Camp Magic 2009 - Camp Crew

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	KATHERINE "AMBROSIA" MCLEOD Founder, Artistic Director and Storyteller (Canada) This is Katherine's 10th year creating Camp Magic. She develops and designs this unique holiday camp for children each year, enjoying the process of pulling together a dynamic program that's sole aim is to promote discovery and fun.Katherine's roots as a storyteller began at a very early age. Her siblings still enjoy memories of the stories and performances she would create for the family, often showcasing plays that involved all 5 children on a Sunday afternoon, while her parents looked on with great amusement.Now she works with a staff of 10 to showcase a performance with 65 children each Friday at Camp Magic! She believes that story art is an organic integration of theatre, music, movement, song, visual art, and puppets. Each week one story is selected that the children build and re-build for 5 days, resulting in an amazing visual and auditory feast, where each child leaves replete, satisfied, and stimulated.

	BRUCE "VLADIE" HOME Visual Artist, Storyteller and Operations Director (Canada) Bruce comes to us with a whole range of experiences. Originally a bilingual anglophone from Quebec, Canada, Bruce started his adult career at the Toronto Stock Exchange! After wearing a suit for two years, he headed off on a pushbike to travel the world. Discovering his passion for working with children while teaching English in Korea, Bruce soon decided to return to university where he earned his degree in education. Bruce is now teaching at the German European School. He integrates a receptive and creative approach to his work, weaving his love and skills as abstract painter and storyteller into his job as educator.Bruce will be heading up the visual arts program at camp this year, sharing some of his very funny stories, along with directing the daily operations of camp.

	SUE "CHAVI" TORDOFF Actress and Facilitator (UK) In her own words, Sue writes:"My first stories came from my Dad who loved to make up characters of kids who went on adventures. One boy invented magic chocolates which were stolen by an elephant passing by!"It was through these early stories that Sue developed a deep interest in re-creating story through theatre acting. She attended the Bristol Old Vic Theater School, and since then has gone on to act in many plays both in the UK and abroad. Sue has recently been nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Singapore Life! Awards for her outstanding role in Office Party this past November/December.We welcome Sue back to her second year working with us at Camp Magic. She very excited about it all, exclaiming "Isn't it the end of June yet?!"

	BILL "IVANHO" LEDBETTER Musician, Actor and Facilitator (USA) Bill Ledbetter comes from a family tradition of music and storytelling that goes back 3 generations. His family would spend hours around the dinner table, listening to their father tell stories. It was during these sessions that Bill's imagination was honed and ripened. He used his well-developed creativity first as a musician, playing the trumpet, piano, guitar, recorder, and harmonica. Later, after studying music at university, Bill decided to pursue acting in New York. After doing the "starving actor" routine for a few months and living off of cheap pizza, he decided to get down to some serious business... working with children! After 5 years working at the Julia Gabriel School of Speech and Drama, Bill now teaches kindergarten at the German European School. He also continues to perform as a stage actor in the evenings.Bill will again be working with our youngest group, plus writing songs with the children each week to perform in our Friday shows. He can't wait to share his enthusiasm, music, and love of story with us at the Camp Magic Caravan of Fun!

	CHRISTOPHER "GILLIE" BENJAMIN Actor, Facilitator and Performance Director (Australia) Chris graduated from the Lasalle College of the Arts in May 2008. After working with us at camp last year, Chris says that he was inspired to return to university in Sydney where he is currently working towards his Masters in Education!Chris will be our Friday performance director this year, helping to bring together our end-of-week shows. He is also, once again, facilitating our oldest group of children.A singer, mover and shaker at heart, Chris' amazing energy and enthusiasm with the children is simply dynamo. We welcome you back, Chris "Gillie" Benjamin!

	ASHLEE "TOOSHKA" CLEMENTS Singer, Songwriter and Facilitator (Australia) Ashlee is graduating this year from Lasalle College of the Arts. She previously received a diploma of Music Performance at the Box Institute in Melbourne. She claims to be a "proud born Novacastrian from Newcastle, Australia", although admits to being a recent Melbourne convert! She may soon leave all that behind and make it big in London's west end. Especially after the fantastic reviews of Ashlee's performance in "Nine" this past March where she played the lead female vocalist... go Ashlee!Aside from study, Ashlee is also working as a music teacher for children, specializing in piano and singing. She will be working each week with Bill Ledbetter to create new songs for the children that will fit in with the different themes and stories.We are excited about Ashlee's return this year, and look forward to more songs and singing and accordian music!

	LEZ ANN "ORCHIDELIAH" CHONG Dancer, Actor, Facilitator (Malaysia) New Crew Lez Ann has recently graduated from the Lasalle acting program in Singapore. Her first love is dancing, and she will work closely with Bill and Sue's groups, helping the children to develop incredible new moves for their performances.Lez Ann says that movement and dance creates an opportunity to "tell a story through our fingers, feet, a simple twist of the arms... each subtle movement can create a whole story in itself".When asked what has propelled Lez Ann into working with children, she answered that watching her mother working with children is her main motivation. "I would watch my mother as a child, and admire her patience". She has also recognized through her own work with children how much fun it can be to share her talents as performing artist, and now understands more fully the satisfaction her mother had all those years ago as an educator.Welcome to the team, Lez Ann! We look forward to seeing lots of new and funky moves with the younger groups.

	CHRIS "CASPIAN" VALIANTE Karate Instructor, Camp Cook, and Musician (USA) Chris is another New Crew this year! He's joining us from New York, NY, where he has worked for many years as a children's karate teacher. He will be launching a full week lunch-time karate program for all interested campers.On top of karate, cooking really rocks Chris' world. From a large Italian-American family, Chris is naturally drawn to "La Cucina", and has his chef papers to prove it! Our new cooking program this year has been developed by this very talented New Yorker.And as if that's not enough, Chris is also a huge musician who plays piano, guitar, bass, harpsicord, and saxaphone!!His multi-talents will be a huge asset to our multi-faceted camp program.