Open Dance Bands: Best Practices Shared by 35 Groups
This manual shares common best practices used by 35 open dance bands from throughout North America, and illustrates the diversity of approaches across communities. We hope this resource provides a great starting point for launching new open bands and additional inspiration for groups that have been playing together for years.
From Emily Addison and CDSS
How Much do Dance Weekends Pay?
This blog postbreaks down what dance weekends pay musicians. Original post 2016 with an update in 2018.
From Jeff Kaufman
A flyer that highlights what goes into playing for a dance in relation to what musicians get paid/dancers pay.
From Sarah Gowan
An article from Brendan Taaffe opening up discussion about money in the contra community, especially in relation to pay for musicians.
From the CDSS News
Miriam Newman explains the movement towards asking people about their pronouns.
From the CDSS News
5 Things…Inside the Dancing Mind of…
A one-hour chat with Q&A from movers and shakers in the English Country Dance community from across the country about the 5 things that they feel are important to our passion for ECD and why.
From the Historical Tea and Dance Society.
A website of contra dances where you can enter your zip code and it will list dances close by. You can also look at the full list of dances.]
From Jeff Kaufman
The Caller Directory is a spreadsheet listing self-submitted callers, their contact information, and what they call. It also provides space for references, video links, and a comment from the caller.
From Luke Donforth
Gender Free Contra Facebook Group
This Facebook group is for enthusiasts of Larks and Ravens terminology. However, other ways of welcoming LGBTQIA dancers into contra and other folk dances are also on topic. The group offers resources, discussion, and strategy.
Shared Weight: English Country Dance Discussion List
The Shared Weight ECD listserv (email group) is for discussion of all aspects of modern and historical English Country Dance and related forms as they have relevance to the discussion. (Related forms include contra, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, contradanza, Victorian longways dances, quadrilles, cotillions, etc.). The list is intended for callers, dancers, organizers, and musicians, who are all part of one community. Join the discussion!
Thanks to the Massachusetts Cultural Council for their generous support.