This toolkit provides advice and resources to help organizers (you!) develop the policies, procedures, and supporting documents needed to understand and facilitate safety in your community. This toolkit is not prescriptive in regard to what your community “should be doing.” We recognize and value the range of living traditions practiced by many different communities.
This toolkit was produced by the CDSS Community Culture & Safety Task Group, 2018-2024. The CCSTG was formed to support local communities in their efforts to provide a safe environment for music, song, and dance events.
This 40-minute video introduces English Country Dancing. It teaches some of the basic moves found in many English Country dances; explains the structure of the dance; and entertains you with information about the history and practice of English country dancing.
Henry Morgenstein is the caller and the narrator (voiceover). Jacqui Morgenstein did the camera work, mostly using a Canon digital SLR recording in full HD.
Most of the footage was shot in a great dance studio in Traverse City, Michigan with friends who dance in our back room every week. But two of the dances we teach were in Emmanuel College, Cambridge UK and there are clips from Dartington Hall (also UK) and Pinewoods Camp in Massachusetts. Many of the dances were done to recorded CDs from the great ECD band Bare Necessities. The two in Cambridge were to live music by Notorious (Eden MacAdam-Somer and Larry Unger). None of the video was scripted, so all the incidents just happened as the result of dancers enjoying themselves.
In order to make this as unintimidating as possible to newcomers, we chose to film dancers who are simply people enjoying themselves. We feel that perfect dancing, while admittedly beautiful to watch, may well deter a newcomer from “giving it a go.” The fact that some mistakes are made and people recover with good humor should help to give the message that you don’t have to be perfect to do this.
Succession Planning for Dance Organizations
December 5, 2024
Does your group want to change from having a single organizer to a committee-run model?
Have you noticed burn-out among your volunteers and are wondering what to do about it?
Are you wondering how to attract new people to the organizing team of your group?
In this panel discussion, dance organizers shared their experiences with leadership and volunteer changes in their local groups.
Connecting donors directly with folk artists and leaders impacted by natural disasters
Dozens of people and groups in our dance and music communities have lost income, property, event spaces, and much more as a result of the California wildfires, Hurricane Helene, and other natural disasters.
Let’s show these folks our love! Click on a link below to send some kindness, business, or funds to the callers, musicians, singers, sound technicians, participants, and local groups who make our lives so sweet.
Listings appear in random order for fairness’s sake.
We’re helping our community to provide direct financial support to people in the trad dance/music/song community experiencing hardship or loss of income/property as a direct result of a large-scale natural disaster.
Please fill out this form to be included in our list, which has a randomized order to promote fair visibility to all who are included.
Listings on this page expire after three months. To remove or extend your entry, or to make other edits, please email webmaster@cdss.org.
The comprehensive entry-level book on contra dance calling by Tony Parkes. Every aspect of the caller’s work is dealt with clearly and thoroughly, including how to get started as a caller; music as it relates to the dance; timing and phrasing; voice technique; fitting the calls to the music; dance notation; teaching and walkthroughs; choosing material; calling for special groups; working with live or recorded music; buying and using a sound system; and running a dance series. In addition, the book includes an in-depth discussion of the basic movements; a selection of easy-to-call dances; a complete glossary of terms; an extensive list of resources; and information on how to use other dance books. In short, this is your guide to the entire world of contra dance calling, teaching, and organizing.
The complete American Morris Newsletter, including scans of physical copies from 1977-2002 and digital copies from 2005-2008. Also includes a printed index to the volumes, directory of sides, and other special publications of the AMN.
Nearly 50 new contra dances from Isaac Banner, along with tips for running a workshop, glossary, and index by figure and dance type. A great resource for new callers, as well as experienced callers looking for new dances.
From Isaac Banner
Example Codes of Conduct
Here are some of our favorite codes of conduct from other dance and music organizations to use as inspiration for your own!
Olympia Contra Dance
Olympia, WA; contra dance (links in the “Community” paragraph under “The Details”)
DanceFlurry Organization
Albany/Saratoga Springs, NY (and surrounding areas); several types of monthly dance series and workshops, educational programs in schools and other organizations
Download the Entire Toolkit
Thanks to the Massachusetts Cultural Council for their generous support.