Lifetime Contribution Award - Country Dance & Song Society

Most Recent LCA Recipient:

2026: David Millstone

We are delighted to announce that David Millstone of Lebanon, NH, is the recipient of the 2026 CDSS Lifetime Contribution Award. David is a dancer, caller, teacher, historian, and leader specializing in contra dance, New England squares, and English country dance.

For more than 40 years, David has helped and encouraged modern practitioners to connect with the historical roots of these living traditions. His passion for dance has informed and engaged people across the continent. From running local dances and mentoring new callers to creating documentary films, digital libraries, and interactive websites, David’s dynamic array of contributions will continue inspiring people for generations to come.

We will honor David on June 13, 2026, in Norwich, VT. Check out the Spring 2026 issue of the CDSS News for more information about David’s life and work and his celebration event!

Nominations for Future Lifetime Contribution Awards

Do you know someone who has made a long-term and exceptional contribution to the mission of CDSS?

Have they led the way in preserving, promoting, and/or creating within the living traditions that CDSS stewards?
Has their contribution benefited people in a broad geographical area?
Has their contribution impacted more than one generation?
Have they worked in conjunction with CDSS, CDSS affiliates, or complementary organizations?

If the answer is “yes” to all of these, then you may know a future recipient of the CDSS Lifetime Contribution Award (LCA).

Examples of a long-term and exceptional contribution include:

Increasing the quality of what we do by inspiration, instruction, or excellent example
Bringing what we do to new communities
Expanding the repertoire of dance, music, and/or song through scholarship or original composition
Working behind the scenes or enabling others to make these contributions

Nominations for the 2027 Lifetime Contribution Award will open on January 1, 2026.

Living and posthumous nominations are combined, and all nominations use the same form. Submissions for people who have passed away are welcome anytime nominations are open (there’s no minimum or maximum time limit since the nominee died for you to make the nomination).

We consider nominations from previous years each time we select a recipient. If you’ve nominated someone before, feel free to fill out the form again if you want to add extra info. You can also get others to nominate that person too—more support for someone who’s been nominated before is always a good thing!