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

Thanks for checking out our new website!
If you’re having trouble finding something or if something isn’t working, please fill out this form. We will get in touch to help as soon as we can.
December 2022 Song of the Month
Matthew Byrne introduces “Jack Ashton,” the tale of a storyteller who brought a little escapism to poor children in a postwar factory town.
From the Mic Episode 9: Sue Rosen
In episode 9 of From the Mic, Mary interviews Sue Rosen. A leading caller of contras, squares, English country dance and family dance programs, Sue has been actively calling for 30 years in the Boston area, across the country, and overseas. She has built a collection of great dances and has written contras that have become part of the standard repertoire of dance callers across the contradance world.
November 2022 Song of the Month
“Wild Mountain Thyme,” also known as “Purple Heather” and “Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go?”, is one of the rare romantic folk songs. Jennifer Armstrong tells us the history of the song, as well as the story of her parents’ unique lyrical variations.
From the Mic Episode 8: Chris Ricciotti
In episode 8 of From the Mic, Mary talks with Chris Ricciotti, a pioneer in gender-free contra dancing. Chris says, “There’s no greater love than bringing new people into a dance and having them smile and say, I love this, I want to come back. That gives me the biggest thrill and the biggest feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction and joy.”
Check out the last Web Chat: Building Cultural Equity in Communities
The slideshow, video, transcript, and resources from our October 2022 Web Chat are now available. We heard from organizers who have used CDSS grants to provide diversity, equity, and inclusion training for their groups. Email us with questions.