Country Dance and Song Society

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



What's New:
CDSS Events of Note:
  • 5/13/08: There is a nice article in Making Music about our Family Camps.

  • 4/28/2008:We are delighted to welcome Jeff Martell of Greenfield, MA, as our new Sales and Services Manager. Jeff comes to us with many years' experience in sales and marketing, community organizing and outreach, and a long history with traditional music and dance. Jeff is a performer, playing clubs and festivals throughout the northeast, and is also a seasoned event producer and sound technician, notably for the Green River Festival and the Franklin County Fair. He invites you to please stop by and say hello if you are in the area!

  • 2/15/08: The long-awaited guide for event organizers is now up and running: Make It Happen! A Manual for Creating Leadership Training Events

  • 2/8/08:CDSS announces the availability of Outreach Grants which can support a leadership training event in your area! See guidelines and application.

General Site Updates:
  • 7/1/08: Upcoming Events from the News has been updated.

  • 5/20/2008: Small nonprofit groups (those who gross less than $25,000 annually) must now file Form 990-N with the IRS. Here, briefly, is information about that.

  • 5/20/2008: For CDSS Group Affiliates (FR 2) who are renewing their nonprofit status through us, here is a sample financial form.
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 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 folk 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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