BALLIBAY FAQ

GRAPEVINE

It’s not an unusual for campers at Ballibay to seek out other kids (or staff) with a particular interest, such as tennis, improv comedy, juggling, magic, etc… Stuff that is probably there in the community but there’s no obvious path to, since there’s no tennis, improv, juggling, or magic counselor per se.

We have a staff meeting every day, and part of that meeting is the “grapevine,” where we check in on what the kids are asking about, looking for, etc… So all a camper needs to do is mention their interest to any counselor, and, in the next morning’s meeting, there will either be suggestions of both campers and staff who would be interested or a few staff tasked with doing more research over the course of the day.

Once some folks have been identified, staffers will make introductions to get these cooperations started.

 

DIVERSITY

In terms of diversity, it’s a complex situation at Ballibay. As far as neuro- and gender diversity go, we’re about as diverse as can be, and have been for decades; but we do remain majority-white, and our small size further problematizes this: we may have one cabin that is extremely diverse, while another is entirely white, or with only one or two kids of color or indigenous descent. This varies from summer to summer and session to session; and so while we can guarantee an increasing degree of diversity at the camp, we can’t know the diversity of any given cabin of kids.

We’re actively working to change this: last summer we began reserving 25% of our scholarship fund specifically for black, indigenous and other kids of color, with the option for scholarship fund donors to put 100% of their donation towards the BIPOC scholarships. We’re reaching out to indigenous communities based on the history of the land the camp occupies to ensure that there is awareness of the scholarships, and we do a great deal of outreach to the public schools in the extremely diverse borough of Brooklyn, where camp director John typically lives and teaches. We support PTA fundraising projects in more than 45 schools in the NYC metro area.

The vast majority of our campers come to us via referral (or as 2nd generation Ballibayers) which in the past has tended to reinforce an overall lack of ethnic diversity, but now fortunately is working in the other direction and serving to increase overall diversity. Our roughly 80% return rate also has traditionally kept change slow, but now is finally contributing to its acceleration.

 

UP-THE-HILL AND DOWN-THE HILL

Out of respect for our nonbinary campers and staff, we’ve re-named our cabin areas. What has historically been known as the “girls’ area” is now referred to as the “Up the Hill” cabin area, and cabins are numbered U1, U2, U3, etc… instead of G1, G2, G3. Similarly, the “Down the Hill” cabin area is the new name for the living area where most kids and staff use he/him pronouns, and the cabins are now D1, D2, D3, etc…

Ballibay has always been a gender-diverse community, and we’re very pleased that our on-line registration partner Ultracamp has implemented a gender expression menu that better accommodates this diversity.

Please log in to your Ultracamp account and check that your campers’ gender expression, pronouns, and preferred name reflect your campers’ current wishes.

IS THERE ENOUGH TIME IN THREE WEEKS FOR A CAMPER TO EXPLORE ALL OF THEIR INTERESTS?

It depends on how far reaching a camper’s interests are. There is not time even in a 7-week session to explore all of Ballibay’s programs; but if a camper has 3 or 4 interests, they will certainly be able to explore them all. Campers who have been with us for several years sometimes begin a journey to try everything the camp has to offer, making plans such as, “this session I’m going to do makeup, video, and technical theater because I’ve not done them yet and it’s my 4th summer at camp!” Over 80% of our campers return for more than one summer.

 

DO THE KIDS TAKE ANY FIELD TRIPS AWAY FROM CAMP?

No, we are a completely self-contained program.

 

WHAT IF MY ROCK CAMPER PLAYS TWO INSTRUMENTS?

We place all Ballibay Rock campers in at least two bands, and bands rehearse at least two songs, so if a camper wants to play both of their instruments they can either play different instruments in their two bands, or instrument-swap within the bands. Let them know as camp approaches that they should be clear with the rock staffer who interviews them at the beginning of camp that they want to perform on both instruments. They’ll see when they arrive that campers and staff discussing program choices and collaborating on planning is very much the done thing, but sometimes first year campers are a little shy to express their wishes; please reenforce that they should definitely let us know their preferences so we can give them the best experience possible.

Also, campers are free to form as many “side project” bands as they want — these bands are not overseen by a staff person, but there are always rehearsal spaces available, and the rock staff will help them to record or arrange informal performance opportunities (for instance, at 5:00 each day the whole camp gathers to hear/see informal performances from the music, dance, and rock programs). 

 

DO THE ROCK CAMPERS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO OTHER CAMP ACTIVITIES?

Absolutely — it’s one of the strengths of Ballibay’s program: the formal commitment to the rock program is two band rehearsals each day, plus periodic lessons and time set aside for practice. While many kids fill the rest of their day with other rock activities (songwriting, recording, jamming, side projects, &c…), for most rock campers there is plenty of time each day free to try other activities. We see every combination: rock/art, rock/theater, rock/video, rock/dance… And adding horseback riding to any schedule is easily done. 

 

MY SON IS 16 AND HAS BEEN PLAYING DRUMS FOR 7 YEARS. WOULD HE BE PLACED IN BANDS WITH TEENAGERS – NOT YOUNGER KIDS?

We form our bands so that they will be musically and socially successful, and be great learning experiences for everyone. So while we’d never put a much less capable player with very skilled musicians, we do tend to mix age and experience level to some degree in our rock program. We do this for a few reasons: 1) we do have some younger kids who shred! 2) we love for less experienced players to learn from more experienced players, and for more experienced players to improve their listening and sensitivity by not only playing with other “hot” musicians 3) we enjoy seeing friendships and creative relationships form across larger age gaps than one would ordinarily see (this happens a lot at Ballibay, and we love the Linda Lindas).

That said, we do also form a few “ringer bands,” which are typically made up of the older, more experienced players (and we also make a few “beginner bands.”)

So my guess would be that he’d be placed in one “ringer band” with kids his age who can all really play, and a second band that is more mixed in terms of age and skill (all the kids who come specifically for rock are given two staff-coached bands).

Also, campers can form “side project” bands, and can pick their own bandmates for these. These are not staff-coached, but do have access to staff for assistance, the opportunity to perform their work for the whole camp, and access to rehearsal space and recording facilities. Some serious rock campers will have 2 or 3 side project bands going during a session.

 

HOW DOES SCHEDULING WORK?

We have a multi-part scheduling system at Ballibay that at its heart relies on campers being active in their decision making, and collaborating with the adults on campus to build their ideal daily schedule. There is a lot of conversation that goes on, and since we are a small camp and everyone knows everyone else, it is easy to create opportunities and work out scheduling conflicts.

Here are the major aspects of our scheduling:

• fixed, daily commitments: These include theater and band rehearsals, and dance classes for campers participating in the Dance Intensive. If campers have fixed, daily commitments, the rest of their schedule is structured around these (not all campers do). 
• open classes: These classes are announced at meals, and campers who are free at the time the class is offered can attend. 
• open studios: In art, the studios are always open. Campers come to start new projects or continue working on projects they have previously started. All work is overseen by the staff person who supervises and teaches in that studio, and campers’ work can be as independent or as structured as the child wants. Thus there are rarely “classes” per se, just many campers working on projects.
• teacher’s “lists” and meetings: each camper gets a tour of the camp at the beginning of their stay and has an opportunity to sit down and discuss their interest in activities with a staff person in each area. Based on this, teachers have lists of campers who are interested, and arrange meetings with them, usually in small groups. These are what might usually be called “lessons,” but we prefer to call them “meetings,” emphasizing the collaborative nature of the camp’s learning style. 
• ad-hoc meetings: once campers are comfortable at camp and know the teachers, they are free to approach the teachers at any time to schedule a meeting; this way they do not wait for their name to come up on the teacher’s list, but rather take an active role in scheduling meetings at the times that work best for them, and as needed for projects they are working on.
• spending time in areas of interest: campers who spend their free time in areas in which they are interested get additional opportunities. Campers who love to ride can take advantage of additional riding opportunities by virtue of being in the horse area more often. Rock kids will have more jam sessions if they spend their free time in the rock area. This applies to all activities.
• practice time: campers are responsible to find time in their schedule for the work they need to do independently: practicing instruments between meetings with a teacher, studying lines for a play, writing lyrics and songs, practicing dance movements, making choreography…

Here are sample schedules showing the range of what is possible.

 

HOW DO YOU HANDLE FIRST TIME CAMPERS

We have a lot of younger first-time campers at Ballibay, and our staff are very attuned to their needs. We also have the benefit of a very enthusiastic, supportive group of retuning campers: rather then being exclusive and “clique-y,” the returning kids really welcome the new campers with open arms. It’s amazing how quickly even the most hesitant kids find their place and blossom in their independence. And for those who need a little more time and support, we’re there for them. We’re such a small environment that no one misses out on personal attention when they need it (but we’re big enough that the kids who want independence and autonomy can have quite a bit of it!)

Most summers, about 80% of Ballibay campers are returners, which does tend to create a few peak ages that get older each year until a group “graduates out” at age 16 or 17. 

The benefit of this that the majority of older kids started as younger kids, so they “get Ballibay,” and are excited to help the new campers fit in. There is a tremendous generosity of spirit here.

 

WHAT IS THE DANCE INTENSIVE? CAN A CAMPER DO A LOT OF DANCE WITHOUT BEING IN THE INTENSIVE?

We offer technique classes in ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and hip-hop during all of our sessions, and campers can dance all day without participating in the intensive. Similarly, intensive campers do not have separate technique classes; they take the technique classes that they choose outside of the Dance Intensive schedule. 

Projects specific to the Dance Intensive are:

• The collaborative composition piece for the dance concert
• Staff-choreographed pieces for the dance concert
• Typically one piece performed with a professional dance company
• Classes in a non-dance or cultural dance movement style 
• Dance film production

 

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE EVENINGS?

There is an event almost every night at Ballibay: theater productions, dance and rock concerts, “cabarets,” and more.
Here are descriptions of the various programs:

• Staff Cabaret: the teaching staff perform for the campers, mostly music and dance
• Jam Night: The staff organize improvisational activities in many program areas: theater, dance, art, food, rock music
• Extended Evening Activities: On these nights we extend our evening activity period to allow more time for lessons and classes.
• Script-in-hand: a short theater performance by campers; since they have only a few days to rehearse, they don’t memorize the lines; they have their “script in their hand” while they perform.
• DJ Dance: this is a social dance with camper DJs
• Camper Cabaret: A variety show by the campers; usually mostly music and dance, but sometimes skits, comedy, camper-made films, etc…
• Bonfire: A large fire and social event, with music performances by campers, staff, and camper-staff groups, and stories.
• Musical in Concert: A musical theater production without elaborate staging or blocking: campers sing their parts at music stands, reading the music.
• Evening of One-Acts: One Act Plays performed by the campers. For campers staying 2 weeks, this is their opportunity to perform in theater.
• Band Night: The rock band performances; usually about 20 bands performing two songs each. A major concert!
• Dance Concert: An evening of dance performances from the Dance Intensive and general dance classes.

 

HOW DO CABIN REQUESTS WORK?

Each camper can request one other camper to be in the same cabin, and that camper must confirm the request. So: it’s best to figure out who is requesting whom among the parents. For instance:

• Annie requests Betty
• Betty requests Carol, and confirms Annie’s request
• Carol requests Dove, and confirms Betty’s request
• Dove confirms Carol’s request

This way, we not only know the group but, in case we can’t honor the whole group request, the staff person who handles the cabin assignment will also see the individual affinities (eg. if the group has to break up due to housing limitations, we’d try to keep the closest pairs together: Annie and Betty in one cabin, Carol and Dove in the other). 

Also it’s important to understand about Ballibay (and this is different from a lot of camps), the kids do very little as a cabin group besides sleep (and wake up). Activities are organized by interest, and tables at meals are by request; so there’s not that much “cabin group time” in the day. Not that cabin life is insignificant, just that it’s far from being the center of camp life.

 

WHAT MAKES BALLIBAY DIFFERENT?

We have lots of parents who are professional artists on our staff.
One of the things that makes us different is the level of partnership we have with our camp parents. Up to 25% of our staff are parents whose children also attend camp. This makes a huge difference in the feel of the place: there are a lot of adults around with experience caring for children, not just young counselors (who are also wonderful, and necessary!).

For instance, Jesse Sheppard, a dad of three campers, made all the videos that you see on the website, like this one. Sara Galkin, mom of three campers, runs our art program. Janine Sopp, a camp mom, runs a huge ceramics studio in Brooklyn, brings her incredible expertise to our ceramics studio each summer. And these are just a few of our “barter parents.”

The food is fantastic; 2012 New York Times article.
Food is a top priority for us every summer. We have a big garden that grows a significant portion of our veggies, and we partner with local farms to provide the freshest ingredients. Our food was written up in the New York Times in 2012.

We get totally amazing reviews.
We’ve been the #1 rated arts camp on CapRatingZ since 2011, and also the #1 rated camp in any category in PA. And our reviews on Facebook are stellar (4.9/5).

Over 80% of campers come to us for more than one summer.

Kids come from all over the world.
In addition to lots of kids from NYC, NJ, DC, NC, TX, and CA, we get campers from everywhere: China, Thailand, Spain, Italy, France, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Japan. Most summers we’re a very international community.

We are small, and there is a lot of personal attention.
With never more than 170 kids and always at least 50 staff, everyone knows everyone. This helps in every area, from teaching and scheduling to discipline and supervision. There are no “sign-up sheets,” there is no “schedule grid.” Campers are free to go up to any staff person and say, “hey, do you have some time today to work on something with me?” And staff approach campers in the same way: “what’s your schedule like this afternoon? Do you have time for a lesson?” It’s very unlike the way in which kids are usually treated: At Ballibay, children are real decision makers, working cooperatively with their teachers. Most camps and schools don’t think kids can do this sort of active decision-making, but its only because they are rarely given the chance. Young people, even very young people, are great at organizing their own time! 

 

WHO SUPERVISES THE KIDS ON THEIR OFF TIMES DURING THE DAY AND WHO OVERSEES THE SCHEDULES THEY DEVISE?

The campers are supervised by the staff in the areas in which they spend their time – so the art staff in the art studios, the gardener in the garden, &c… If they are “between areas” (for instance: sitting reading at a picnic table or sending an email home), the are observed by the many adults coming and going at all times around the campus. As we are a small community with a 3:1 child to adult ratio, there is always more than ample supervision; the way the campus is set up facilitates this.

There is no centralized scheduling system, so each “meeting” a camper has is kept track of by the campers themselves and the staff they have set the meeting with – a music teacher, horseback riding instructor, &c… Campers cannot miss appointments – if they do, the staff person they are meeting is responsible to find them. The campers understand the system quickly, and rarely miss a meeting (and, if they do, almost never more than once).

Rehearsals (band and theater) happen at the same time every day. Attendance is mandatory, and the rehearsal will not start until all have arrived, and any absent camper will be located immediately. Most summers there is not a single case of a camper missing or being late for a rehearsal.

 

IN A NUTSHELL, WHAT IS BALLIBAY LIKE?

We are old-school, inclusive, and truly non-competitive. No phones or social media are allowed. Even a hint of bullying or “mean kid” behavior is not tolerated. We attract a lot of children who have a difficult time finding their niche at home, and also a lot who are popular and outgoing. We make sure that everyone mixes and respects each other. When we say non-competitive, we mean it. Divas are not tolerated, and there are no competitions or awards of any type (except a banner for the cleanest cabin after Sunday inspection…). As an arts camp, we’ve been working with gender-nonconforming youths for much longer than it has been a “big issue.” We have transgender, transitioning, and questioning kids every summer, and have for many years. We don’t allow intimate romances among the campers. 

 

ARE CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS (INCLUDING THE SEX OFFENDERS REGISTRY) PERFORMED ON ALL PERSONNEL?

As required by the state of Pennsylvania, all USA resident staff working with campers are cleared through three background checks: A Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Background Check; a Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Child Abuse Clearance; and a Federal Criminal Background Check processed through the United States FBI. International staff are vetted through a very thorough process by the American Institute for Foreign Study, and if internationals return for a 2nd summer they are also subject to the PA regulations.

We have many factors in our favor to prevent any type of issues:

• We are a small community, less than 250 people total. This keeps us small enough that everyone can have meaningful social relationships with every other member of the community. Everyone knowing everyone else, from the youngest to the oldest, from the administration to the cabin counselors, helps tremendously to keep us a safe and self-regulating community. 
• We have a staff-to-camper ratio of about 1:3. Many of our staff (up to 25%) are parents whose children also attend camp. Having a strong community of parents at the core of the staff means there are a lot of people looking at the community with a parent’s eye.
• Our staff is older than most camps, with a minim hiring age of 19, and an average age of 24-25. This helps us maintain a more mature community in which concerns are openly discussed, and staff have some life experience which helps them identify problem situations. 
• We have a very high return rate: 50-80% of staff depending on the summer, and typically 80% of campers who are still of camp age. So, both among the adults and kids there is a close-knit community of people who know each other well (about 25% of the camp has been coming for 5 or more years). This network of trust helps keep open lines of communication between staff, campers, and camp leadership: if there are concerns of any type, staff and kids know they can walk into the office and speak with John, Kristin, or Sarah directly. 

 

WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS IN FILM/VIDEO AND TECHNICAL THEATER?

We offer film, video, and technical theater during all of our sessions. Our Film/Video program has two aspects:

• Multi-camera, where kids learn live TV production, like “Grease Live” and all the live musical theater remakes that have followed. Our program is most closely based on The Met Live in HD: https://www.metopera.org/Season/In-Cinemas/
• Campers work the shows as Camera Operators, Technical Directors, Assistant Directors, Shaders, and Floor Managers
• Single-camera productions: kids produce short films, music videos, videosongs, dance films, animations, etc.

In our Technical Theater program, kids operate all aspects of the shows, and participate in the design process. On every show we have campers working in Lights, Sound, Stage Management, Stage Crew, Makeup, Costume, Properties, and Scenic or Projection Design.

 

WHAT IS THE ART PROGRAM LIKE?

The visual art program is an individual-choice program, and can take any form a camper wants it to: they can spend as much time as they like in the studio, either working closely with the staff and visiting artists, working independently, or a mixture.

It is an “open studio” format, meaning that campers can come to the studios any time their schedule allows. If campers want help with specific techniques, they can make arrangements to meet with visiting artists or instructors throughout the day. This is how all of our programs are structured: each camper has a unique daily schedule based on their interests and motivations.

Campers will also know about special projects and workshops, and can join them if they are interested. Some campers prefer to join these more structured options, while others prefer working one-on-one with a mentor, while still others like to work on their own in the studio, only asking for help intermittently. We respect whatever mode the camper prefers, while always making sure they know that other options are available to them. 

 

HOW ARE THE ART STUDIOS STAFFED?

There are two categories of staff in the studios:

We have studio instructors (painting and drawing, ceramics, b/w photography, fabrics and surface design, and printmaking). These staff are there all summer, typically also live in the cabins with the kids, and are in the studios every day, for all of the campers to work with.

We also have a visiting artist program, where professional artists come for 2-4 weeks to work with the campers. 

The whole program is directed by painter Sara Galkin.

 

WHY DO THE KIDS IN THE VIDEOS LOOK OLDER?

Because we have a 75%+ return rate, we have a lot of older kids – the thing that’s important to recognize is that most of our older kids (14-16) started as younger kids (8-11) and have been with us for many years!

 

WHAT KIND OF FOOD DO YOU SERVE AT CAMP BALLIBAY?

We are a “foodie” camp, serving healthy, diverse, locally-sourced meals made from scratch. Our goal is to have the best camp foodservice anywhere. We grow a meaningful amount of our produce on campus in our garden, and interested campers help in the garden and in our food education program preparing snacks for the whole camp. In 2012 our foodservice was featured in the New York Times.

 

WHAT ACCOMMODATIONS ARE MADE AT CAMP WHEN A CHILD HAS DIETARY RESTRICTIONS?

We are a small camp with a well-staffed professional foodservice, so we are able to accommodate a wide range of dietary restrictions. We are a nut-aware campus with a nut-free foodservice. Our standard menu always includes vegetarian, vegan, and cross-contamination free gluten-free food; so no special accommodations need to be made for even the strictest vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets. We mark all food trays with colored clips to indicate foods that contain dairy, are vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free. We also mark food trays that contain any allergen that a member of our community is sensitive to, such as coconut or blueberry. We have a separate “seed table” for seeds and any foods containing seeds, as there is sometimes cross-reactivity to seeds in people with nut allergies. 

 

HER BIGGEST CONCERN IS THE FOOD. SHE IS A BIT OF A PICKY EATER AND HAS A FOOD ALLERGY TO HAZELNUT/NUTELLA AND PISTACHIO.

We are a nut-free foodservice – we have several campers and staff with severe nut allergies. We also separate seeds and any foods made with seeds onto a separate “seed table.”

To make finding foods easier for picky eaters, we “break down” the meals on the buffet. So, for instance, a pasta dinner would be “broken down” into:

And all of the following gluten-free options:

• Vegan red sauce
• Vegetarian white sauce
• Meatballs
• Vegan meatballs
• Butter
• Cheese
• Vegan cheese
• A steamed vegetable
• 2 prepared salads (eg. A slaw and a kale salad)
• A vegan soup

• A salad bar with all the basics plus options like cold chicken, tofu, brown rice, Greek yogurt, and more
• A seed table with pumpkin seed, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and dishes with seeds such as hummus (which contains sesame seed paste).