Photo by Armelle Lorcy, ContraQuebec Spring Buds.

Thank you for making our spring appeal a success!

It’s not too late to donate—just note “spring appeal” on your online or mailed donation, send by June 14, and we will count it toward this effort!

Donate now

Number of donors toward our goal of 100:
Total raised so far toward our goal of $40,000:

Photo by Armelle Lorcy, ContraQuebec Spring Buds.

Country Dance & Song Society

Individuals nourished and communities strengthened by dancing, singing, and making music together

We connect and support people in building and sustaining vibrant communities through participatory dance, music, and song. We steward the living traditions of English country dance, contra and square dance, morris and sword dance, and the music that is an integral part of these traditions. Learn more

Fall 2025 Appeal for Support—please give by December 31!

Together we can make a real difference in the lives of those who are nurturing the living traditions we love.

All donors are entered automatically in a drawing for fabulous prizes!

Donate now Drawing info

Photo by Laura Lewis, Cleveland Butterfly Twirl, CDSS Community Grant recipient.

What’s New

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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.