Country Dance & Song Society > Resources > Dance Tradition > Community/Family Dance

Category: Community/Family Dance

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!

Chicagoland English Country Dance
Chicago, IL; English country dance

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

Portland Country Dance Community
Portland, OR; contra dance, English country dance, music sessions
Code of Conduct
Community Standards
Guidelines for Event Coordinators Addressing Incidents

Ottawa Contra Dance
Ottawa, ON; contra dance

John C. Campbell Folk School
Brasstown, NC; contra dance, English country dance, community/family dance, many other music and craft workshops

Raise the Rafters
Rhododendron, OR; singing

Have a great policy you’d like to share? Submit it here!

Lesson Plans for Educators

The CDSS Educators Task Group presents lesson plans on a variety of topics in traditional music and dance.

New England Dancing Masters Teaching Blog

A blog for teachers wanting to teach traditional dance, including videos of dances suitable for classrooms.

Shared Weight: Growing Up Trad Discussion List

Growing up Trad! is an email discussion list for caregiving adults who love traditional dance, music and song. The focus of our conversation is around nurturing these traditions within our families and in particular with the children in our care.

BIDA Family Dance Timing

An example of family dance schedule including a potluck and sound check that works for the long-standing BIDA family dance which occurs before the regular evening dance

From Jeff Kaufman

Organizing a Family/Community Dance Series

Marian Rose offers tips on how to start up a regular community dance series.

From the CDSS News

Dance It Yourself

The CDSS multigenerational dance video series, is our response to dancing at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Family and Community Dances

Lots of useful information on creating, programming, and organizing a family dance from contributors Dudley Laufman, Andy Davis, Bob Dalsemer, Marian Rose, and Joan Shimer. Includes an extensive resource list.

This resource is free for CDSS members and is available for purchase through the CDSS Online Store.

Adapting for Young Children

Marian Rose provides some fantastic calling tips as well as suggestions for dances to do when accommodating young children as part of your dancing community

From the CDSS News

Shared Weight: Dance Musicians Discussion List

This mailing list welcomes dance musicians and those interested in dance music for any form of traditional social dance. This includes contra, English country, traditional squares (e.g., Appalachian, New England, Quebecois, Cape Breton, etc), community/family/barn, ceili, bal folk, and more. Dance musicians ask/answer questions, discuss issues that come up for them, and share helpful resources. This is a great way to talk to dance musicians from throughout North America and beyond. Join the discussion!