FAQ

Our goal at camp is to provide our girls with a healthy balance of the fun of a true traditional camp experience while also building skills in their chosen art. For that reason, our main priority is ensuring that each girl has the freedom, support and encouragement to explore any artform that interests her. For us, it is not about being the best or most experienced, but about the opportunity to build skills in a way that is progressive and age-appropriate for each child. DADC is a place to grow your skills and try new things in a fun all-girl community, free from external pressures or unreachable expectations.

At Danbee Arts & Dance Camp, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, supportive community for all campers and staff. We welcome all girls, regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, ability, identity or religious beliefs.

Our camp leadership is experienced and trained in supporting all types families’ individual needs and concerns. Please reach out to us to discuss your child’s specific circumstances - we welcome partnering with you to create a successful experience for them based on their individual needs. We strive to be as inclusive as possible and welcome all, but there may be some limitations to what we can accommodate. Please reach out to our Director Mandi at (413) 233-4950 or Mandi@danbeeartsdance.com so we can start a conversation and see if DADC is the right fit for your child.

We are located in The Berkshires along the shores of beautiful Lake Ashmere in the town of Hinsdale in Western Massachusetts. We are about 3.5 hours from the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area and 2.5 hours from Boston.

Health and safety is our top concern. We have nurses onsite 24 hours a day. Our head nurse thoroughly reviews each girl’s health history before the start of each session, and during the session, oversees all of our campers’ and staff’s health care and administration of all medications. In the event of an injury or illness, girls will be taken to the health lodge, at any time. Whenever possible, our medical team seeks to treat girls on site, but they are also well-trained on identifying concerns that require more advanced care off site. We will call you immediately if your child experiences an injury or illness that requires her to be transported off-site for treatment. We will also call to update about other issues that we are monitoring on camp, such as: strains/sprains, vomiting, frequent headaches or stomach aches, or any reason your child had to spend the night in the health lodge.

Our closest hospital is the Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, MA, about a 20 minute drive from camp. There is also an urgent care in Pittsfield for smaller concerns. Whenever possible, our medical team seeks to treat girls on site, but they are also well-trained on identifying concerns that require more advanced care off-site.

Danbee Arts & Dance Camp complies with all regulations from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and we are licensed with our local Board of Health. Additionally, we are committed to holding ourselves to the camping industry’s best practices in areas such as health care, risk management, program design, personnel management and site safety.

Our food service is focused on preparing meals that are nutritious and delicious, with something for everyone. There is, of course, plenty of fresh produce, protein sources and whole grains, balanced with universal favorites like pancakes, chicken nuggets and pizza. In addition to our main hot meal, a salad bar is provided at lunch and dinner, along with alternatives for those who might need it (vegetarian, gluten free, etc). If your girl has a dietary restriction or allergy, we encourage you to reach out to us ahead of her session so we can discuss her particular needs and be prepared to partner with you on accommodating her - most often, the accommodation is a substitute that is similar to the main meal (rather than a completely different option) so that those girls with dietary needs still feel included.

Girls LOVE getting snail mail while at camp, and we encourage our girls to write home about the experiences they’re having as well. Additionally, families can use our online system to send one-way emails that we print and hand out to girls daily during mail call. We do not allow packages.

Due to the short nature of our sessions and how immersive the camp community is, we do not do phone calls home and instead encourage use of posted mail and email for updates. The photos we post during the session are also a great way to see how your child is doing in place of phone calls! Families can also call and speak to staff at any time for an update and peace of mind without interrupting the girl’s experience.

We believe that unplugging at camp is extremely important for our girls! Today, more than ever, it is vital to make face-to-face connections, and the absence of technology at camp allows more room for these connections and relationships to grow. For that reason, we do not permit cell phones, tablets, ereaders, and portable electronic gaming devices at camp (or any other screen/internet capable devices). However, we do allow basic MP3 players that do not have internet capabilities such as iPod shuffles or Nanos so girls can listen to music in their bunks.

We also ask that you do not send your child to camp with any plug-in devices such as hair dryers, straighteners or curlers, or electric fans.

Our goal is to cultivate a staff that radiates positivity, encouragement, and enthusiasm. We look for staff members that are mature, committed and have a genuine desire to make a difference for our girls - oftentimes this means students studying education, social work or psychology. We seek out individuals who have good experience to bring to camp to ensure our program is at its highest level - whether that be in the arts, dance, waterfront, food service, etc. We then build on their experience with an extensive training prior to girls’ arrival that covers everything from how to meet girls’ needs to emergency procedures to health and safety. All staff also undergo an extensive background check each summer.

Danbee Arts and Dance Camp is located right next door to our sister camp, Camp Danbee. While there’s opportunities for DADC girls to travel between the two properties for activities, the two camps operate completely separately - separate dining halls, cabins, activities and staff teams. DADC girls will not really interact with Danbee girls.

Missing home while at camp is a totally normal and natural occurrence - it simply means we have something we love about home to miss, and that’s a completely understandable thing! For this reason, our staff are trained to expect these feelings and become well-versed in supporting each girl’s specific needs with the care and compassion she deserves. Leadership staff are also always happy to jump in and provide additional support, too.

Yes, we provide transportation from the NY/NJ/CT tri-state area, along with Boston and the Boston airport.