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What’s New

  • Dancers taking hands across a line Check out the last Web Chat: Communities in Conflict

    The slideshows, video, and transcript from our May 2023 Web Chat are now available. CDSS Executive Director Katy German joined Jenny Beer, Dana Dwinell-Yardley, Sue Songer, and Kathy Story for a conversation about working through conflict as a community.

    Read more about Web Chats, or email us with questions.

  • A farmer napping in a barren field June 2023 Song of the Month

    Lea Coryell presents “The Lazy Farmer (Young Man Who Wouldn’t Hoe Corn).” Lea writes: “Did the young man fail because of laziness or bad weather? Traditional verses offer conflicting reasons, so perhaps we were meant to wonder. In my shortened version, the farmer has nothing and no one to blame but himself.”

  • From the Mic with Steve Zakon-Anderson From the Mic Episode 14: Steve Zakon-Anderson

    In this episode of From the Mic, Steve Zakon-Anderson shares stories about the people and places that have shaped him as a caller and as a person, as well as some pretty deep thoughts about what this calling thing is all about.

  • A young girl floats in an inner tube Lifeguards Needed for Pinewoods Camp

    Are you a lifeguard with first aid training? Want to spend a week at camp this summer? We’re still looking for lifeguards American Dance & Music Week (July 22-29) and Early Music Week (August 12-19), both at Pinewoods Camp. Find out more.

  • Brian Lindsay and Alex Sturbaum playing guitar and fiddle in the CDSS store room Pack & Wrap Session with Countercurrent!

    We’re delighted to welcome Countercurrent (Brian Lindsay and Alex Sturbaum) to CDSS for the first episode of our new Pack & Wrap Sessions! Named for the store room where it’s filmed, the Pack & Wrap Sessions is a not-so-often web series featuring very short interviews and concerts with dance musicians. In this episode, Alex and Brian talk about the silly things they always have in their instrument cases and play a set of favorite contra dance tunes.

    Read More

  • From the Mic with Louise Siddons From the Mic Episode 13: Louise Siddons

    In this episode of From the Mic, Mary interviews Louise Siddons about her involvement with communities in Michigan and Oklahoma, and across the pond in the UK. We’ll also learn about her work developing and teaching the practice of “positional calling” for social dance, which has recently culminated in a new book, published through CDSS, called Dancing the Whole Dance: Positional Calling for Contra. 

  • Will Noble pointing across fields May 2023 Song of the Month

    Derek Piotr presents “We’re All Jolly Fellows that Follow the Plough,” a rare tale of hard work well rewarded.

  • A young boy participating in a dance at school Lesson Plans for Educators

    The CDSS Educators Task Group presents a new set of Lesson Plans to introduce students to a variety of topics in traditional music and dance. Check out the sample plans, and contribute your own at education@cdss.org.

  • From the Mic with Wendy Graham From the Mic Episode 12: Wendy Graham

    In episode 12 of From the Mic, Wendy Graham tells Mary, “My only job is to help people have fun. Fun, F-U-N, three letter word. That’s it!” Wendy’s passion for music, song and dance caught fire in 1991 on a Danish-American Exchange (DAE) youth dance tour to Denmark. Today, Wendy leads English and American community folk dances and teaches social couples dance across the country and around the world.

  • A fox and a woman, both in Tudor dress April 2023 Song of the Month

    Denise and Stuart Savage present “Reynardine,” an English ballad in which a young woman is led astray by a stranger who may or may not be a tricky fox.

  • Screenshot of a YouTube video, featuring CDSS staff playing Bob McQuillen's "CDSS Jig." An old jig in a new office!

    “CDSS Jig” by Bob McQuillen, played by some of the CDSS staff to celebrate moving to our new office and Mac’s centenary this year.

    Have you heard about the project to play all of Bob McQuillen’s (nearly 2000!) tunes this year? Learn more in the latest issue of the CDSS News or at mcquillentunes.com.

    Read More

  • CDSS News, Spring 2023 Spring 2023 CDSS News

    The Spring 2023 CDSS News is now available! Meet this year’s Lifetime Contribution Award winners; hear how Jacob Chen passes on traditions to the next generation with Folk Song Fridays; learn how a dance camp in Washington state kept Covid in check; celebrate Bob McQuillen’s centennial at KwackFest; and much more.