English Country Dance Video Playlists
The Childgrove channel on YouTube is a repository of over 100 videos of English country dancing and is a source of instruction on how to dance many of the finest dances choreographed by Fried de Metz Herman.
From Paul B Ross
A Figure By Any Other Name: Exploring Alternatives to Gypsy
This article by Katy German, Sue Stanton, and Jeff Kaufman explores the use of the term “gypsy” in calling and presents a range of alternative options.
From the CDSS News
Response to: “A Figure by Any Other Name: Exploring Alternatives to Gypsy”
Dragan Gill’s exploration of the term gypsy, both in terms of how it is used in dance as well as in the broader cultural context.
From the CDSS News
Northern Junket was a square dance magazine published from 1949 until 1985 by Ralph Page, a renowned figure in New England folk dancing. Each issue contains directions and tunes for squares, contras and folk dances, as well as folk songs, recipes, riddles, tongue-twisters, old wives’ tales, and other folklife traditions.
Feedback Tool: Try This at Home Too!
Linda Henry presents an approach to collecting and using feedback that callers might find helpful in improving their own calling.
From the CDSS News
Madison’s Tuesday Night Dances: Fostering Talent for More Than 20 Years
This article by Carol Ormond describes Madison’s approach to developing talent through weekly dances that feature newer callers as well as an open band.
From the CDSS News
Writing Dances: A Conversation with Erik Hoffman
Evo Bluestein interviews Erik Hoffman about how Erik started writing dances and his process. Some of Erik’s dances are featured in the article.
From the CDSS News
How to Get Gigs as a Dance Musician
This two-page resource contains a number of great ideas on how to get gigs as a dance musician. Many of the ideas are also applicable to callers as well as other types of musicians.
From CDSS
In this blog post, Jeff presents a history of Larks/Ravens. The post is followed by a community discussion.
From Jeff Kaufman
Thanks to the Massachusetts Cultural Council for their generous support.