By Gene Murrow and David Barnert

Dancers who casually encountered Judy Grunberg on the dance floor—noting her graceful, bird-like movement, animated arms, and frequent smile—would likely have no idea of her powerful role as an entrepreneur and organizer.

Whenever Judy became aware of a community need, she filled it. When a beloved restaurant near her home in Chatham, NY, closed, she reopened it. When the local art house movie theater was failing, she saved it. She single-handedly created the performing arts venue PS21 because she sensed the need in Columbia County.

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We’re pleased to offer targeted funds to support specific types of projects that you feel passionately about. Learn more below about special projects these funds have supported, and how to apply for funding for your own project.

This page is a work in progress. We will be adding more fund information soon!


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Your gift to CDSS is fully tax-deductible. No goods or services will be given in exchange for any portion of your donation. CDSS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and our Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 04-3031125.

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Becoming a CDSS Member connects you to a continent-wide network of groups, individuals, and families who believe that singing, dancing, and making music together enriches our lives, builds community, and speaks to the needs of the present.

With your support, CDSS fosters the growth and strength of traditional dance, music, and song in North America. Together, we can make it happen!

Already a member? Renew here.

  • Classic Membership

    Pay your membership dues for one year. We remind you when it’s time to renew. Rinse and repeat!

    Individual: $25-50/year
    Family: $35-75/year
    Donor: $100-5,000/year

    Join now!

  • Classic with Auto-renew

    Join or renew now. Next year, you’ll be charged automatically. You won’t have to renew again unless your card info changes or you’d like to change your membership level.

    Individual: $25-50/year
    Family: $35-75/year
    Donor: $100-5,000/year

    Join now!

  • Circle of Friends

    Pay your membership dues with an automatic monthly or quarterly gift to CDSS. Your membership will be active right away. You won’t need to renew again unless your card info changes or you’d like to change the amount of your gift.

    $5-100/month

    Join now!

Member Benefits

Most CDSS resources are accessible to everyone. In recognition of members’ crucial role supporting our mission, we offer additional services and benefits for members only, including:

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John Dexter—morris dancer, musician, teacher, fearless leader and guiding light of New York City’s Bouwerie Boys—passed quietly from this world in May 2023, leaving behind a 50 year legacy of incalculable breadth. Thank you, John! Thank you for the legacy of your years of dancing, playing, and teaching, and for your generous legacy gift, which will help CDSS to flourish this year and well into the future.

I have just finished the somewhat surreal task of planning for my eventual demise by establishing a process by which a portion of my estate will be given to CDSS.

As do others during this process, I evaluated all the possible people and organizations to whom I might give this sort of gift. And I concluded that CDSS is the organization I feel most strongly about.

The reasons are at once myriad and simple.

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It was a beautiful Sunday morning in Gainesville, Florida. Sunlight was streaming through the windows onto the dance floor. The band Steamshovel and caller Alex Deis-Lauby were guiding us through an amazing morning of dance. I said to my partner, “Isn’t this a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning?” She replied, “BEST CHURCH EVER!”

It is a sentiment we’ve heard on dance floors across the country. Many of us consider the music and dance community to be our spiritual community or extended family. We recognize in the friendships and the transcendent experiences, an element of the holy.

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