What’s New

CDSS has two year-round positions open! Might you or someone you know be the perfect fit? Find more info here, and please help spread the word to folks who may be interested.

Succession Planning for Dance Organizations
Thursday, December 5, 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT)

Join us for a panel discussion where dance organizers share their experiences with leadership and volunteer changes in their local groups. Learn more or register now!

The newest episode of From the Mic is out now, featuring the one and only David Kaynor (yes, really!). In this episode, host Mary Wesley shares an interview she recorded with David in 2011, ten years before his passing. 

We’re compiling a resource to help connect donors with dancers, singers, callers, musicians, and groups who have been directly affected by Hurricane Helene. If you are one of those affected, please fill out this form to be included in the list. If you are fortunate enough to be able to help, read their stories and send your support.

April Grant introduces “Jolly Roving Tar.” Although it may sound like an old English sea ballad, the song was written in the United States for the Broadway musical Old Lavender.

We are in search of several camp staff for summer 2025. Please check the Jobs page for details on the positions and how to apply.

This episode of From the Mic features Diane Silver. Diane says: “I love that moment when I can stop calling—when I can pull back, pull back, pull back, and ultimately you’re not calling anymore. And the dancers are just dancing to the music.”

Please join us online on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT for a special concert by Squirrel Butter, the traditional music duo of Charlie Beck and Charmaine Slaven. More details on the concert page!

Folk Tunes from the Women, curated by Kathryn Tickell, is a tune book like no other! This is a bumper book of more than 150 contemporary tunes by 100 unique composers from different areas, traditions, and backgrounds.

There’s a wide selection of jigs, hornpipes, reels, airs, marches, polkas, waltzes, mazurkas, and more. All tunes are presented as melody lines with chord symbols, making it a useful book for teachers and players alike.

Peter and Barbara Snape introduce “There Is a Tavern.” Similar to the well-known “Died for Love,” this song is by Lancastrian folk singer Emma Vickers. It is sung to the tune “McCafferty,” very similar to “Lord Franklin,” and has many floating verses.

We are delighted to announce the three recipients of the CDSS Lifetime Contribution Award: John Roberts, Tony Parkes, and David Surette. More info about their award celebrations will be posted later this year.

The Contra Connection was a series of articles for organizers and beginning callers by Larry Jennings, Dan Pearl, and Ted Sannella, published in the Country Dance & Song Society News between 1988 and 1995. All 24 articles are now in the Online Library for your perusal.