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

Free Online Workshop: Unpacking the CDSS Community Culture & Safety Toolkit
Join Diane Silver this fall (Tuesdays, Oct. 28, Nov. 4, Nov. 11) for a free three-part online workshop on building community culture and safety guidelines for your local dance, music, and song events. Learn more and register!
October 2025 Song of the Month
Joel Mabus presents his original song “Panhandle Prairie,” a Dust Bowl ghost story. Folklorists would find it similar to “The Unfortunate Rake,” “The Dying Cowboy,” and others.
Fall/Winter 2025 CDSS News
The latest issue of the CDSS News is out now! Read an exciting update about Rise Up Singing; hear from the Village Green Dancers, who are celebrating their 50th year in Manitoba; get a glimpse into Dance Musicians’ Week at the John C. Campbell Folk School, and more.
September 2025 Song of the Month
Ken Willson introduces “Winter Grace,” a Jean Ritchie song with starkly beautiful winter images.
The Flying Shoes Radio Hour Episode 3: River Road
Episode 3 of the Flying Shoes Radio Hour features River Road, a trio from the Connecticut River Valley in Massachusetts. Listen and subscribe!
August 2025 Song of the Month
Ruairidh Greig introduces us to an ancient holiday tradition in the north of England. Teams of performers travel to houses and inns, using a horse’s skull as a puppet while they sing. “Poor Old Horse” is a song from this tradition, collected in Dore, Sheffield in 1970.