Campers around a lakeside campfire at Camp Cavell. Photo by Howard Carlberg.

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

Photo by Doug Plummer

Giving to dance, music, and song creates healing through togetherness.

Donate to our fall appeal

Help us reach our goal of 400 donors!
Total raised so far towards our goal of $140,000!

What’s New

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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.