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

Fall 2025 Appeal for Support—please give by December 31!

Together we can make a real difference in the lives of those who are nurturing the living traditions we love.

All donors are entered automatically in a drawing for fabulous prizes!

Donate now Drawing info

Photo by Laura Lewis, Cleveland Butterfly Twirl, CDSS Community Grant recipient.

What’s New

From the Mic Episode 22: David Millstone
Mary’s guest on this episode of From the Mic is David Millstone. David started contra dancing with Dudley Laufman in the early 1970s and has been calling dances for forty-five years: contras old and new, squares from different regional traditions, English country dances, and plenty of family-friendly events.
Affiliate renewals are now open!
Your current Affiliate Membership, insurance, and 501c3 status will expire on May 1st, so remember to renew as soon as possible. Renew now, or see instructions for renewing as an Affiliate.
April 2024 Song of the Month
Sara Grey presents “Cobweb of Dreams” by Joy Masefield and Leon Rosselson. This love song is not dedicated to a person—it’s to the town of Towersey, Oxfordshire, England.
Spring 2024 CDSS News
The Spring 2024 issue of CDSS News has sprung! Give a hand to the bands that sparked the contra revival; try a new dance with Princess Katie; take a folk dance tour through the Czech Republic; and much more.
March 2024 Song of the Month
Mary Garvey introduces “The Badger Drive,” written in 1912 by John V. Devine. Although the name suggests that it is about hunting badgers, the song instead sings the praises of log drivers—lumber workers who risked their lives wrangling logs through the rivers near Badger, Newfoundland, Canada.
Digitization of the CDSS Organization Archives at UNH has begun!
You can see the first items—historic posters, maps, broadsides, and other print memorabilia—online now. The collection will eventually include around 8,000 items. Check it out.