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NGI Recipient: Jo Siegel

Session Attended: CDS Boston Centre - English Scottish Session (2011)

To CDS Boston Centre and Pinewoods Camp, Inc.

There is no way I would have been able to be a part of an event like English-Scottish Session at Pinewoods without the NGI scholarship options, fabulous participants and organizers. My partner Jill and I flew standby into Boston and out of Hartford, catching rides with musicians and dance teachers back and forth in order to make it to this magical event.

And boy was it magical. Dancing morning and night, making lasting friends and hearing musicians play on until dawn. Until ESS, I was an avid contra dancer who experimented with English on the side and had tried one (difficult) morris class. I fell in love with the grace and complexity of Scottish dance at ESS and now seek out this community at home.

Unfortunately, I am so busy here at home that it’s hard to keep up with the one class that happens. I look forward to participating in Pinewoods dance events in the future for the jumpstart I need to keep up with the dancing that I love. I just hope that ESS and other sessions can remain accessible and available for folks like me!