NGI Recipient: Sarah Stefanski
Session Attended: Royal Scottish Country Dance Society - Scottish Session I (2017)
I want to thank you for providing me with the New Generation
Initiative scholarship that allowed me to attend Scottish Session I.
So many people I met at Pinewoods have been coming year after year for
the Scottish Sessions, and I hope that holds true for me in the years
to come. The highlight of coming to Pinewoods is the opportunity to
learn from new teachers, dance to fabulous music, and connect with old
and new friends within the dancing community. I have found the
Scottish dance community to be a wonderful group of people, and have
made many friends through dancing.
While at Pinewoods, I especially enjoy Fred DeMarse’s advanced
technique and teacher’s choice classes, and Kate Nealley’s advanced
repertoire class. One of my favorite things about dancing at Pinewoods
is that I can take what I learned in the morning classes and apply the
lessons to my dancing in that nights evening program. The Highland
Ball was magical, seeing C# all decorated and starting off the evening
with a Grand March to four(!) bagpipers.
Beyond dancing, another tremendous joy for me was to play fiddle with
the open band for two sets of Dave Wiesler tunes at the Sunday evening
program. Sitting with the band on stage, playing for dancing was a
memorable experience.
Thank you again for supporting me in attending Pinewoods Scottish
Session I this year.