Thursday morning at breakfast, the rumble of a drum roll ran all through the tables. Division Head Harrison Prak had an announcement: “The year’s theme of this year’s dance will be… literary rivalries!”
Ooh’s and ahh’s waved through the room. The WriCampia Dance is a popular annual event at camp. Everyone was eager to learn the theme and come up with and create a costume that day. I was excited, too. The night before the dance, I had asked our counselors if we could know the theme ahead of time that night to get prepared. “No,” Madeleine said. “The fun of the dance is to figure out your costume the day of and that you can make your costume.”
Maisie W., Lower Camper, mentioned she enjoys this setup. “I like how they don’t tell you the theme ahead of time because it is a good surprise,” she said. “I like surprises because it’s good to stay curious.”
The night of the dance, campers filled the Field House. The music was booming. Campers rushed in one after another, filling the room with homemade costumes and energy. The costumes included all sorts of characters, such as the Tortoise and the Hare, Angelica and Eliza Schuyler, the Lorax and the Once-ler, and so much more. These homemade costumes were well constructed and very creative.
For example, my friends and I dressed up as the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf. We spent time at Waterfront making our costumes. This was a good time to collaborate on something different than we usually work on.
Dancers’ moves were highlights, too. Mabel the Unicorn, Writopia’s mascot, brought all the energy to the room. Her dance moves were amazing. A circle of campers and counselors formed around her. Dancers cheered her name, asking for high fives. Mixes of songs, some rock, some pop, kept the energy up. As the song “Umbrella” by Rihanna started to play, campers began to sing. About halfway through the song, some campers and staff unfurled their literal umbrellas. They were a hit.
The WriCampian Dance is a fun evening activity for bonding with friends. As Lower camper Willow put it, “It’s fun for me just to dance.” If you want to bond with friends, dance like you never have before, or have a good time, the WriCampian Dance is made for you.
