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Jobs page (bloglist latest)

  • Work with Us at Camp!

    Are you looking for seasonal work next summer? Hoping to spend some quality time surrounded by music, dance, and song? Come work with us at camp!

    Each year we need help running our summer dance and music camps at our four facilities: Pinewoods Camp in Plymouth, MA, Camp Cavell in Lexington, MI, Agassiz Village in Poland, ME, and Cascade of Music & Dance (location TBD!).

    Compensation ranges from full scholarship to paid staff, depending on the job and the session. If one of the jobs below appeals to you, write to Joanna Reiner Wilkinson, Director of Programs, joanna@cdss.org.

    Read More

Song of the Month—This month’s song (bloglist latest)

  • Antique photograph of log drivers standing on floating logs March 2024: The Badger Drive
    Submitted by Mary Garvey

    “The Badger Drive” is a Newfoundland folk song/ballad. The song is about a lumber drive near Badger, Newfoundland. As with many Newfoundland ballads, the lyrics are about traditional places and events and sometimes actual individuals—and this song has all those qualities.

    The song was composed in 1912 by John V. Devine of King’s Cove, Bonavista Bay, NL. Local and family tradition hold that Devine composed it in a Grand Falls boarding house after having been fired from his job as scaler for the Anglo Newfoundland Development Company (A.N.D.). He sang the song at a St. Patrick’s Day concert at which company officials were present, and allegedly won his job back.

    Listen to Barry Delaney performing “The Badger Drive:”

    Sheet music for "The Badger Drive"
    Download the sheet music for “The Badger Drive.”

    Lyrics

    There is one class of men in this country that never is mentioned in song.

    And now, since their trade is advancing, they’ll come out on top before long.

    They say that our sailors have danger, and likewise our warriors bold,

    But there’s none know the life of a driver, what he suffers with hardship and cold.

    Chorus: 

    With their pike poles and peavies and bateaus and all

    They’re sure to drive out in the spring, that’s the time

    With the caulks on their boots as they get on the logs,

    And it’s hard to get over their time.

    Bill Dorothey he is the manager, and he’s a good man at the trade;

    And when he’s around seeking drivers, he’s like a train going down grade,

    But still he is a man that’s kindhearted, on his word you can always depend.

    And there’s never a man that works with him but likes to go with him again.

    Chorus

    I tell you today home in London, The Times it is read by each man,

    But little they think of the fellows that drove the wood on Mary Ann,

    For paper is made out of pulpwood and many things more you may know,

    And long may our men live to drive it upon Paymeoch and Tomjoe.

    Chorus

    The drive it is just below Badger, and everything is working grand,

    With a jolly good crew of picked drivers and Ronald Kelly in command,

    For Ronald is boss on the river, and I tell you he’s a man that’s alive,

    He drove the wood off Victoria, now he’s out on the main river drive.

    Chorus

    So now to conclude and to finish, I hope that ye all will agree

    In wishing success to all Badger and the A.N.D. Company.

    And long may they live for to flourish, and continue to chop, drive and roll,

    And long may the business be managed by Mr. Dorothey and Mr. Cole.

    Chorus

    Mary Garvey writes: I am a retired but still working person originally from the lumber (major log drives here and pulp mills) region of Southwest Washington, USA. I did graduate work in experimental psychology at the University of Newfoundland (unfortunately was unable to complete it) and heard magnificent music there, including in my own house. I have been given a number of songs about my own corner of the world and put out CDs with other people on traditional songs of here (SW WA) and other places. Love Irish and British Isles songs, and Newfoundland songs, of course.  

Latest Web Chat (bloglist latest)

  • Dancers taking hands across a line

    Communities in Conflict

    May 30, 2023

    An online discussion to support organizers of dance, music, and song groups

    From disagreements about COVID protocols to strong feelings about role terms on the dance floor, dance leaders and organizers have been in the middle of passionate community discussions the past few years. As an organizer, what approaches and techniques can you use to help your group through these rough patches? And what can you do to keep your own balance along the way?

    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

Songs that Speak—Most recent (bloglist latest)

LCA—Most Recent LCA Recipient (bloglist latest)


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CDSS News—Latest Issue (bloglist latest image-left)

CD+S Online—Latest Issue (bloglist latest image-left)

  • CD+S Online Volume 3 coverCD+S Volume 3, April 2022

    With the 2022 issue of Country Dance + Song Online, we are excited to present three articles on very different topics, two of them by contributors new to the journal. We will time-travel to three centuries of Anglo-American dance—all different, but all evolutionarily connected.

    Articles

    • “The Grand March” by Alan Duffy
    • “Couple Dances, Douglas Kennedy’s English Folk Dance Society, and The British Old Time Dance Revival” by Dr. Chloe Middleton-Metcalfe
    • “A Traditional Square Dance in Upstate South Carolina, 2007-2011” by Bob Dalsemer

    Download PDF View as a Flipbook

CD+S Online—Past Issues (bloglist latest image-left)


bloglist twocol (was onecol)

Latest News page (bloglist twocol)

  • CDSS News, Spring 2024 Spring 2024 CDSS News

    The Spring 2024 issue of CDSS News has sprung! Give a hand to the bands that sparked the contra revival; try a new dance with Princess Katie; take a folk dance tour through the Czech Republic; and much more.

  • A young camper sweeps the dock over a lake Summer Camp Job Opportunities

    We are in search of several camp staff for summer 2024. Please check the Jobs page for details on the positions and how to apply.

  • Antique photograph of log drivers standing on floating logs March 2024 Song of the Month

    Mary Garvey introduces “The Badger Drive,” written in 1912 by John V. Devine. Although the name suggests that it is about hunting badgers, the song instead sings the praises of log drivers—lumber workers who risked their lives wrangling logs through the rivers near Badger, Newfoundland, Canada.

  • Bicentennial Ball poster from 1976 Digitization of the CDSS Organization Archives at UNH has begun!

    You can see the first items—historic posters, maps, broadsides, and other print memorabilia—online now. The collection will eventually include around 8,000 items. Check it out.

  • Silhouette of Bob McQuillen playing accordion Playing All Bob McQuillen’s Tunes

    Bob McQuillen (1923-2014) wrote over 1,700 tunes in his lifetime. In 2023, over 750 people in more than 140 places around the world played Bob’s tunes and sent in notes, remembrances, and photos. We’ve now added the archive of this centenary celebration to our Online Library.

  • From the Mic with Penn Fix From the Mic Episode 21: Penn Fix

    On this episode of From the Mic, Mary talks with dance caller, composer, organizer, and devotee Penn Fix. Penn learned to dance in the Boston area and grew to love it in the Monadnock Valley of New Hampshire. After three years of dancing five nights a week, he moved back to his native home in Spokane, WA. There, he says, he had no choice but become a caller and help build the dance community he wanted to be part of.

  • Sharon Green, 2024 LCA recipient Lifetime Contribution Award Celebration for Sharon Green

    You are cordially invited to a special celebration honoring Sharon Green, our 2024 Lifetime Contribution Award recipient!

    Learn More RSVP

  • Roxana Robinson sits on a stone porch in an autumn landscape February 2024 Song of the Month

    Derek Piotr presents “I Wonder When I Shall Be Married.” The best-known version is by the Ritchie family of Viper, Kentucky, but writer Roxana Robinson sings it to a different tune, learned from her family in Pine Mountain, KY.

  • A young camper sweeps the dock over a lake Job Opportunities at CDSS

    We are in search of a new Director of Development and several camp staff for summer 2024. Please check the Jobs page for details on the positions and how to apply.

  • From the Mic with Susan Kevra From the Mic Episode 20: Susan Kevra

    Mary’s guest this month on From the Mic is Susan Kevra, a dance caller, musician, and singer who makes her home in Nashville, Tennessee. Dancers on both sides of the Atlantic appreciate her diverse repertoire of singing squares, Western patter calls, contras, and English country dances. Susan is noted for her warmth, clear teaching, and lovely voice.

  • Green hills and a small lake in Northern Ireland under cloudy skies January 2024 Song of the Month

    Andrew Calhoun plays and sings “The Hills of Tandragee,” a traditional ballad from Northern Ireland. The song was collected by James Carmichael of Ballymena, Ulster and printed in Sam Henry’s Songs of the People.

  • Karen Axelrod and Sarah-Hadley Yakir playing music in the CDSS storeroom Pack & Wrap Session with Karen Axelrod and Sarah-Hadley Yakir

    We’re delighted to welcome Karen Axelrod (piano) and Sarah-Hadley Yakir (violin) to CDSS for the second episode of the Pack & Wrap Sessions! They talk about how they met and what they take to every gig and play two English country dance tunes. Help support CDSS programs (including these videos!) by donating to our year-end appeal.

  • 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. 

  • Sharon Green, 2024 LCA recipient 2024 Lifetime Contribution Award Recipient: Sharon Green

    We are delighted to announce that Sharon Green of Oakland, CA, is the 2024 recipient of the CDSS Lifetime Contribution Award. Sharon is an English country dancer, caller, teacher, choreographer, and tireless promoter of the talents of others.

  • A fiddler and accordionist play for a dance in a sunlit hall Annual Report Now Available

    The 2022 CDSS Annual Report is now available! Take a look back at our programs and financials. 

  • From the Mic with Susan Petrick From the Mic Episode 17: Susan Petrick

    In this episode of From the Mic, we head to northern California for a conversation with the wonderful Susan Petrick. An avid dancer for many years, Susan started calling for contra dances in 2000 and teaching couple dances, including waltz, cross-step waltz, and hambo, shortly thereafter. She is known for her clear teaching, efficient guidance, and expert pacing, making even complex dances accessible to all.

  • An adult seal nuzzles a baby seal on the beach October 2023 Song of the Month

    Our song for October is “Seal Lullaby,” with lyrics from a poem by Rudyard Kipling and music by Cindy Mangsen.

  • Younger dancers with arms around each other Generational Transition Survey

    Are you 18-44 years old? Do you participate in folk music or dance? Take our survey!

    Take the Survey Share a Flyer

  • Dancers under a rainbow at CDSS's Family Week at Agassiz Village. Photo by Hamish Swanson. Fall 2023 CDSS News

    The Fall 2023 CDSS News is now available! Hear how Hoggetowne Fancy keeps ECD music fresh in Florida; play a tune in remembrance of Rosemary Lach; dance online with Symmetry ECD; learn how the CDSS Educators Task Group is bringing dance, music, and song to the next generation; and much more.

  • John Dexter John Dexter Leaves a Legacy of Joy

    John Dexter—morris dancer, musician, teacher, fearless leader and guiding light of New York City’s Bouwerie Boys—passed quietly from this world in May 2023, leaving behind a 50-year legacy of incalculable breadth. Thank you, John! Thank you for the legacy of your years of dancing, playing, and teaching, and for your generous legacy gift, which will help CDSS to flourish this year and well into the future. Read more about John and his gift to CDSS.

  • From the Mic with Catherine Burns From the Mic Episode 16: Catherine Burns

    In this episode of From the Mic, Mary speaks with Catherine Burns, who has been at the heart of the Ottawa contra dance scene for decades. In the early 1980s, Catherine worked alongside her husband, Gord Peeling, who helped form the Old Sod Folk Music Society with musician Ian Robb. In the late 90s, she encountered contra dancing and became Ottawa’s house caller—and the rest is history.

  • An owl and other birds surround a stone tablet reading "In Memory of Poor Cock Robin." September 2023 Song of the Month

    Judy Cook introduces “Cock Robin.” The identity of the murderer of Cock Robin may not be a mystery (spoiler: it was the sparrow), but the origins of the British-American folk song certainly are.

  • "Parable of Lazarus" painting by Fyodor Bronnikov August 2023 Song of the Month

    Margaret Nelson introduces “Dives and Lazarus.” This traditional folk song retells the parable of a rich man who refused to give food and comfort to a beggar at his door.

  • From the Mic with Luke Donforth From the Mic Episode 15: Luke Donforth

    This month on From the Mic, Mary is joined by longtime friend, collaborator, and fellow Vermont caller Luke Donforth. As a caller, he brings a warm and inviting playfulness to the stage. He calls new compositions and traditional contras at weekly dances, barn dances, weddings, and festivals all over the country. On the local front, he currently runs a monthly family dance in Burlington and he is also a published author! If you don’t already own a copy of his book The ABCs of Contra Dancing, pick one up for the young dancers in your life.

  • Actor Richard Barthelmess kisses the arm of a blushing Thelma Todd, in the 1928 movie "The Noose" July 2023 Song of the Month

    Mark Gilston presents “How to Make Love,” a set of tongue-in-cheek instructions for young men wishing to court. The necessary ingredients include hairstyling lard, a harmonica, gold tooth, red bow tie, and ten cents’ worth of drugstore perfume.

  • Silhouette of Bob McQuillen playing accordion Bob McQuillen Curated Tune Lists

    Over 1500 of contra musician Bob McQuillen’s tunes are now available on the Apple App Store. Check out Bob McQuillen Curated Tune Lists to narrow down the tunes and find some new favorites!

  • CDSS News, Summer 2023 Summer 2023 CDSS News

    The Summer 2023 CDSS News is now available! See contra dancing through the eyes of a young person; learn to shoot good dance videos with Don Bell; dance the New Jersey Commute with Alex Laursen; and much more.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Cartoon of two people moving a cardboard box with the CDSS logo on the side We moved…down the hall!

    Hello from our new office, just down the hall from the old one! If you’d like to visit the CDSS store in person, check out the new directions for finding us in the building.

  • Laurel Swift holding a fiddle “…whatever Laurel touches turns to morris gold.”

    How lucky we are to have Laurel Swift as a co-Program Director at CDSS Family Week at Agassiz Village this summer! Laurel is leading classes on tin whistle and clog dance and a special performance class just for teens, and she was just featured in this article from Tradfolk. Find out more and register for camp.

  • Dancers at Tapestry Folkdance Center in Minneapolis Check out the last Web Chat: Recruiting and Keeping Volunteers!

    The slideshow, video, resources, and transcript from our March 2023 Web Chat are now available. Executive Director Katy German hosted this discussion about volunteer management and addressed key volunteer-related questions.

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

  • Vintage-style image of a woman traveler March 2023 Song of the Month

    Sue Burgess introduces “Free and Easy to Ramble Along.” Sue writes: “A man goes on his rambles in Ireland and Scotland, having a good time meeting women, and perhaps breaking a few hearts along the way. In 2007, I was interested to hear well-known singer Peta Webb sing a version where the genders are reversed and the story told from a woman’s point of view.”

  • From the Mic with Will Mentor From the Mic Episode 11: Will Mentor

    In episode 11 of From the Mic, Mary talks with Will Mentor, who began his calling career in Fairfield, Iowa, in 1995. Since then, he has called dances, dance weekends, and weeklong dance camps all over the United States. Canada, and Europe. His guiding principle as a caller is “It’s about the dancers!”

  • Mass Cultural Council CDSS Receives $75,000 Grant

    CDSS has received a $75,000 Cultural Sector Recovery Grant from the Mass Cultural Council. Mass Cultural Council, an independent state arts agency, is charged with bolstering Massachusetts’s creative and cultural sector. MCC’s efforts advance economic vitality, support transformational change; and celebrate, preserve, and inspire creativity across all Massachusetts communities.

  • New England Dancing Masters: Andy Davis, Mary Alice Amidon, Mary Cay Brass, and Peter Amidon 2023 Lifetime Contribution Award Recipients: New England Dancing Masters

    We are proud to announce that Mary Alice Amidon, Peter Amidon, Mary Cay Brass, and Andy Davis—collectively known as the New England Dancing Masters—are the 2023 recipients of the CDSS Lifetime Contribution Award. For the past four decades, they have spread the joy of traditional music and dance across North America.

  • February 2023 Song of the Month

    William Pint introduces “The Rose in June,” the sad tale of a Scottish fisherman lost at sea. 

  • Campers clap hands at English Dance Week 2022. Photo by Jeff Bary. Camp registration open now!

    Magic is waiting for you at our 2023 summer dance, music, and song camps! Whether you’re a beginning fiddler or a professional bagpiper, a third grader or a grandparent, a brand-new contra dancer or a seasoned morris squire, you are welcome here. Join us for nine weeks of camps at four camp locations across the U.S. this summer. Learn more.

  • A young camper sweeps the dock over a lake 2023 Summer Camp Jobs

    Are you looking for summer employment? Retired and seeking adventure? Between jobs or in a transitional period? Generally looking to spend some quality time surrounded by music, dance, and song?

    If you answered yes to any of the above, then we have several positions open at our dance, music, and song camps that are ideal for you! Positions are 1-6 weeks long and compensation ranges from full scholarship to paid staff, depending on the job and the session. Find out more.

  • From the Mic with Chrissy Fowler From the Mic Episode 10: Chrissy Fowler

    In episode 10 of From the Mic, Mary interviews Chrissy Fowler. Chrissy co-founded a dance series in Belfast, Maine, which has evolved into a thriving participatory arts nonprofit—Belfast Flying Shoes. In her Flying Shoes bio, Chrissy describes herself as an organizer, leader, dancer and cheerleader. She likes to cultivate community by organizing fun stuff, including BFS programs and Puttin’ On the Dance, a conference for Northeast dance organizers.

  • A child sleeping among gold stars January 2023 Song of the Month

    Judy Cook introduces “Bed Is Too Small,” an anonymous American lullaby that she learned in Girl Scout camp.

  • Two pairs of dancers' hands with a rainbow background Winter 2022 CDSS News

    The Winter 2022 CDSS News is now available! Step into Jane Austen’s world with Graham Christian; learn about positional calling from Louise Siddons; listen to gender conversations with Scott Higgs; and get a year-end update from the CDSS Board, Community Resources Manager, and member survey. Plus much more! 

  • Road construction sign Thanks for checking out our new website!

    If you’re having trouble finding something or if something isn’t working, please fill out this form. We will get in touch to help as soon as we can.

  • Children dance around a man in the street December 2022 Song of the Month

    Matthew Byrne introduces “Jack Ashton,” the tale of a storyteller who brought a little escapism to poor children in a postwar factory town.

  • From the Mic with Sue Rosen From the Mic Episode 9: Sue Rosen

    In episode 9 of From the Mic, Mary interviews Sue Rosen. A leading caller of contras, squares, English country dance and family dance programs, Sue has been actively calling for 30 years in the Boston area, across the country, and overseas. She has built a collection of great dances and has written contras that have become part of the standard repertoire of dance callers across the contradance world. 

  • Heather plant in bloom November 2022 Song of the Month

    “Wild Mountain Thyme,” also known as “Purple Heather” and “Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go?”, is one of the rare romantic folk songs. Jennifer Armstrong tells us the history of the song, as well as the story of her parents’ unique lyrical variations.

  • From the Mic with Chris Ricciotti From the Mic Episode 8: Chris Ricciotti

    In episode 8 of From the Mic, Mary talks with Chris Ricciotti, a pioneer in gender-free contra dancing. Chris says, “There’s no greater love than bringing new people into a dance and having them smile and say, I love this, I want to come back. That gives me the biggest thrill and the biggest feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction and joy.”

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

    The slideshow, video, transcript, and resources from our October 2022 Web Chat are now available. We heard from organizers who have used CDSS grants to provide diversity, equity, and inclusion training for their groups. Email us with questions.

  • Handwritten score for "I've Lived in Service" October 2022 Song of the Month

    Margaret Walters sends us her rendition of “I’ve Lived in Service,” as well as a version by Vic Gammon. The song was collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams, and it tells the tale of a young servant who strikes a hard bargain with his employer over the maid he loves.

  • A person reading the CDSS News on an e-reader outdoors Fall 2022 CDSS News

    The Fall 2022 CDSS News is now available! Stroll through some English country dances with Paul Ross and Philippe Callens; learn how the Bloomington Old-Time Music and Dance Group celebrated their first 50 years and launched their next; hear Armand Aromin’s cheeky response to the question “Have you got a girlfriend yet?”; learn by ear with Lissa Schneckenburger; get ready to Welcome Yule with Louise Doud; and much more.

  • CDSS T-shirt design, showing a person playing recorder surrounded by musical instruments 2022 CDSS T-shirt

    We’re excited to show off our 2022 shirt design! Created by illustrator Marian Bailey, the design is printed on high-quality, 100% cotton, Bella + Canvas shirts, made in the US. Also printed in the US using environmentally-friendly practices and vibrant water-based inks. Get one while they last!

  • Working on digitizing old documents Digitization of the CDSS archives has begun!

    During our 2015 Centennial Campaign, the CDSS community raised $50,000 to fund digitization efforts for the CDSS collection at the University of New Hampshire. In June of this year, after two and a half years of putting so much on hold for pandemic-related business, CDSS and UNH were able to return attention to the work of making the CDSS archives digitally accessible, and the project is now underway! Read more in the CDSS News.

  • From the Mic with Chris Page From the Mic Episode 7: Chris Page

    In episode 7 of From the Mic, Mary talks with caller and choreographer Chris Page, who has called contras and English country dance in San Diego for about 15 years.

  • Irish construction workers in London after World War II September 2022 Song of the Month

    Ed Miller introduces “London Town,” written by the world-renowned fiddler Kevin Burke. The song is a tribute to the many Irish laborers who helped rebuild London after World War II.

  • A town in the Old West with a sign reading 'Yuba Dam' August 2022 Song of the Month

    Bob Bovee introduces “Yuba Dam,” an old-time song with a humorous tale of verbal misunderstandings. 

  • English soldiers in battle July 2022 Song of the Month

    Kim Wallach introduces “Bibble A La Do.” Also known as “Buttermilk Hill” and “Shule Aroon,” “Shule a Ghra,” “Siúil a Rún,” and by many other names, the song laments a lad gone for a soldier—sometimes one for whom the singer has sold everything to supply with the tools of war, only for them to die anyway.

  • A barefoot person reads the CDSS News in a hammock Summer 2022 CDSS News

    The Summer 2022 CDSS News is now available! Take a deep dive into the Irish Howle with Graham Christian; remember Lifetime Contribution Award recipient George Fogg; dance via Zoom at a Ball-That-Would-Have-Been; find out how the recorder can shine as a musical star; hear an oral history of old-time and modern Western dance from Bill Alkire; and much more.

  • A cabin boy stands on deck holding a mop June 2022 Song of the Month

    Joel Mabus introduces “The Golden Willow Tree,” in which a duplicitous sea captain strikes a bargain with a cabin boy to take down a pirate ship.

  • Soldiers and horses drowning in the Kabul River May 2022 Song of the Month

    George Stephens introduces “Ford o’ Kabul River,” a poem by Rudyard Kipling set to a tune by Peter Bellamy. The song tells the story of a regiment of British Hussars who drowned while attempting to cross the river and occupy Kabul during the Second Anglo-Afghan War in 1879.

  • 19th-century engraving of dancers at a quadrille Country Dance + Song Online Volume 3

    With the 2022 issue of Country Dance + Song Online, we are excited to present three articles on very different topics, two of them by contributors new to the journal. We will time-travel to three centuries of Anglo-American dance—all different, but all evolutionarily connected. Read more and download the issue.

  • Women wait outside an Irish sod cottage April 2022 Song of the Month

    Ian Robb introduces “Bold Riley,” a sailor’s farewell that has become a favorite memorial song.

  • The CDSS News with chocolate Easter eggs Spring 2022 CDSS News

    The Spring 2022 CDSS News is now available! Learn about the Johnny Appleseed of morris dance; try a two-couple ECD or a happy march; read an interview with the late, great Tony Barrand; and much more. 

  • Flash Phelps playing accordion and Dick Corbett singing March 2022 Song of the Month

    Nick Dow tells of a visit to a pub in Broadwindsor and an evening of memorable songs. One of these, “The Foggy Dew,” is the story of a bachelor who takes in a young woman on a chilly night and ends up as a single father.

  • Contra Pulse with Dave Langford Contra Pulse with Dave Langford

    On this episode of Contra Pulse, Dave tells us all about his early years and how his journey as a fiddle player began on a spur-of-the-moment whim. We explore his identity as a New England Style Fiddler, and get to hear Dave demonstrate his unique fiddle strum, and a few beautiful tunes on the guitar. Dave leaves us with a cliffhanger about new developments coming out with his band, Stomp Rocket, so we’ll just have to wait at the edge of our seats to find out. In the meantime, enjoy!

  • Saro Lynch-Thomason on YouTube Songs That Speak: The Ballad of Little Mary Phagan

    CDSS is pleased to support “Songs that Speak,” a monthly YouTube series by Saro Lynch-Thomason. Learn about the history, folklore, and modern-day relevance of traditional songs, and sing along as Saro teaches each song through sing-and-repeat. Saro’s latest offering is “Can Songs Kill? The Leo Frank Trial and the Ballad of Little Mary Phagan.”

  • Sculpture of a Scottish couple during the Highland Clearances February 2022 Song of the Month

    Ken Willson and Kim McKee present “Scarborough Settler’s Lament,” in which an exile to Canada during the Highland Clearances sings about longing for the beauty of Scotland.

  • Contra Pulse with Becky Tracy Contra Pulse with Becky Tracy

    On this episode of Contra Pulse, Julie sits down with fiddler Becky Tracy. Becky has been a defining presence in some of the most popular and innovative contra dance bands from New England—Wild Asparagus and Nightingale. 

  • Engraving of Tom o'Bedlam from 1608 January 2022 Song of the Month

    Tim Edwards introduces “Tom o’Bedlam’s Song,” an early 17th-century tune that has been described as the finest anonymous poem in the English language. Tom is a licensed beggar discharged from the Hospital of St. Mary of Bethlehem in London (“Bedlam”).

  • The Winter 2021 CDSS News magazine cozies up with a latte and a tangerine Winter 2021 CDSS News

    The Winter 2021 CDSS News is now available! Learn about Ignatius Sancho, a country dance composer who started life on a slave ship; dance the Pandemic Waltz; get some tips for weathering the winter together; and remember that “Songs Stay Sung.” Plus much more!

  • Ed Stern smiling in a flowered hat 2022 Lifetime Contribution Award Recipient: Ed Stern

    The Country Dance & Song Society is proud to announce that Ed Stern of Minneapolis, MN, is the 2022 recipient of the CDSS Lifetime Contribution Award.

Meet Our Society Members (bloglist twocol)

  • Bill Warburton Bill Warburton

    Sure, getting dressed up for the annual Playford Ball is fun, but for over 50 years it’s been the variety of moods in the music and patterns in the dances that have kept me engaged. Not to mention the people I’ve danced them with.

    Over those years, what I’ve learned is that it just doesn’t happen all by itself. People who cared kept those dances going, kept that music playing. They learned from someone and they are passing it on – like family love. But dedication and love are not enough. They also need money. So, when I no longer need it, they’re going to get some of mine.

  • Dorcas Hand Dorcas Hand

    An avid contra and morris dancer since the ‘70s, and later a caller and co-founder of Houston Area Traditional Dance and Song, I took a few years off from dance leadership while my boys were small. I returned to dancing and calling again in 2000, and there was CDSS, ready with books to buy, read, and incorporate into my calling! When my friend Joseph Pimentel asked me if I would be willing to serve on the CDSS Board, I was surprised but curious. I had the impression that CDSS was a northeast-centric organization, but Joseph suggested that the more that people like me from communities beyond the northeast served on the Board, the broader CDSS’s reach and perspective would become.

    Read More

  • John Dexter John Dexter

    John Dexter—morris dancer, musician, teacher, fearless leader and guiding light of New York City’s Bouwerie Boys—passed quietly from this world in May 2023, leaving behind a 50 year legacy of incalculable breadth. Thank you, John! Thank you for the legacy of your years of dancing, playing, and teaching, and for your generous legacy gift, which will help CDSS to flourish this year and well into the future.

    I have just finished the somewhat surreal task of planning for my eventual demise by establishing a process by which a portion of my estate will be given to CDSS.

    As do others during this process, I evaluated all the possible people and organizations to whom I might give this sort of gift. And I concluded that CDSS is the organization I feel most strongly about.

    The reasons are at once myriad and simple.

    Read More

  • Dave Pokorney & Jolaine Jones-Pokorney Dave Pokorney & Jolaine Jones-Pokorney

    It was a beautiful Sunday morning in Gainesville, Florida. Sunlight was streaming through the windows onto the dance floor. The band Steamshovel and caller Alex Deis-Lauby were guiding us through an amazing morning of dance. I said to my partner, “Isn’t this a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning?” She replied, “BEST CHURCH EVER!”

    It is a sentiment we’ve heard on dance floors across the country. Many of us consider the music and dance community to be our spiritual community or extended family. We recognize in the friendships and the transcendent experiences, an element of the holy.

    Read More

  • Jane Srivastava Jane Srivastava

    My friends at CDSS asked me why I had chosen to participate in the Legacy of Joy Society by naming CDSS in my will. Well, just that. To leave a legacy of joy. The amount designated in my will is not nearly commensurate with the joy I receive from music, song, dance, and the personal connections with many friends in the CDSS community and beyond, but I hope it will help to ensure that CDSS initiatives to support and sustain these traditional activities, and the inclusive, caring communities they build, well into the future.  And, perhaps, also, as one last motherly reminder to my children: don’t forget to do whatever you can to ensure that those things that have given you joy in your lifetime will endure for generations to come.

  • Pam Paulson Pam Paulson

    When I first heard about planned giving it sounded like such a great idea! A way that people who loved our traditions of dance, music and song could give a final gift to help insure that CDSS would continue to thrive.

    At first I couldn’t see how I could participate in the planned giving program. I’m probably not going to need a trust or complicated estate plan as I move into the final decades of my life. What I do have are retirement accounts and those have named beneficiaries. I’ve recently changed those beneficiaries to be CDSS! This was a very easy thing to do and an easy decision to make. This isn’t a set amount that CDSS will receive, I’m planning for it to be many decades before the gift is given and I’m really happy that I could take this step into planned giving.

    Could you join me and take a step today?


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Previous Web Chats (bloglist twocol noimage)


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For Affiliates (bloglist threecol)


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Community Grants—Recent Recipients (bloglist threecol largeimage)

  • Circle Up zines

    Circle Up Calling Zine

    Creating a collection of square dances and thoughts toward promoting inclusivity

  • Brattleboro Bal Folk dancers

    Brattleboro Bal Folk

    Guilford, VT
    Hosting a series of bal folk dances with live music

  • Musicians of the Fiddlehead Field Kids Orchestra in Renaissance garb

    Fiddlehead Field Kids Orchestra

    Campton, NH
    Hosting a community Renaissance dance to showcase young musicians and callers

  • Dancers at Housatonic Family Contra Dance

    Housatonic Family Contra Dance

    Housatonic, MA
    Starting a new dance series for all ages

  • Dance caller at John C. Campbell Folk School

    John C. Campbell Folk School

    Brasstown, NC
    Hosting a community dance series using positional calling

  • Musicians from Moab Community Dance Band

    Moab Community Dance Band

    Moab, UT
    Hosting a series of workshops for new callers
    Funded by the Mary Kay Friday Leadership Training Fund

  • Participants creating a triangle-shaped sword lock

    Nobska Lights/S’wap Sword Dance Workshop

    Woods Hole, MA
    Hosting a workshop/figure swap between youth rapper sword teams and adult rapper and longsword teams
    Funded by the May Gadd/Phil Merrill Fund

  • Dance musicians at TADAMS

    Traditional American Dance and Music Society

    Richmond, VA
    Hosting workshops for dance musicians
    Funded by the Chuck Ward Musicians Training Fund

  • Dancers at Squirrel Moon Contra Dance Weekend

    Squirrel Moon Contra Dance Weekend

    Dodgeville, WI
    Continuing a contra dance weekend post-COVID
    Funded by the May Gadd/Phil Merrill Fund

  • Participants singing in a room with a forest view at Raise the Rafters in Oregon

    Raise the Rafters

    Rhododendron, OR
    Creating a youth-oriented traditional singing event in the Pacific Northwest
    Funded by the Mary Kay Friday Leadership Training Fund

  • Musicians playing in a circle at RiverJam Romp

    RiverJam Romp

    Marlboro, VT
    Hosting a weekend of community dances and workshops for musicians

  • Dancers among glowing lights at Yuletide Frolic

    Yuletide Frolick

    Lawrence, KS
    Hosting a festive dance weekend and callers’ workshop

  • Burlington Family Contra Dance

    Burlington Family Contra Dance

    Burlington, VT
    Creating a community family contra dance for all ages and abilities
    Funded by the May Gadd/Phil Merrill Fund

  • The Marley Project

    The Marley Project

    Michigan
    Archiving the full set of historic Marley family dances, from the Vaudeville era
    Funded by the Anthony G. Barrand Research Fund

  • Workshop participants working together at table

    Make Every Space Safer in Trad Music Communities

    Nasons, VA
    Creating a set of community agreements that people in our music communities can commit to


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Publications—Read (bloglist threecol news)

  • CDSS News Magazine

    The CDSS News is a twice-yearly magazine featuring articles, letters, and art about dance and song.

  • CD+S Online Volume 3 cover CD+S Online

    CD+S Online is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal published every couple of years and features more in-depth articles than the News.

  • Cover of Playford's The Dancing Master Online Library

    The CDSS Online Library contains free digital copies of previously out-of-print dance books and databases, including Roy Dommett’s Morris Notes, Ken Sheffield’s “From Two Barns” collection, and various indexes from the Colonial Music Institute.

  • Dimond Library reading room at the University of New Hampshire Archive & Collections

    The CDSS Archive & Collections are housed in the Milne Special Collections & Archives at the University of New Hampshire. The CDSS Library is a collection of nearly 3,000 books, 400 periodicals, pamphlets and sheet music, and close to 2000 recordings. The CDSS Archives is a collection of manuscripts, personal papers, microfiche recordings, and archival materials from CDSS history.

  • Map and graphs from community surveys Community Studies

    CDSS Community Studies are recent surveys conducted by us, including CDSS Affiliate Surveys from 2019-2021, the 2018 US Organizer Survey, and the 2017 Canadian Organizer Survey.

Publications—Listen (bloglist threecol news)

  • Contra Pulse Contra Pulse

    Contra Pulse is a podcast taking the pulse of contra dance music today through a series of conversations between host Julie Vallimont and prominent contra musicians from all corners.  Join us in this journey through music, dance, time, space, and community.

  • From the Mic From the Mic

    From the Mic is a podcast about North American social dance calling. Through conversations with callers across the continent host Mary Wesley will explore the world of square, contra, and community dance callers. Why do they do it? How did they learn? What is their role, on stage and off, in shaping our dance communities? What can they tell us about the particular corner of the dance world that they know, and love, the best?

  • Singers at the Youth Traditional Song conference. Photo by Lorelei Erisis. Song of the Month

    The Song of the Month is an ongoing collection of folk songs, curated by members of our community. Each song comes with a story, sheet music, and audio recording for learning.

Publications—Watch (bloglist threecol news)

  • Dance It Yourself! Dance It Yourself

    Dance It Yourself is a multigenerational dance video series, originally produced during the pandemic. The six interactive videos feature well-known traditional dance callers, musicians, and a wide variety of dance styles, all of which can be done solo or in a couple.

  • Saro Lynch-Thomason Songs That Speak

    Songs That Speak is a monthly YouTube series by Saro Lynch-Thomason, supported in part by CDSS. Learn about the history, folklore, and modern-day relevance of traditional songs, and sing along as Saro teaches each song through sing-and-repeat.

  • Darlene Hamilton with guests in a Zoom chat 5 Things: Inside the Dancing Mind of…

    “5 Things: Inside the Dancing Mind of…” is an online video series featuring movers and shakers in the English country dance community. Each guest discusses the five things they feel are most important to their passion for ECD. “5 Things…” is hosted by the Historical Tea & Dance Society and archived by CDSS.


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Online Library—Databases (bloglist threecol news publications)

  • A treasure chest filled with gold Dancing Across the Pond

    Dancing Across the Pond by Robert M. Keller, Margaret Keller Dimock and Anne Keller Geraci: 362 Original Country Dance Figures, 191 with Music, ms or Printed

  • A treasure chest filled with gold Peter Rogers Country Dance Index
  • The Barnes Book of English Country Dance Tunes Volume Three Database Barnes Three Dance Database

    Barnes Three Dance Database: A database of the tunes and associated dances in Volume Three of the Barnes Book of English Country Dance Tunes, with links to dance instruction and further information about many of the dances.

  • A treasure chest filled with gold The Performing Arts in Colonial American Newspapers, 1690-1783

    The Colonial Music Institute (compiled by Mary Jane Corry, Kate Van Winkle Keller, and Robert M. Keller): The Performing Arts in Colonial American Newspapers, 1690-1783 — This publication fills a major gap in access to eighteenth-century American sources for research in the performing arts and related humanities fields. It includes all references to music, poetry (lyrics), dance, and theater found by our readers in American newspapers, from the earliest extant copy (1690) through the end of the Revolutionary War (1783).

  • A treasure chest filled with gold Early American Secular Music and Its 
European Sources, 1589–1839

    The Colonial Music Institute (compiled by Robert M. Keller, Raoul F. Camus, Kate Van Winkle Keller, and Susan Cifaldi): Early American Secular Music and Its 
European Sources, 1589–1839: An Index — This is a series of indexes derived from a data base of musical information compiled from primary sources covering the 250 years of the initial exploration and settlement of the United States. It consists of over 75,000 entries that are sorted by text (titles, first lines, recitatives, chorus and burden), by music incipits (represented in scale degrees, stressed notes and interval sequences), with additional indexes of names and theater works.

  • A treasure chest filled with gold Dance Figures Index: American Country Dances, 1710-1830

    The Colonial Music Institute (compiled by Robert Keller): Dance Figures Index: American Country Dances, 1710-1830 — A guide to the basic figures in all American printed and manuscript longways country dances in eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century sources. It is drawn from a computer database of information which was gathered from 82 sources, 53 printed and 29 in manuscript.

  • A treasure chest filled with gold Early American Songsters, 1734-1820

    The Colonial Music Institute (compiled by Robert Keller): Early American Songsters, 1734-1820: An Index —An index of all of the known songsters currently available. The index draws heavily from Irving Lowens’ Bibliography of Songster Printed in America Before 1821 (Worcester: American Antiquarian Society, 1976), for titles and other bibliographical information. Lowens defines a songster “as a collection of three or more secular poems intended to be sung.” Most of the songsters do not include music, although many contain references to the names of tunes to which the song could be sung. This publication comprises those songs published through 1800.

  • A treasure chest filled with gold Dance Figures Index: English Country Dances, 1650-1833

    The Colonial Music Institute (compiled by Robert Keller): Dance Figures Index: English Country Dances, 1650-1833 — A guide to the basic figures in major English printed longways country dances in eighteenth and early nineteenth-century sources. This database only includes sources for dances with instruction for country dances, or dances that could be identified as such. It does not include other dance forms, such as Cotillions or Allemand or similar dances.

  • Cover of The English Dancing Master The Dancing Master, 1651-1728: An Illustrated Compendium

    Robert M. Keller: The Dancing Master, 1651-1728: An Illustrated Compendium (online database)—The Compendium is a searchable database of all known country dances published in the various editions of The Dancing Master, published by John Playford, Henry Playford and John Young, from 1651-1728 in London, with facsimiles of each “unique” dance with its music. This reference work is published by CDSS with the English Folk Dance and Song Society and the New Hampshire Library for Traditional Dance and Music at the University of New Hampshire.

Online Library—Books (bloglist threecol news publications)

  • A blur of contra dancers, with band in the background Mary Dart: Contra Dance Choreography

    Mary Dart: Contra Dance Choreography: A Reflection of Social Change—Originally published by Garland Publishing, Inc., New York & London, 1995. Mary Dart’s classic study explores “the way the choreography of the contra dance, a folk dance tradition brought to us from the British Isles, has been changing, particularly over the last twenty years.” The book, based on interviews with callers, dance composers and musicians, looks at new dances, how they are composed, and what aesthetic and cultural principles underlie the choreographic choices made. 

  • Map of West Virginia Robert G. Dalsemer: West Virginia Square Dances

    Robert G. Dalsemer: West Virginia Square Dances—Originally published by Country Dance and Song Society, 1982. Dalsemer describes dance figures as done in five rural West Virginia communities in the mid- to late-1970s and reports on their regular dance events, including programming, type of audience, price and method of admission, and the traditions of figure calling and musical performance. The history of each dance event is discussed, as is their on-going process of evolution. With appendices: a list of tunes commonly played for square dances; transcriptions of calls; and tunes for caller Worley Gardner’s singing and semi-singing calls.

  • A stack of books Ted Sannella: Annotated Discography and Bibliography from Swing the Next

    Ted Sannella: Annotated Discography and Bibliography from Ted Sannella’s Swing the Next — The annotations and introduction for the Discography and Bibliography in Swing the Next (CDSS, 1996) are included here in their entirety. Swing the Next is a collection of 80 American square, contra, triplet and circle dances, the majority of them written by Ted Sannella, a master of the art of calling American traditional dances.

  • Roy Dommett playing the accordion Roy Dommett’s Morris Notes

    Roy Dommett’s Morris Notes Online Edition — the foundational resource, long out of print, available online.

  • Kentucky Mountain Square Dancing cover Patrick Napier: Kentucky Mountain Square Dancing
  • GEMS: The Best of the Country Dance and Song Society's Diamond Anniversary Music, Dance and Song Contest GEMS: The Best of CDSS’s Diamond Anniversary Music, Dance and Song Contest

Online Library—Magazines (bloglist threecol news publications)

Online Library—Dances and Other Resources (bloglist threecol news publications)


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Song of the Month—Past Songs (bloglist fourcol)

LCA—Past Recipients (bloglist fourcol)


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Homepage—Latest News (bloglist fourcol news)

  • CDSS News, Spring 2024 Spring 2024 CDSS News

    The Spring 2024 issue of CDSS News has sprung! Give a hand to the bands that sparked the contra revival; try a new dance with Princess Katie; take a folk dance tour through the Czech Republic; and much more.

  • A young camper sweeps the dock over a lake Summer Camp Job Opportunities

    We are in search of several camp staff for summer 2024. Please check the Jobs page for details on the positions and how to apply.

  • Antique photograph of log drivers standing on floating logs March 2024 Song of the Month

    Mary Garvey introduces “The Badger Drive,” written in 1912 by John V. Devine. Although the name suggests that it is about hunting badgers, the song instead sings the praises of log drivers—lumber workers who risked their lives wrangling logs through the rivers near Badger, Newfoundland, Canada.

  • Bicentennial Ball poster from 1976 Digitization of the CDSS Organization Archives at UNH has begun!

    You can see the first items—historic posters, maps, broadsides, and other print memorabilia—online now. The collection will eventually include around 8,000 items. Check it out.

  • Silhouette of Bob McQuillen playing accordion Playing All Bob McQuillen’s Tunes

    Bob McQuillen (1923-2014) wrote over 1,700 tunes in his lifetime. In 2023, over 750 people in more than 140 places around the world played Bob’s tunes and sent in notes, remembrances, and photos. We’ve now added the archive of this centenary celebration to our Online Library.

  • From the Mic with Penn Fix From the Mic Episode 21: Penn Fix

    On this episode of From the Mic, Mary talks with dance caller, composer, organizer, and devotee Penn Fix. Penn learned to dance in the Boston area and grew to love it in the Monadnock Valley of New Hampshire. After three years of dancing five nights a week, he moved back to his native home in Spokane, WA. There, he says, he had no choice but become a caller and help build the dance community he wanted to be part of.


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Country Dance & Song Archives (bloglist fourcol newsmag)

The Country Dancer Archives(bloglist fourcol newsmag)

CDSS News—Past Issues (bloglist fourcol newsmag)


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CDSS News older issues (bloglist fourcol smaller)

Song of the Month—Past Songs (bloglist fourcol smaller)


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Songs that Speak—Past Songs (bloglist fourcol noimage)