Country Dance and Song Society

Celebrating a Living Tradition of English
and Anglo-American Folk and Traditional Dance
and Music since 1915



What's New
  • 11/12/08: Youth Projects Intern Ethan Hazzard-Watkins has posted the first installment of Starter Kit materials, focusing on tips for college organizers. Lots of other materials are coming soon.

  • 8/24/08: Member Survey: As CDSS nears its 100th anniversary, we are reviewing the goals of the organization, to keep them vital and relevant. We would love to hear your ideas and perspectives. Please take a few minutes to complete our survey.

  • 8/19/08: New Shoots: Dances for Volume 10, edited by Helen Cornelius and Francis Attanasio, is now available. The latest in The English Country Dance Collection series, copublished by CDSS and CDS Boston Centre, it contains instructions for the dances whose tunes are on Bare Necessities' recording "New Shoots." See CDSS Store for more information about the booklet and the recording.

  • 8/2/08: Our New Leaders, Good Leaders campaign is well underway. You can learn more about the campaign, see some of the projects we are funding, see how far you have helped us get toward our goal, apply for a grant, or make a pledge or donation!
CDSS Events of Note
  • 9/15/2008: UPDATE -- The CDSS Governing Board is pleased to announce that Dr. Anthony G. Barrand is this year's CDSS Lifetime Contribution Award recipient. The presentation will be held on March 28, 2009, from 1-4 pm, at the Oak Grove Street School, Brattleboro, Vermont. All are welcome! Please RSVP before February 1 to Alisa Dodson, 413-247-5603, alisa@capercat.com. Written or audio-visual tributes may be sent to Kari Smith, kari@svcable.net. We'll post more details of the event as soon as they're set.

  • 8/15/08: Mary Dart's classic study of dance choreography Contra Dance Choreography: A Reflection of Social Change is now available online at our "E-library site." Additional "holdings" are on the way.

  • 2/15/08: For event organizers: "Make It Happen! A Manual for Creating Leadership Training Events", a step-by-step guide.
General Site Updates
Directions to the Office

The Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) is an association of people and groups with a common interest in English and Anglo-American folk and traditional dance, music and song. Our members are recreational dancers, musicians, singers, teachers, callers, dance historians and people just having fun. The activities of our affiliated groups include dances, concerts, song gatherings, festivals and residential camps.

Ring O'Bells Morris Team
photo courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution
Our interests include a broad range of dance and music rooted in English and Anglo-American traditions. Generally social and participatory, the dances include traditional dances (contras, New England and Appalachian squares, traditional English community dances, English and American step and clog dances); historical dances (English country dances from the 17th to 20th centuries and Early American country dances from the Revolutionary era); and seasonal display dances (morris, rapper, longsword and garland).

photo by Nikki Silva
Our musical interests include traditional music, ballads and songs; traditional and historical dance music; regional styles of vocal and instrumental music; and early music for period instruments and voice.

CDSS leads workshops and leadership sessions at our summer camps and occasionally with various groups throughout the country; we publish books and recordings, a newsletter, occasional monographs and a directory of groups throughout the USA and Canada; our sales department has a large selection of materials available by mail order; and we provide information and advice for the dance and song community.

A full-time director and staff work out of the CDSS headquarters in Haydenville, Massachusetts. CDSS is a 501(c)(3) organization and is supported by membership dues, donations, program fees and sales.

Come visit us!

Directions:
From South of Northampton on I-91: Take I-91 North to Exit 19 (Amherst/Northampton/Route 9). At the bottom of the exit ramp, go through the light onto Damon Road and go 1 mile until the next light at King Street. As you cross King, Damon Road becomes Bridge Road; stay on Bridge until it ends (about 2-1/2 miles).

At the stop sign, turn right onto Route 9 and go 2-1/2 miles or so into Williamsburg/Haydenville -- we're in an old brick building called The Brassworks. Pass by the first parking area and the building; turn left into the second parking area and park near the main building (the entrance faces away from the road). Go through the large glass doors, past the elevator, and turn right. Our office is at the end of the hallway. See you there!

From North of Northampton on I-91: Take I-91 South to Exit 20. This will put you on King Street. Take the first right onto Bridge Road, go 2-1/2 miles to the stop sign and continue as above.

From Northampton: We're 6 miles from the center of Northampton. Take Route 9 West, past Look Park and the VA Hospital into Williamsburg/Haydenville. We're on the left, in The Brassworks.



Phone: 413-268-7426
Fax: 413-268-7471

 Country Dance and Song Society
132 Main St/PO Box 338
Haydenville, MA 01039-0338
Office Hours M-F 9:30am - 5:00pm EST





www.cdss.org

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