Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the All-Saints Center?

In the beautiful Pacific Northwest, on a small island in the Puget Sound west of Gig Harbor, Washington, USA. The camp address is All Saints Center, 205 Camp Rd. NW, Gig Harbor, WA.

I can’t afford the full rate. Can I get a lower rate by working at camp?

Yes, though work exchanges are limited and in high demand. Contact the work exchange coordinator to find out what positions are available.

I’m vegetarian. Will you provide meals for me?

Yes. We provide meals and snacks for both vegetarians and omnivores, but you must sign up for one plan and stick with that plan, not decide on a meal by meal basis. We try not to waste food, and don’t make enough for everyone to keep switching.

I’m allergic to peppers and onions. Can you make special meals and snacks for me?

No. We will keep you informed about what ingredients are in which dishes if you tell us about your allergies at registration, but we don’t have the staff to make special meals for special needs.

I need chocolate/chips/soda every day. Will you provide it?

No. There is a small store within easy walking distance of camp that can provide you with provisions if you don’t bring enough to last the week, and if the meals, desserts, and snacks we provide don’t satisfy your cravings.

I can’t take the time off work to attend camp. Can I come to the evening parties and possibly spend the night?

Yes. Visitors are allowed to attend the evening táncház parties from 8pm until 1am. Spending the night requires an advance reservation. See the Registration form PDF for more information and fees.

Why the large price increases in 2006 and 2007?

Camp had been losing money for several years. When this camp started in 1992, it brought from Hungary a three-person band and two dance teachers. Over the years we’ve slowly grown to the point where for the last several years we have had a five-person band, two dance teachers and a singing and children’s program teacher. Thus we had salary and travel expenses for 8 people, not the 5 people of years ago. In addition, the exchange rate has been hard on the US dollar for the last few years, so the small salary we paid doesn’t buy as much in Euros or forint as it once did, and airfares have gone up tremendously in the last three or four years. Added to that, camp attendance peaked a few years ago, and has been declining or flat for the last several camps, so we are bringing in fewer camper fees than at our peak.

2006 was the first year in several that we almost broke even, and a significant part of that was because Orsi agreed to do the work of two teachers and taught dance, singing, and the children’s program. We paid her a higher salary, of course, but it saved us much of the cost of another teacher, especially the travel expenses. The other major factor in breaking even was that we raised prices.

In 2007 we actually ended up in the black by a small amount, and had reasonable reserves to ensure that camp happened in 2008. In 2008 we filled up, which provided enough revenues to fully cover the costs of camp and to pay our teachers a bonus to help make up for the drop in the buying power of the dollar compared to the forint, and still have enough to plan for camp in 2009 without any anticipated cost increase.

All up front costs of camp, including visa expenses, airfare and publicity are paid for personally by the organizers and from the reserves, with the organizers reimbursed when enough registration fees come in to cover the expenses. In 2005 and 2006 we also received several generous donations from campers.

We don’t pay salary to any of the camp organizers, so our income goes entirely to teacher salary, visas and travel, facility rental, food and kitchen staff, and the expenses of running camp. Since we had been losing money in the years before 2006, our reserves from the peak year in the late 1990s were greatly reduced, so another year or two of losing money would have meant the end of camp. Thus we set fees based on what we believed was a realistic look at our anticipated expenses.

Two things you can do to help keep your costs down are to register early so you get the US$25 discount for registering before May 1st and paying in full by June 1st, and to talk other dancers and musicians in your community into coming to camp. As an incentive to bring others, we are continuing our special US$25 refund on your full-time camper registration fee for each new full-time camper you bring to camp. See the special refund page for more information.

Didn’t find the answer you need? Send us an email at info@tititabor.org with your question.

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