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
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
Marketing your English Dance: Don’t Blame Jane!
This article by Lisa Brown from (president of Country Dancers of Rochester and past coordinator of the Central & Western NY region
of the Jane Austen Society of North America) outlines how ECD communities can partner with Jane Austen clubs (and fans) to bring in new dancers.
From the CDSS News
The CDSS multigenerational dance video series, is our response to dancing at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Country Dancing as a College Course
Brooke Friendly describes her experience leading an English and Scottish country dance college course, including getting the course approved, evaluating students, and more. Includes example course proposal and syllabus.
From the CDSS News
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.
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!
Mickie Zekley has scanned many of Cecil Sharp’s piano arrangements of country dance tunes, originally published in 1912, and made them available online in PDF format. These scores provide ideas for piano players about how to accompany many popular English country dance tunes. Note that the key signatures of some of the tunes differ from those most commonly used by contemporary musicians.
From Mendocino ECD
Jeremy Child explores positional calling as a way to expand the boundaries of choreography.