The Colonial Dancing Master, Hendrickson Group LLC

11/18/2025

11/17/2025

It was an honor to lead dances at the Colonial Ball for Sheldon’s Horse at the Greater Danbury Irish Community Center. Planning your 250th anniversary event in 2026? Please DM me.

10/02/2024

I loved playing 18th century social dance music for the dances led by Dancing Master Patricia Campbell with our band The Reel Thing. What I love as well is the research of the music in the vast number of facsimile of primary source that have surfaced since the Bi-Centennial. A favorite part is playing the tunes - the jigs, reels, marches, and the various time signatures. They are driving, lyrical, dreamy, energetic. I'm so grateful to my late husband and best friend Charles "Chip" Hendrickson for getting me into all this so many years ago.

06/30/2020

I miss giving talks to students about Colonial life. Living without electronics seems inconceivable to them but when I show them how to live in George Washington's time, then it's not so unrealistic.

06/25/2020

Patiently waiting until the "all clear" so we can get back to presenting living history events, dancing, making music and teaching about our past in the Revolutionary War years. Be safe everyone and honor the health regulations.

04/01/2020

Who would have ever thought there would come a time when we couldn't dance or make music??? Always took this for granted. A cause for the stall could not be envisioned. Found this photo of early Chip and I on the way to a Ball somewhere. For now we just hold on to the memories until we can all be close again.

09/30/2019

Just found this photo of me and Patricia Campbell in my booth at Stratford Historical Society event in 2014. In my tent, I was selling the books and CD's created by me and my late husband Charles Cyril Hendrickson as The Hendrickson Group. I love sharing knowledge with people about our history in dance and music!!

09/06/2019

I'm happy to be teaching dancing at this wonderful event at the Bedford, NY, Historical Society on Saturday, September 7, from 11 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Come by and join in the adventure!

04/25/2019

I'm getting ready for 11 days of presenting at the Danbury Museum and Historical Society. I love sharing history with the 3rd grad students as they learn about the Rider House and what it was like to be their age in the years around the Revolutionary War.
From the Museum's web site:
"Beginning on Monday, May 6, and continuing through out the month we are very excited to welcome all of Danbury Public Schools 3rd graders for their museum field trip visits. The students are on our campus from roughly 9 am until 2 pm on a number of days during the month. Please call ahead (and check the website's calendar page) if you are hoping to research or are coming to tour our historic buildings."
Visit the Museum at danbury museum.org.

04/21/2019

Remembering Patriot's Day in Massachusetts - growing up in Lincoln (between Lexington and Concord) (where Paul Revere was actually captured!!) our family participated in the festivities for many years. First we went to the Lexington Green about 5 in the morning where the first shots were originally fired - to see the those tall, straight British soldiers marching in a firm line toward the quaking farmers who came out to defend their property. The event was short as they marched on through the green. Later, after marrying Chip Hendrickson, we would go up from CT, stay with my parents and go to the green dressed in our 18th century civilian finery. Looking like we belonged, we would duck under the ropes and step inside the reenactors area. Chip would tell people "We heard there was going to be a disturbance and thought we could come up from Connecticut to see what was happening." We felt part of the proceedings. However, over the years, the "battle" got longer and longer until it became a full fledged fight. Stretching history a bit. After that event was over, we would drive to Concord to have an early breakfast at one of the churches, sponsored by a civic group and finish up in time to see the parade of militia groups come through Concord. All the groups from surrounding towns marched along, some having music - fifes and drums - accompanying. It would all end at the bridge where the British crossed on their way through. After those ceremonies we would drive back to Lexington - this was all the same day - and attend the giant parade in that town. This had marching bands, floats and lots of local groups. After lunch we would head home exhausted but very happy to have been part of the memories of the beginning of our country's freedom. Chip and I continued on through the years researching, publishing and teaching others about Colonial dancing and music and civilian life. Who knew I would make my life in this endeavor from the humble beginnings in living history. I am grateful.