Dance Camp North will be at Lost Lake over Labor Day weekend Aug. 30 through Sept. 1, 2025 as well as a Friday night dance at the Pioneer Park Dance Hall.

The Dam Beavers are Ben Schreiber on fiddle, Scotty Leach on piano, and Ness Smith-Savedoff on drums. With roots in a wide variety of styles and genres, their music comprises an eclectic mix of old and new, familiar and unfamiliar. Let the current sweep you away as the Dam Beavers build a dam of rhythm beneath your feet!

Jeremy is a popular bicoastal caller, based in Southern California most of the year and in Eastern Massachusetts during the summer. A dancer since childhood, he has been calling contras and squares around the country since 2003 and children and family dances since 1993. Jeremy is acclaimed for his fun dances, efficient walkthroughs, precise calling, and community spirit.

REGISTER TODAY!

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Dance Camp North is the signature weekend event of the Contra Borealis Dancers with some of the premier contradance bands and callers from around the country. It takes place on Labor Day weekend each year.

There is an in-town dance on Friday night followed by a dance weekend at the Lost Lake Boy Scout Camp about 60 minutes south of Fairbanks along the Richardson Highway toward Delta Junction.

Excellent food, cabins or tent accommodations and bathrooms provided, but you bring your own bedding, up to 100 people enjoy the rural settings with a dance hall, workshop rooms, swimming or boating on Lost Lake, and nice fall hiking with great views of the Tanana River basin. Aurora viewing is a definite possibility.

Oh, yes, and you will experience some of the finest contra dancing and music jamming in Alaska.

• • More about the accommodations and location.
  • Dance Camp history

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Timing, location, and logistics

Dance Camp starts with a kick-off dance in Fairbanks Friday evening, August 29, 2025 at 7:00 pm. We will have a potluck starting at 5:30 pm.

Campers will make their way to Lost Lake Camp on Saturday morning, August 30, where check in begins at noon. Light snacks will be available. The Saturday dance will begin at 8:00 PM.

The farewell dance on Monday, Sept. 1 will end at 3:30 pm.

Dance Camp North is located about an hour south of Fairbanks along the Richardson Hwy. There is a plywood dance floor.

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Registration and fees

Getting into Camp: There are 100 openings at camp, so we encourage you to register early. Register here: Dance Camp North 2025 registration form

Pricing:

Adults whose registration is made online or postmarked before August 1: $250 for adults  $275 Adults whose registration is made online or postmarked after August 1: $275.
Student price: $200
Child age 13-18: $120
Child age 6-12: $80
Child age 0-5: Free
Non-dancer (babysitter, etc. that includes meals but no dancing): $130

See below for Scholarship details: $130

Admission includes all dances, workshops, meals, and lodging. Registration is for the entire weekend only.

Acceptance: you will receive an acceptance letter and Camp information by email, unless you ask for it by mail.

Special pricing: Student price $200, Non-dancer price $130 (just meals, no dancing)

Cancellation: Registrations are not transferable. If you need to cancel, we will offer the spot to the first person on the waitlist. Your registration fee may be refunded, less a cancellation charge. The later you cancel, the larger the charge: $30 until August 1, $70 from August 2- 15, and after August 15 your registration fee will not be refunded. However, if your cancellation is due to illness or extraordinary circumstances, please let us know and we will consider a possible refund.

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Scholarships

Scholarships: Campers on a tight budget who are willing to give extra time and effort may apply for a scholarship to attend Camp for half price ($130). We estimate 10 scholarship slots are available (in exchange for up to 7 hours of work). If you select this option, we will contact you about availability for camp set-up/take-down and other jobs.

Please contact us if you wish to receive a scholarship. coordinator@contraborealis.org

Verbal or email confirmation is required before you register with the scholarship price. Contact coordinator@contraborealis.org and get registered, as scholarships are first-come, first-serve!

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Lodging, meals, and activities

Catering: We are welcoming back the excellent local caterer Joe Hardenbrook, known from the food truck Hard Eats!  He will plan the menu to accommodate basic dietary preferences. If you have very specific requirements or allergies (eg. absolutely no gluten, no dairy), we suggest you bring your own food items to support your needs.

Accommodations: We reserved a limited number of rustic, shared cabins with 8 to 12 bunks each.  There are also 11 designated campsites, and a small number of parking spaces big enough for RVs. There is no hookup for RV wastewater. Sleeping bags and pillows are not provided, and be prepared for possible cold nights. There are bathhouses with hot showers. Bring your own towels and toiletries.

No lake access is permitted as we did not reserve waterfront or hire a lifeguard. There are several wonderful trails to overlooks where you can view the lake and see distant mountains.

Absolutely no pets, unregistered guests, or alcohol are allowed at Lost Lake Camp, not even in the parking lot!

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Kids and Families

We love seeing kids and babies at the dance! Childcare is not provided, but if you are bringing kids we would like to connect you with other parents so you can work out your own system of supervision. We will have a play room available during the dances and some workshops for kids to hang out. Children must be supervised at all times. Some families bring full-time caregivers for young children. Non-dancing caregivers may attend Camp for a reduced cost.

Toys and clothing should have name tags, and toys should be removed from common spaces after use.

Unregistered guests are not allowed at Camp.

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Camp Rules

The Midnight Sun Council has a few rules for Lost Lake Scout Camp:

• Please park in parking lots. The roadway needs to be clear for traffic to pass. Parking near
  campsite/cabin for loading/unloading purposes only.
• No chopping of firewood, tinder, or kindling inside camp buildings.
• No pets in camp.
• ATV’s, Snow machines, and UTV’s require special BSA training and a permit to be used on Council property.
• No fires except in stoves and existing constructed fire rings.
• No white gas, kerosene, gasoline, or diesel appliances inside the buildings. Propane may only be used in an approved appliance.
• Do not move furnishings. This includes beds, mattresses, tables, benches, etc.
• No Lifeguard on site, swim at own risk.
• Bring your own paper products and sleeping gear.
• All cabin users will sweep and clean their cabins prior to leaving.
• Don’t harass the wildlife.
• The use of firearms is prohibited. Don’t bring them.

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Dance Camp 2025 COVID Policy

Last year we were thrilled to report no COVID infections after camp, and have decided to NOT require testing this year. Still, this disease is with us to stay, and you should assume there will be some amount of COVID and other viruses available on the dance floor. You need to make your own personal choices on how to protect yourself.

– COVID tests will be provided at camp but optional.
– Masks are admired but not required.
– Vaccination is desired but not required.

– Anyone who tests positive or who has symptoms before or during the weekend needs to immediately remove themselves and notify the organizers.

-If you test positive for COVID just PRIOR to Dance Camp, please immediately contact Christin Swearingen for a potential refund. (coordinator@contraborealis.org)

– We ask that you report to the organizers all cases of COVID so that we may have full understanding of how well our policies are working. We will keep any reporting strictly confidential but we may make an anonymous report of just the number of cases that likely came out of the weekend.

We reserve the right to change this policy based on evolving guidelines.