Tips for Attending the Mendocino Camp
"I've attended the camp for the past two years. When you send in your
final payment, they should send you a recommended list of items [to bring]. But
from my experience..."
Activities
"Don't expect a lot of emphasis on wild and crazy drumming and rocking out by the fire day and night. There has been a trend lately for that kind of thing late at night, but the classes on drumming are rigorous, disciplined and traditional. And also fun!" --Robyn Friend
Temperatures/Climate
"Bring a warm coat. The days are usually warm, a scarf thrown over the shoulders will do, but the nights can get COLD. Most people bring a sleeping bag; I have had more success with bringing lots of bed clothes so that I can layer the covers depending upon the cold." --Izora
"It can be cold at night, and even wet. Bring some very warm clothes
and be prepared to peel or add as the situation requires. There is
dancing to live music in the dance hall every night, and that hots up
quite a bit, but the minute you stop, you are frozen meat! You can
bring glitzy diaphanous frou-frou to wear at the evening parties, if you
like, but you will probably end up doing what we all do: drape it over
your sweatpants and down jacket! ...The drive in and the drive out, once you get away from the coast, is blisteringly hot, so be sure to bring that sort of clothing, as well." --Robyn Friend
Nature
"There's alot of poison oak (which you can get even from the branches) & you make it worse by scratching, so: bring Caladryl & don't walk bare-legged thru high growth... Lyme disease is a real danger in any wooded area: I suggest a battery-operated flea/tick collar (you can attach it to your belt)- it isnon-toxic to all concerned, just chases 'em away. Better petshops have them. I am a total City child: I enjoy "Nature" through a large picture window, with my heated shower, PC, VCR, TV, CDs & all the other technical initials. Someday, I hope to learn how to grow a flower....." --Morocco
Class Attire
"During the dance workshops, most people wear a leotard or choli-type top, a skirt, and a beaded or coined hip scarf. Very casual. The
musicians dress like they are camping - casual and comfortable." --Izora
Other Things to Bring
"And if you are like me, bring lots of chocolate for yourself and to share with the other campers. (The bartenders at the cabaret LOVE pistachio nuts!)" --Izora
"You have to bring your own bedding, towels, etc., as one camper from South America discovred to her horror on arriving! The cabins (unless there has been a major change from last year [1996]) are primitive: no insulation, no electricity, no water. Bring a flashlight, as the trails are not lit at night. There are communal bathrooms, and they can be
quite a hike from where your cabin is." --Robyn Friend
Food
"I am a vegetarian so I only can comment on that type of food - very good. I cannot eat dairy so I had to request no feta cheese which they
tend to use with abandon. Sometimes the food gets a little skimpy near
the end of the week. Last year [1996] they had a lot of participants and they
may have underestimated the supplies. But generally the food was really
good - oatmeal and eggs for breakfast, soup, salad, and a small entree
for lunch, soup, salad, entree and dessert for dinner - mostly
mediterreanean/middle eastern cuisine." --Izora
"The food is decent, and both vegetarian and non-v are on offer." --Robyn Friend
Seating
"If you have a bad back, be aware that the seats can be very
uncomfortable. Mostly benches or folding chairs. If you have a back
support, bring it." --Izora
Recommendations
"Leave your ego, your need for attention, your need to have the best spot in the bathroom, etc., at home, and be prepared for an
unforgettable communal living experience. For me, a week a year is
about all I can take of it, but it is a glorious fun-filled
soul-searching week! I get to meet myself and confront many of the
hidden aspects of my inner-being, and return to the "real" world
refreshed. I have told you alot of the gritty truths about Camp, but believe me, all this will pale besides the great and glorious time you will have
with some great teachers and musicians. You will dance yourself into a
frenzy with live music every night. Every night will be a concert
performed by the teachers and guests, Arabic, Turkish, Armenian, etc.
There are unusual vendors with stuff you don't see everywhere. And the setting is serene and gorgeous in an indescribable and unforgettable way." --Robyn Friend
"...I'd walk barefoot through a burning forest for the musicians &
dancers & wonderful people/vibes of Mendocino Dance Camp. If I'm not
mistaken, it's also where I *met* Robyn & a few other folks I absolutely love!!!
All disclaimers apply: I'm not going to be teaching there this summer [1997], but
Coskun swore I'd be there *next* summer (If he finks out, he's dead
meat!!!). However, by the time I pay somebody to cover my
classes/studios/building & take my messages/answer my calls, I'm in serious
deficit for the real thrill of "working" there, so I don't get any monetary
profit out of it, but my soul sure does........." --Morocco
Last Modified: 29 August 1997
