslaw and baked beans, the real showstopper was the Barbie brownies with pink icing. We sang a few songs from the Barbie movie and ended the evening with a Barbie fashion show. So much silly pink fun.

A quick note about mail… keep sending it! Here are the instructions to send mail, and here is some advice about writing a letter to your camper. Receiving mail is a big deal at camp, so this advice is super helpful. Trust me; your camper is craving something in their mailbox. Don’t let it be empty for too long! Go ahead and send something. It’ll make her day.

Today we opened our third full session of the summer, welcoming another group of campers to Rockbrook. This is a very exciting day for everyone. The counselors woke up early and were ready, dressed in their red polo shirt uniforms. Each was eager to meet a specific set of campers that would be in their cabins. The Hi-Ups, our 10th graders, had arrived the day before and they too were ready to help with the flow of the check in process. That process was steady and smooth all morning. Parents arrived at their assigned times and that helped us minimize waiting in line. As each car pulled up, it was clear the campers were even more ready. We saw enthusiastic smiles mixed with a few nerves over the charged feeling of it all. For these campers, the day they had been waiting for had finally arrived, and they were practically twitching with excitement. So welcome to Rockbrook!

About seventy percent of the girls arriving today are returning to Rockbrook, and for them this meant reuniting with camp friends, getting big hugs from people they hadn’t seen in a year. New campers quickly found their cabin groups and their pen pals, and soon were being pulled right into the rhythms of camp life. They were setting up their bunks, visiting the camp store to pick up their pre-orders, meeting loads of equally excited people, comfortably chatting all the while.

The Relief of Arriving at Camp

For everyone arriving at Rockbrook, there’s a real sense of relief. It’s a relief from the anticipation that builds leading up to camp, but more important, camp provides an escape for kids, a unique place of joyful freedom and exploration. You can sense this right when you arrive. The people here are warm and welcoming. There’s a contagious energy that creates spontaneous bursts of singing, dancing, and laughing. Just having this many friendly people together creates an electric atmosphere that charges up just about everything we do. This is all so different from regular life, it’s a welcome change. Rockbrook’s focus on community and fun creates a marvelous spirit we all enjoy, and I would say need more than ever. Today that spirit began to work its magic right away. You could see it on everyone’s faces.

Once everyone had arrived, we all gathered under the walnut tree on the hill for a chance to sing a few songs, meet the directors and special staff members, and be reminded of a few camp protocols (about our lightning warning system, for example. This system warns everyone to go inside if it detects lightning in the area).

Swimming Demonstrations and Lake Orientation

After lunch, which was a comfort food meal of Rick’s homemade mac-n-cheese, fruit and salad, we launched into line meetings, camp tours, and a visit to the lake for our swimming demonstrations. Each line (age group) took turns coming to the waterfront to learn about our tag system and the opportunities to swim each day at camp. Those opportunities vary based on each camper’s swimming ability, but regardless of their ability, we have a way for everyone to enjoy cooling off at the lake if they want to. We do not force every camper to take a “swim test,” but instead invite them to demonstrate their comfort in the water so we can understand how best to keep them safe while at the waterfront.

We’ve standardized the “demo” to jumping off the dock, swimming out about 60 feet, back 60 feet using some sort of backstroke, and treading water comfortably for one full minute. It’s that last part that gives some girls trouble. The Rockbrook lake water is chilly and treading for that long in deep water can be a challenge to do with strength and confidence. Our three bands (and corresponding tags) of yellow, green, and blue indicate whether we’ll require a lifejacket or not, and where in the lake it will be safe to swim. Soon, the tag board was filled and the girls were set to swim at the lake during free swims, and to sign for swimming as one of their activities where they could improve and perhaps change band/tag colors.

The afternoon excitement didn’t end there. After drying off, we all assembled in the gym and the counselors took to the stage to showcase their activities through lively skits. Complete with costumes, songs, and the occasional gymnastics and dance move, these performances offered campers a glimpse into the fun and opportunities each activity holds. Since the girls would be choosing their first set of activities later that evening, these skits provided valuable insights into who will be teaching each class and what to expect.

This session is off to a great start. The enthusiasm for camp is already ramping up as the girls settle in. Stay tuned!

There’s really nothing quite like a Rockbrook Banquet, the spectacular end-of-session party that celebrates our time together at camp. Every session, the banquet is something everyone looks forward to with building excitement. Leading up to it, there’s chatter about the surprise theme. There are rumors about secret costume choices and decorations that might be involved. The whole camp knows it will be an epic, one-of-a-kind party. It will be something crazy fun, a sensory explosion, even at times an emotional event that we’ll all remember. It’s true; “unforgettable” is often used to describe the banquet.

You may recall the CA (9th grade) campers are the hardworking, creative masterminds behind the banquet. They select a secret theme on the first day of camp and then spend all session preparing for the event by painting decorations, designing costumes, selecting menu items, and choreographing musical dance numbers. Their goal is to transform the dining hall into a unique party scene with lights and colorful decorations like streamers, balloons, table props, and yummy treats.

The real magic of a banquet, though, comes from having your camp friends together for the party. It’s a night to celebrate the fun you’ve shared this session, filled with music, dancing, great party food, fun entertainment, and sweet treats galore.

Anticipation for the banquet builds all day as the CAs decorate the dining hall which has been hidden by sheets hung over the screen windows. Near dinner time, everyone gathers outside dressed in their camp t-shirts. When the moment arrived tonight to begin and we rang the bell, everyone screamed with glee. It also started raining, but all the excitement easily overpowered any discomfort of being a little wet (which is pretty typical of life at camp!)

The Big Reveal

The CAs started by having everyone crawl along the porch through a tunnel made from extra tables draped in sheets and with fairy lights inside. There wasn’t a clue as to the theme inside. But once they entered the dining hall they were met by some of the most popular musical artists around, people like Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, LanaDel Ray, Zach Bryan, Sabrina Carpenter, Tate McRae, Billie Eilish, and Olivia Rodrigo. That’s because tonight’s banquet was a music festival entitled “Redbird Music Fest!”

The dining hall was decked out with music festival-themed decorations, hundreds of streamers draped from the ceiling, and even a disco ball. They had musical instrument props and funny inflated microphone props as table decorations, colored glasses to wear, souvenir cups, colorful table clothes, and even more fairy lights— all adding to the festival feel.

There were four choreographed dances. Britney Spears started with a skit where her “security guards” (who were the CA counselors) pretended the backup dancers were missing. The lights went out, and suddenly spotlights hit Britney as she performed “Hit Me Baby One More Time.” Everyone loved it.

Next Sabrina Carpenter danced and performed “Please Please Please,” followed by Taylor Swift singing her hit “22.” The final performance was a Zach Bryan dance to the song “Revival” where everyone danced around the dining hall singing along. Between each performance the banquet was a massive dance party with the girls and the counselors jumping and dancing together.

Throughout the night, they served pretzel bites, chicken tenders with waffle fries and cookie dough for dessert. Everyone was thrilled!

Singing Rockbrook Camp Forever

As we end every banquet, the whole camp stood and sang “Rockbrook Camp Forever.” Arm-in-arm and filled with emotion, the lyrics “friends true and faithful” really hit home. It was a truly special moment that perfectly captures the spirit of camp. It was the best kind of party, the kind that’s fun but also brought everyone closer together. It’s like camp in that same way.

Here are a few highlights from today at Rockbrook, from the perspective of a Rockbrook alum, occasional camp mom and substitute camp photographer. I was reflecting on Sunday’s chapel where the theme was ‘small gifts’ we receive every day such as friendship, a rainbow, a sweet note, a happy memory, a helping hand or a hug. I was given the gift of being a photographer on this gorgeous day at Rockbrook camp.

When you are carrying a camera around RBC looking for special moments to capture on a memory card, it turns out they’re pretty easy to find. Every time I looked, I found something that made my heart light up with joy. There were so many moments I’ll mention just a few highlights. 

Garden Art Among the Chickens

As I was getting my steps in on the way to the barn, I got sidetracked by all of the action that was happening at Garden Art! Garden Art is located literally in the Rockbrook garden, so the campers enjoying this activity are surrounded by all types of gorgeous growing flowers, some fresh fruit and a small flock of chickens just clucking away. One of the chickens was laying an egg in its coop. Several girls were feeding the chickens that were wandering around their fenced yard. So many nature crafts were in progress. I just couldn’t help but stop and take note. The activity leaders were guiding the campers through their choice of a myriad of crafts. One group was making natural dye by smushing bugs and flowers then creating a canvas using their dye, flowers, leaves and more. Others were doing macramé with cotton cord and sticks they had gathered, carefully tying knots to make wall art. Also, the girls had collected rocks of all shapes and sizes and summoned their imagination to paint creative designs in bright colors! I felt so fortunate to wander upon such a peaceful scene!

Pampering the Mini Horse Jolene

At horseback riding, a group of Junior Line campers were pampering the miniature horse named Jolene. Jolene lives down by the barn in her own little house. She was sunning in her outdoor enclosure and the girls were having the time of their lives giving that horse a fun ‘hair do”, petting, brushing and pouring all their love into that sweet animal. Not only were the girls enjoying themselves, but that mini horse was spoiled rotten. What a memorable experience for everyone involved. 

Needlecraft with Campers from Around the World

I also visited with a group of girls whose needle craft projects were taking shape. It was so refreshing to enjoy the moment while learning a new activity and engage with campers who came to RBC from Massachusetts to Paris, France! I never cease to be impressed by the kindness, confidence, creativity and character these Rockbrook girls radiate. Parents and guardians, you deserve kudos for this generation of young women you are guiding into adulthood. I’ve enjoyed meeting many of them in the past couple of days!

—Betsy Appleby
   Camp Mom, photographer and former camper

Thinking about tonight’s evening activity, I realized it’s been years since this session has had a chance to experience it. Other sessions have been luckier in the past couple of years, but not our full second session girls. I’m referring to the dance with Camp Carolina. There’s a long history of these camp dances where the boys from CCB and the girls from RBC get together for the evening for dances, but since the 2020 pandemic closures, we’ve been fighting contagious diseases off and on. We’ve scheduled camp dances since then, but things keep popping up that force us to cancel. It might have been pink eye, or strep throat, or some other virus, but it’s been a while when both camps were healthy enough to mix and mingle. For these second session girls, the last camp dance they had was in 2019!

Needless to say, the screams of excitement where deafening when we announced that we’d be having a dance tonight. We surprised everyone with the news at dinner and explained that we’d be loading up the buses in 20 minutes. Waiting until the last minute like this cuts down on the time we might spend getting ready. Still, it was funny to see the Senior girls sprinting across the hill toward their cabins to try and sneak in a quick shower. The counselors did a great job keeping things silly by dressing in costumes instead of “dressing up.” These camp dances are far from being serious. Even so, the girls had their hair brushed and were somehow able to find clean clothes to wear. The boys looked sharp too.

Two Dances, Two Camps

Long ago we realized that splitting the girls and boys into two simultaneous dances, one for the younger and another for the older children, was a good idea. This way only half of each camp needs to be transported. We drove the older girls over to Camp Carolina and they drove their young boys to Rockbrook. Both dances happened in the gyms at each camp.

Dancing to the Hits

The music at both dances was a mix of familiar pop songs and well-known group dances. Some of these are so popular you can count on them being played, like the “Cha Cha Slide,” and “Cotton-Eyed Joe,” for example. Also, for some reason the techno song “Sandstorm,” from 2001 seems to always appear. We also heard Taylor Swift and ABBA, which isn’t too surprising, as well as “Party Rock” and “Party in the USA.”

The dancing for the younger kids was impressively varied compared to the older girls who mostly jumped up and down with a hand raised in the air. Clustered together, the whole crowd would jump to match the beat of the music. We saw a long conga line at the Rockbrook dance, and plenty of chatting and laughing as each new song came on.

With coolers of water and cookies available to recharge everyone, both dances kept up an impressive pace for more than hour of excited bopping about. Everyone seemed a little surprised how fast the time flew by when we announced it was time for the girls to head back to RBC and the boys back to CCB. We were all a little sweaty by the end, but I think most agreed that the dance was “really fun.” A classic camp evening out.