Contra dancers at the 2023 Lifetime Contribution Award ceremony

Country Dance & Song Society

Individuals nourished and communities strengthened by dancing, singing, and making music together

We connect and support people in building and sustaining vibrant communities through participatory dance, music, and song. We steward the living traditions of English country dance, contra and square dance, morris and sword dance, and the music that is an integral part of these traditions. Learn more

What’s New

  • Squirrel Butter—Charlie Beck and Charmaine Slaven CDSS Supporter Thanks Concert, Featuring Squirrel Butter!

    Please join us online on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT for a special concert by Squirrel Butter, the traditional music duo of Charlie Beck and Charmaine Slaven. More details on the concert page!

  • Folk Tunes from the Women New in the CDSS Store!

    Folk Tunes from the Women, curated by Kathryn Tickell, is a tune book like no other! This is a bumper book of more than 150 contemporary tunes by 100 unique composers from different areas, traditions, and backgrounds.

    There’s a wide selection of jigs, hornpipes, reels, airs, marches, polkas, waltzes, mazurkas, and more. All tunes are presented as melody lines with chord symbols, making it a useful book for teachers and players alike.

  • Detail from the painting "Interior of a Tavern with Card Players and a Violin Player" by Jan Steen October 2024 Song of the Month

    Peter and Barbara Snape introduce “There Is a Tavern.” Similar to the well-known “Died for Love,” this song is by Lancastrian folk singer Emma Vickers. It is sung to the tune “McCafferty,” very similar to “Lord Franklin,” and has many floating verses.

  • John Roberts, Tony Parkes, and David Surette, recipients of the 2025 Lifetime Contribution Award 2025 Lifetime Contribution Award Recipients

    We are delighted to announce the three recipients of the CDSS Lifetime Contribution Award: John Roberts, Tony Parkes, and David Surette. More info about their award celebrations will be posted later this year.

  • "The Contra Connection" #1 The Contra Connection

    The Contra Connection was a series of articles for organizers and beginning callers by Larry Jennings, Dan Pearl, and Ted Sannella, published in the Country Dance & Song Society News between 1988 and 1995. All 24 articles are now in the Online Library for your perusal.

  • Historical photo of Frank Profitt and Douglas Kennedy New Historic Photos

    New in the CDSS digital archives! A collection of historic photos (c. 1920s-1960s, many undated) from Pinewoods, morris events in England, and other dance festivals and events. It can be accessed online by anyone and is still growing! From the Milne Special Collections and Archives at the University of New Hampshire.

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Upcoming Community Events

CDSS: Country Dance & Song Society Individuals nourished and communities strengthened by dancing, singing, and making music together.