Morris dancers wave white handkerchiefs and jump in the air

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

  • Dancers at the Yuletide Frolick in Lawrence, Kansas. Photo by Lisa Nelick. Winter 2023 CDSS News

    Cozy up with the Winter 2023 issue of CDSS News! Read about our new Strategic Plan and other updates from the Board; learn more about Sharon Green, our 2024 Lifetime Contribution Award recipient; take inspiration from the Dancing Bears of Alaska; and much more.

  • From the Mic with Ben Sachs-Hamilton From the Mic Episode 19: Ben Sachs-Hamilton

    In this episode of From the Mic, Mary is joined by contra dance caller and community organizer Ben Sachs-Hamilton. Ben started contra dancing at 12 and started teaching dances at 15. Since then, he has called and organized for dances across the northeast, with a focus on LGBTQ and gender-role-free dance communities. 

  • British and German WWI soldiers socializing around a small Christmas tree December 2023 Song of the Month

    Marc Bernier introduces “Christmas in the Trenches” by John McCutcheon. The song tells the tale of the 1914 Christmas Truce between the British and German lines in the First World War from the perspective of a fictional British soldier.

  • Katy German presents the Lifetime Contribution Award to the New England Dancing Masters Photos and Video from the 2023 LCA Celebration

    In October 2023 in Greenfield, MA, we presented the Lifetime Contribution Award to the New England Dancing Masters: Mary Alice Amidon, Peter Amidon, Mary Cay Brass, and Andy Davis. See some photos and video from the ceremony.

  • From the Mic with David Smukler From the Mic Episode 18: David Smukler

    In this episode of From the Mic, we hear from the most wonderful David Smukler. A dance caller, scholar, organizer, choreographer, teacher, champion of chestnuts…the list goes on. David joined Mary over zoom from his home in Syracuse, New York. He grew up singing folk songs with his mom and began dancing contras in New Hampshire as a teen. In 1981 he was drafted to call for his local dance and has been calling ever since. David calls contras and squares, English country dances, and family and community dances.

  • Illustration of a young person in a sailor suit November 2023 Song of the Month

    Sally Rogers presents a recording by Gordon Bok of “The Handsome Cabin Boy,” a classic with a gender twist. 

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Upcoming Community Events

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