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Photos from our 2011 season are now available! 
Many of our talented staffers return year after year. Read below to see who joined us summer 2011 and check back to see who will be coming in 2012.
(All activities and classes are subject to change)
Week of Saturday, July 23 - Friday, July 29, 2011
Adult Program Staff: Sam & Alice Silverman (non-violent communication), Nicki Marshall (dance), Kim Dunkley (circus arts & nature exploration), Veronica Gadbois (art sampler), Talor Stewart (drum building), Mary Claire Denhaven (yoga)
Multi-age Program Staff: Tyler Balistrieri (archery), Peter Hansen (tennis), Lori Biamonte, Sandra Griffith (crafts), Justin Bouvier (swimming), Wanda Bouvier (nurse), Volunteers for Peace, Steve Blane (ukulele)
Kidville: Meredith Bartolo, David Kirsch, Rebecca Blane, Emma , Entis-Lilienfeld, Sandra Griffith
Kitchen: Charlie Cunningham, Veronica Gadbois
Week of Saturday, July 30 - Friday, August 5, 2011
Adult Program Staff: Marc Kornbluh (glass bead making), Nicki Marshall (dance), Kim Dunkley (circus arts & nature exploration), Veronica Gadbois (sewing sampler), Michael Albert (pop art)
Multi-age Program Staff: Tyler Balistrieri (archery), Peter Hansen (tennis), Lori Biamonte, Sequana Skye (nurse), Veronica Gadbois (crafts), Justin Bouvier (swimming), Steve Blane (ukulele), Volunteers for Peace, Mary Claire Denhaven (yoga)
Kidville: David Kirsch, David Kano, Rebecca Blane, Emma Entis-Lilienfeld
Kitchen: Charlie Cunningham, Veronica Gadbois
Week of Saturday, August 6 - Friday, August 12, 
2011
Adult Program Staff: Marc Kornbluh (glass bead making), Kim Dunkley (circus arts & nature exploration), Sophie Bell (writing), Veronica Gadbois (a taste of weaving), Jim Scott (guitar and songwriting), Liz Ritter (Improv)
Multi-age Program Staff: Martha Siegel (strings), Tyler Balistrieri (archery), Peter Hansen (tennis), Lori Biamonte, Sequana Skye (nurse), Justin Bouvier (swimming), Volunteers for Peace
Kidville: David Kirsch, David Kano, Taylor Cannizzaro, Nancy Hershatter, Rebecca Blane, Emma Entis-Lilienfeld
Kitchen: Charlie Cunningham, Veronica Gadbois
Week of Saturday, August 13 - Friday, August 19, 2011
Adult Program Staff: Tyler Balistrieri (archery), Peter Hansen (tennis), Jackie Mangione (The Art Shack), Kim Dunkley (circus arts & nature exploration), Courtney Reckord (yoga & nature exploration)
Multi-age Program Staff: Martha Siegel (strings), Lori Biamonte, Sequana Skye (nurse), Justin Bouvier (swimming), Jackie Mangione (arts & crafts)
Kidville: Rebecca Blane, Emma Entis-Lilienfeld
Kitchen: Charlie Cunningham, Veronica Gadbois
If you would like to read bios on our staff, click here.
Archery with Tyler Balistrieri – Tyler’s archery classes were so popular during Lost Arts that we added him to the line-up at Camp Common Ground in 2010. Tyler will be joining us once again, this time for the whole summer! In the morning adults will be able to shoot some arrows and in the afternoon adults and kids can do it together.
Art with Jackie - Liberating Art From Within - At Camp, come to the Art Shack, and choose one, or more, age-appropriate art activities. During your stay at Camp that week, Jackie will work with you, either individually, or through group instruction, to help you unleash your inner artist, and reach new heights in your art skills. Year after year, it has been observed that campers who pursue art activities in this inspiring setting, often have profound and transformative experiences in their own artistic talents and appreciation. Please visit Jackie's website to learn more about her!
Circus Arts with Kim Dunkley - It’s never too late to join the circus! Become an acrobat or ribbon dancer, juggle plates, balls, bowling pins or scarves, find internal balance, build a human pyramid or simply resurrect your dormant cartwheel abilities. Many skills will be offered and people can focus on what they wish. Simply enjoy playing or prepare an act for the big show. Kim Dunkley attended Dell’Arte and enjoys sharing silly skills with people.
Crafts with Sandra Griffith - Sandra Griffith will lead campers in all sorts of projects. She studied handwork at Waldorf-inspired Sunbridge College. She learned to knit at her grandmother’s knee at the age of 7 and loves to share her skill with people of all ages. She also spins, weaves, and dyes (yarns and fabrics). And she can play a mean game of Boggle or Rummikub.
Creative Strings with Emma Bissex - A CGC veteran, Emma Goldberg is a violin performer and teacher from Burlington, Vermont. Whether it's classical, blues, or punk rock, Emma enjoys playing (and teaching many different forms of music! This year, Emma is looking forward to teaching both children and adults the joys of beginner violin or cello as well as playing songs together. More experienced 
players can enjoy instruction in traditional fiddle and classical music, but Emma's program will primarily focus on creating new music through improvisation and composition with all who are interested!
Dance with Nicki Marshall - Nicki Marshall has been coming to CCG since it's first year, when she was a teenager. She has been living in NYC since 2000 as a post-modern dancer, a choreographer, and a dance and yoga teacher. She loves to teach in our newly renovated hay barn, so get ready to get your groove on this summer!
Drum Building with Talor Stewart - Talor Stewart is an expert drum builder who has been leading drumming and drum building workshops at Camp Common Ground for 17 years and has also come to the Lost Arts Week. Well over 100 drums (we've lost count) have been made at these workshops, attesting to the lasting fun and popularity of them. Some people say it's Talor's wit and charm, but mostly we think it's because the drums are so beautiful!
Each person chooses their own drum shell, colored rope, fabric, steel rings, and natural skin and learns some simple but beautiful knot work, drum tuning and playing. We will also have paints and wood burning tools for those who wish to customize or further decorate their drums.
This course has an extra cost to cover the quality materials and advance preparation.
Glasswork Creations taught by Marc Kornbluh (all morning and afternoon) - Marc has been leading fused glass workshops at CGC for years. He is a talented glasswork artist himself creating jewelry and decorative art pieces out of blown and fused glass. Check out his website! We have a fully appointed glass studio where you will have the opportunity to learn the art of glass bead making. Using a torch and specialized tools create beautifully colored beads, pendants and more.
Improv with Liz Ritter - "Experts" debating the relative merits of broccoli versus cauliflower? A roomful of Fay Wrays "running" away from a scary monster in slow motion? Four paranoid hypochondriacs carpooling to work? Nothing is too far-out for improv, where we make it all up on the spot. Using easy-to-follow warm-ups to explore basic improv principles, we will have fun playing a variety of short games and one- to five-minute scenes. No prior experience necessary. Only qualifications are a willingness to relax, play, have fun, and enjoy whatever zany twists and turns the class may take. Just say YES! Elizabeth Lorris Ritter has been studying improv since 2003.
Nature Exploration with Kim Dunkley - Explore the site and hidden treasures of Common Ground Center with outdoors woman Kim Dunkley. Common Ground sits on 700 acres of beautiful, undeveloped Vermont country side that is home to woods, a wetland, hiking trails up a mountain, a swimming pond, a beaver pond, Lewis Creek, and more. Kim has been exploring our woods for years and there is nothing she likes more than sharing her love of nature with others. 
Non-Violent Communication with Alice and Sam Silverman - Nonviolent communication is sometimes referred to as compassionate communication. NVC guides us to reframe how we express ourselves and hear others by focusing our consciousness on what we are observing, feeling, needing, and requesting.
“Strings” with Martha Siegel - Martha is an icon at Common Ground. She sets up her music studio in the farmhouse and offers lessons in violin and cello to beginners and experienced players alike. People learn to play alone and in groups. One four year old learned to play "Twinkle, twinkle….” in one week at camp. Join all of Martha’s students for the Chamber Music Concert at the end of the week.
Tennis with Peter Hansen - Peter is an avid tennis player and teacher for 35 years. He trained with Peter Burwash International and wrote a book Zone Tennis: Passageway to the Spirit of Play so the teaching is always play and fun and free form is the rule. He loves the game and his love is infectious.
Ukulele with Steve Blane - 2010 was dubbed "the summer of the ukulele" and we're going for Round II this year. Dozens of campers learned how to play this fun instrument under the direction of Steve Blane, musician and Rabbi, who made it fun and easy. All ages can learn a tune or two and perhaps put together a performance for the Big Show!
Volunteers for Peace - The Volunteers for Peace (VFP) are a group of international volunteers that join our community during some Camp Common Ground sessions. They will be working on various construction projects around the site and campers are welcome to help, if they so desire. Just bring a pair of closed-toed-shoes! You can also catch up with the VFP during meal times and down times throughout your week at Camp Common Ground.
Writing Your Life with Sophie Bell - Come spend a week writing about an important experience in your life, with helpful prompts to get you started. Share your work-in-progress with other writers and/or meet individually with Sophie to talk in more depth about your writing. Don’t worry! You don’t need to have a particular “experience” in mind to get something out of this class, just an interest in doing some writing. If you like, bring a photo or photos related in some way to experiences you might want to write about!
