Singing and Playing Music in REAL TIME! An online discussion for organizers of song communities and open bands

January 13, 2021

Members of the Sacred Harp group FaSoLa Philadelphia (PA) and the Phoenix (AZ) Traditional Music & Dance Society joined us for this conversation. During the Web Chat, they shared their successes with using the computer program Jamulus to enable their groups to sing and play music in real time!

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Let’s Talk About Reentry: Working Together Now for a Strong Return to Dancing

October 21, 2020

During this down time, there is work we can be doing to ensure a joyful and fulfilling return to the dance floor. We talked about our evolving expectations for reentry, the changes we need to prepare for, and the important role organizers can play in preparing our communities for a bright future.

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Supporting Song Communities Across the Continent

September 16, 2020

Many organizers of song groups are finding creative ways to keep your community engaged and connected during the pandemic. In this Web Chat, we heard from organizers about experiences that are working well in their song groups. We featured a few guest speakers and took time for Q&A, open conversation, and breakout rooms.

Let’s Talk About Reentry: Recommendations and Q&A for Organizers

July 8, 2020

This Web Chat was hosted by Katy German, CDSS Executive Director. We addressed the BIG questions on organizers’ minds: How can we keep our communities safe in a pandemic? When can we dance and sing in the same place again? What does it mean to be a dance/music/song organizer when we can’t be together?

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Yes we CAN keep in touch! Connecting Our Communities During the Pandemic

April 29, 2020

This exciting Web Chat connected 135 music, dance, and song organizers from far and wide! We launched a new online resource to share many of the creative ideas contributed by these communities.

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Diversifying Income: Thinking Outside the Money Basket

February 12, 2020

This presentation provides many useful questions and suggestions to help each dance group assess which fundraising ideas will work best for their group. Ideas for additional income sources included.

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Connecting Community Sing Organizers

October 16, 2019

Do you organize a participatory singing event (song circle, pub sing, etc.) primarily focused on traditional songs? If so, don’t miss this chance to hear about creating a thriving community sing series. CDSS web chat guests from across the continent will share their experiences, including time for Q&A.

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Building Safe Dance Communities

July 11, 2019

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to gather valuable resources and hear personal experiences about this important topic. You’ll hear from web chat guests across the continent and there will be time for Q&A.
  • Avia Moore (Toronto, ON) will share resources compiled by the CDSS Community Safety Task Group.
  • Diane Silver and Robert Zieber (Asheville, NC) are long-time organizers for the Old Farmers Ball dance community.
  • Marcia Davis-Cannon (Mountain View, CA) leads workshops on this topic for dance organizers on the West Coast.
  • Angela DeCarlis (Boston, MA) is a former Board Member of BIDA (Boston Intergenerational Dance Advocates) and co-founder of the BIDA Safety Team.

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Increasing Youth Involvement

January 16, 2019

The following guests will share successes from their communities on this topic: Louise Siddons (English country dance organizer from Stillwater OK), and contra dance organizers Bradley Smith (Louisville KY), Lisa Faryadi & Kenneth Bartholow (Charlotte NC), and Max Newman (Boston). We’ll also include time for Q&A. 

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