Lark Camp World Music, Song & Dance Celebration Originally called Lark in the Morning

Lark in the Morning

Lark in the Morning is a musician's service originally founded in 1974 by Mickie Zekley. Lark specializes in hard to find musical items, instruments, music and instructional materials from around the world. Ownership of the company was transferred to other owners in 2002.In November 2010 Lark In...

 Music Celebration is an annual week-long world music and dance celebration that includes dozens of instructional workshops for both professional and beginner musicians and dancers.

Camp instructors come from all over the world to staff these workshops, most are internationally accomplished and well recognized in the field that they represent.

Lark Camp takes place in the Mendocino Woodlands State Park

Mendocino Woodlands State Park

The Mendocino Woodlands State Park is a group camping facility located at 39350 Little Lake Road, Mendocino County, California, seven miles inland from the town of Mendocino. It was built as a Recreational Demonstration Area by the Civilian Conservation Corps...

, a National Historic Landmark built in the 1930s, nestled in 700 acres (2.8 km²) of redwood trees, ferns, and glades, near the coastal village of Mendocino, California

Mendocino, California

Mendocino is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. Mendocino is located south of Fort Bragg, at an elevation of 154 feet...

.

There are three primary camps divided roughly by the following criteria with workshops, sessions, dances and events. Camp One's workshops are focused on the Irish music, Irish dance

Irish dance

Irish dancing or Irish dance is a group of traditional dance forms originating in Ireland which can broadly be divided into social dance and performance dances. Irish social dances can be divided further into céilí and set dancing...

, English folk music, including English Country Dance, Morris & Sword dance, Greek music, Greek dances

Greek dances

Greek dance is a very old tradition, being referred to by authors such as Plato, Aristotle, Plutarch and Lucian. There are different styles and interpretations from all of the islands and surrounding mainland areas. Each region formed its own choreography and style to fit in with their own ways...

, Balkan music, Bulgarian dances

Bulgarian dances

Bulgarian folk dances are intimately related to the music of Bulgaria. This distinctive feature of Balkan folk music is the asymmetrical meter, built up around various combinations of 'quick' and 'slow' beats...

, and Swedish folk music

Swedish folk music

Swedish folk music is a genre of music based largely on folkloric collection work that began in the early 19th century in Sweden. The primary instrument of Swedish folk music is the fiddle. Another common instrument, unique to Swedish traditions, is the nyckelharpa...

, Camp Two's
on Old-time music

Old-time music

Old-time music is a genre of North American folk music, with roots in the folk music of many countries, including England, Scotland, Ireland and countries in Africa. It developed along with various North American folk dances, such as square dance, buck dance, and clogging. The genre also...

, Square dance

Square dance

Square dance is a folk dance with four couples arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, beginning with Couple 1 facing away from the music and going counter-clockwise until getting to Couple 4. Couples 1 and 3 are known as the head couples, while Couples 2 and 4 are the side couples...

, Cuban music, Latin dances

Latin dances

Latin dance is a general label that refers to various forms of ballroom dance and folk dance, and can include a wide range of dances originating in Latin America ....

, Tango dance, Andean music

Andean music

Andean music comes from the general area inhabited by Quechuas, Aymaras and other peoples that lived roughly in the area of the Inca Empire prior to European contact. It includes folklore music of parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela...

, Galician music & dance, French folk music

French folk music

As Europe experienced a wave of roots revivals in the 1950s and 60s, France found its regional culture reviving traditional music. Brittany, Limousin, Gascony, Corsica and Auvergne were among the regions that experienced a notable resurgence in the popularity of folk music...

, Swing dances & music and Camp Three's on Middle Eastern music

Middle Eastern music

The music of Western Asia and North Africa spans across a vast region, from Morocco to Afghanistan, and its influences can be felt even further afield. Middle Eastern music influenced the music of India, as well as Central Asia, Spain, Southern Italy, the Caucasus and the Balkans, as in chalga...

, Turkish music, Bellydance, Zimbabwean music, Samba Brazilian music and hand drumming.

There are hundreds of workshops offered daily and jam sessions 24 hours a day. Each evening there are dances where everyone can participate in the music and the dance. The meals are of a home cooked style.
The nature of the event makes for constant musical stimulation and is in a beautiful natural scenic environment.

History

Established in 1980 by Mickie Zekley, Lark Camp was created to provide a venue to allow traditional musicians and dancers to get together and share their music & dance (A music & dance party with educational overtones). This event is an open forum for musicians, singers & dancers to exchange ideas and learn without being in a rigid school structure.
Some of the history leading up to the event can be found at "Adventures Of A Street Musician"

Stories About Lark Camp

There are many articles online about Lark Camp:

• Jody Rosen. "Joanna Newsom, the Changeling", New York Times, New York, NY, March 7, 2010 an article about Joanna Newsom & Lark Camp.

• Larry Li. "A Celtic Paradise on the California Coast", Strings Magazine, San Anselmo, CA, March 2010 an article about Lark Camp's Celtic music program.

• Bob Doran. "Song of the Lark", North Coast - The Journal, Humboldt County, CA, August 7, 2008. A general article about Lark Camp.

• David LaHuta. "50 All-Star Family Camps", Budget Travel Magazine, New York, NY, March 2007. An article recommending Lark Camp as a family vacation.

• Claudia Kriva. "Tell Us Where To Go", Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, CA, August 13, 2008. An article about Lark Camp as a non-traditional vacation.

• Erin Shrader. "Plays Well with Others", All Things String, San Anselmo, CA, August 28, 2009. An article by a Lark Camp instructor about her experiences at music sessions at Lark Camp.

• Vicki Sanders Corporon. "The Lure of Lark Camp ... I'm Singing Its Praises", The Galley from The Clan MacNeil Society, San Pleasanton, CA, Fall/Winter 2005. An article about a campers experiences at Lark Camp.

• Marta Veiga. "Gaitas No Cerne Do Imprio", El Progreso, Lugo, Spain, April 2, 2010. An article about Kevin Carr and the Galacian music at Lark Camp.

• Staff. "Summer Camps... Not Just For Kids Anymore", Group Trip Advisor, Glendale, AZ, 2009. An article about Summer Camps offering great value for Groups Traveling on a Budget.

External links

• Lark Camp website
• Lark In The Morning website