Welcome New Director of Development!

We are thrilled to announce the new CDSS Director of Development, Charmaine Slaven!

Originally from western Montana, Charmaine is excited to be joining the CDSS team! Charmaine has worked for more than 18 years as a Seattle-based professional musician, flatfoot dancer, dance caller, instructor, and administrator specializing in traditional American roots music and dance events. She takes great joy in sharing her passion for music and dance with people of all ages and abilities and has gained a great reputation for her fun methods of engagement and knack for teaching and organizing.

The past three years, Charmaine served as the Music & Dance Coordinator for the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC, where she worked tirelessly to program year-round music and dance classes, dance weekends, and weeklong events such as Winter Dance Week. She particularly enjoyed directing and growing the Folk School’s Junior Appalachian Musicians’ program.

Charmaine also spent years street performing around Seattle with her music projects, Squirrel Butter and The Tallboys, and successfully lead the charge to run the Dare to be Square West events, which was her first foray into grassroots fundraising. She also works as the Tutor & Evening Events Coordinator for Centrum’s Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, WA, and has helped as a Community Coordinator for the Northwest Folklife Festival. She loves spending time with her family, enjoying the outdoors, gardening, and animals, and she is looking forward to making a new home in Indianapolis, IN, with her musical husband and their two children.

Charmaine says, “I am thrilled to be joining the amazing team at the Country Dance & Song Society! I believe strongly in the work that CDSS does to be a leader for the music and dance communities throughout the US and Canada, and feel honored to be able to work toward carrying out the mission of this preeminent organization.”