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Country Dance & Song Society > Resources > Dance Tradition

Category: Dance Tradition

English Country Dancing During the Pandemic

This site includes an archive of one-person dances for online dancing.

From the Carolina English Country Dancers

Posted in Callers, English Country DanceTagged Choreography, Pandemic

Contra Dance Choreography: A Reflection of Social Change

This book (available free online) is based upon Mary McNab Dart’s research into the changing choreography of contra dance, including how dances are composed, what aesthetic principles underlie their composition, and how the evolution of the choreography reflects changes in the preferences and priorities of the people who dance them.

Posted in Callers, Contra Dance, OrganizersTagged Composing, History

The Origins of English Country Dance

Mary Peralta Railing provides a brief history of how English country dance came to be.

From Colin Hume

Posted in English Country DanceTagged History

Square Dancing in the 1800s

This blog contains some historical information about square dancing in the US.

From Fred Feild

Posted in Square DanceTagged History

Northern Junket Archive

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.

Posted in Callers, Community/Family Dance, Contra Dance, Dancers, Musicians, Singers, Square DanceTagged Choreography, Repertoire

The Hatchlings—Developing Callers in St. Louis

Martha Edwards describes a model for developing callers that she feels will work in many different community contexts.

From the CDSS News

Posted in Callers, Contra Dance, English Country Dance, Novices, OrganizersTagged Starting Up

Nontraditional Funding and Focused Mentorship: How We’re Growing a New (Awesome) Contra Dance Community

Dela Murphy describes Portland, Maine’s approach to training and mentoring new callers, including how they source funding for that work.

From the CDSS News

Posted in Callers, Contra Dance, Organizers

Training New Contra Callers in Portland, ME

Dugan Murphy describes Portland, Maine’s experience in training new contra callers.

From the CDSS News

Posted in Callers, Contra Dance, Organizers

Tom’s Contra Page – Choreography

Tom Lehmann’s thoughts on composing contra dances.

Posted in Contra DanceTagged Composing

Cary Ravitz’s Rules on Choreography

Cary Ravitz provides a list of the rules he follows when writing a dance.

Posted in Contra DanceTagged Composing
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  • Home
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  • Log In 
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  • Programs
    • Camps 
    • Online Workshops
    • Web Chats for Organizers
  • Resources
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    • Caller’s Insurance
    • Resource Portal
      • All Resources
      • For Organizers
      • For Dancers
      • For Callers
      • For Musicians
      • For Singers
      • For Educators
      • For Families
    • Disaster Relief for the Dance and Music Community
      • Disaster Relief—Add an Entry
  • Publications
    • All Publications
    • Read
      • CDSS News Magazine
      • CD+S Online
      • Online Library
      • Archive & Collections at UNH
      • Surveys & Community Studies
      • Lesson Plans
    • Listen
      • Contra Pulse Podcast 
      • From the Mic Podcast 
      • Song of the Month
    • Watch
      • Dance It Yourself
      • Songs That Speak
      • 5 Things: Inside the Dancing Mind of…
      • Common Time 
    • Advertise
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Directory 
    • For Affiliates
      • Affiliates at Camp
    • Become an Affiliate
    • Renew Your Membership 
    • Group Insurance
    • Nonprofit Exemption
  • Support Our Work
    • Ways to Give
    • Become a Member/Renew
    • Planned Giving
    • Special Funds
  • About
    • About CDSS
    • Contact the Staff
    • Strategic Plan 2024-2029
    • Board & Bylaws
    • Cultural Equity
    • History
    • Finances & Annual Report
    • Lifetime Contribution Award
    • Jobs
    • What’s New

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