June 18-21, 1998

Thursday Evening Thru Sunday Afternoon

Buffalo Gap Community Camp, Capon Bridge, West Virginia

• Willis Prudhomme & the Zydeco Express (Zydeco)
• Roy Carrier & the Night Rockers (Zydeco)
• Balfa Toujours (Cajun)

Cajun & Zydeco Instruction:

• Christine Balfa (Cajun), Lafayette, LA
• Don Brasseau (Cajun), Lafayette, LA
• Michael Seider (Zydeco), New Orleans, LA
• Pam Ardoin (Zydeco), Lake Charles, LA

Illustration by: Linda LangfordPhotos from past years:

The The Bruce Daigerpont Cajun Band at the 1996 Buffalo Jambalaya. Photograph courtesy of : Sue Daigerpont - bdcband@cs.com

Ellen Wicker and Isaiah Reed demonstrate the Nouveau Zydeco moves. Buffalo Gap Dance Camp, 1995 Photograph by: Marty Katz

Information

• Bands:
  
  • Willis Prudhomme and the Zydeco Express, Kinder, LA: Willis Prudhomme is one of the leading performers of zydeco, a traditional form of black, cajun, and Creole music made popular along the Louisiana-Texas Gulf Coast. They have traveled throughout the United States playing zydeco music and are featured in a scene in the movie Passion Fish.
  • Roy Carrier & the Night Rockers, Lawtell, LA: After having this band at previous Buffalo Gap events, we are happy to announce "Roy's Back In Town." This band is HOT! Roy Carrier plays upbeat zydeco music as well as bluesy tunes.
  • Balfa Toujours, Lafayette, LA: Christine Balfa is one of the leading performers of traditional Cajun music. She is the daughter of the legendary fiddler Dewey Balfa and preserves the quality and character of the music Dewey championed, while replenishing the tradition with new songs full of emotion, grace and charm.
• Instructors:
  
  • Christine Balfa (Cajun Dance) grew up dancing at home and later in the family-oriented dance halls of Mamou and Basile. She has taught dance workshops in Ashokan, Lady of the Lake, Fiddle Tunes and Augusta, and tours and records with Balfa Toujours. Teaching with her will be Don Brasseau, from Lafayet
  • Michael Seider (Zydeco), from New Orleans, has taught both traditional and the new "Open" styles of zydeco dancing at Augusta, Eschoheag, RI and New York. Teaching with him is Pam Ardoin, who grew up dancing in Lake Charles, LA and has played rubboard with Willis Prudhomme.
• Program:
  
  • Thursday
  • Evening Dance
  • Friday
  • Dance Instruction, Beg. & Adv.
  • Workshops and Culture Classes
  • Evening Dance
  • Saturday
  • Dance Instruction, Beg. & Adv.
  • Workshops and Culture Classes
  • Country Cajun Mardi Gras Parade
  • Evening Mardi Gras Ball
  • Midnight Crawfish Boil on the Beach
  • Sunday
  • Afternoon Dance
• Facility and Accommodations:
  The 200-acre camp, nestled in the mountains near Capon Bridge, West Virginia, is about 30 minutes from Winchester, Virginia, and two hours west of Washington, D.C. The grounds include wooded hills with hiking trails, a lake with a sandy beach, sauna, dining hall, an open-air dance pavilion, and a large dance hall. Housing: Housing is in rustic dormitory-style cabins which sleep 8-12 people. All male, all female and couples cabins are available. Cabins have plumbing and electricity, but some do not have indoor showers. Dancers must bring their own towels, toiletries, bed linen, pillows, blankets or sleeping bag. Tenting sites are available, but there are no RV hookups. Meals: In addition to three meals served daily, a snack is provided after each nightly dance. The 200-acre camp, nestled in the mountains near Capon Bridge, West Virginia, is about 30 to 45 minutes from Winchester, Virginia, and two hours west of Washington, D.C. The grounds include a lake with a sandy beach, sauna, dining hall, an open-air dance pavilion, and a large dance hall. Housing consists of rustic dormitory-style cabins which sleep 8-12 people. All cabins have plumbing and electricity, but some do not have indoor showers. Dancers bring their own towels, toiletries, bed linen, pillows, blankets or sleeping bag. Couples will be expected to share a cabin with other couples. Tenting sites are available, but there are no RV hookups. In addition to three meals served daily, a snack is provided after each nightly dance.