
Singing, dancing, and making music together is important work.
Thanks to a generous donor, our spring appeal was kickstarted with a $20,000 gift!
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Number of donors toward our goal of 100:
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Total raised so far toward our goal of $40,000:
Thanks to a generous donor, our spring appeal was kickstarted with a $20,000 gift!
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
Photo by Armelle Lorcy, ContraQuebec Spring Buds.
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.”
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!”
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.
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.
William Pint introduces “The Rose in June,” the sad tale of a Scottish fisherman lost at sea.
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.
fostered 110 years of tradition
published 121 hours of podcasts
bestowed 34 Lifetime Contribution Awards
sold well over 50,000 morris bells
added 7 resources for callers and organizers
hosted over 1,174 campers
published over 700 calendar events
awarded 20 grants for local communities and special projects