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Category: Legacy of Joy Member Stories

I can’t imagine what my life would be if it weren’t for the Country Dance and Song Society. I used to be a very shy person. Then I discovered I could perform clogging routines in front of people, which led to contra dance, English dance, and then with support from CDSS, I was able to get on stage in front of a room full of people to teach and share my love of dance! This has helped me in all areas of my life—I am comfortable being gregarious and have left that shyness behind. And I now have many friends from all over North America and Europe, a treasure I would never have thought possible.

My friends at CDSS asked me why I had chosen to participate in the Legacy of Joy Society by naming CDSS in my will. Well, just that. To leave a legacy of joy. The amount designated in my will is not nearly commensurate with the joy I receive from music, song, dance, and the personal connections with many friends in the CDSS community and beyond, but I hope it will help to ensure that CDSS initiatives to support and sustain these traditional activities, and the inclusive, caring communities they build, well into the future. And, perhaps, also, as one last motherly reminder to my children: don’t forget to do whatever you can to ensure that those things that have given you joy in your lifetime will endure for generations to come.

Arthur and I made our estate plans a few years back when I was serving on the CDSS Board and he was serving on both the Pinewoods Camp Board and our local dance board. Including CDSS as a beneficiary was a no-brainer for us. Art introduced me to dancing shortly after I met him and we had a ridiculously great time in the dance and song community our entire 30 years together. Dancing itself, the community, and the deep friendships we made had all been central to our life together—those connections continue to be central to my life. We wanted to help sustain that kind of community long into the future.

We each started country dancing in the early 1970s with Dudley Laufman, Sheila in Maine and David in New Hampshire. Music, song, and dance have been central to our lives for most of our adult lives.

Over the decades, our involvement in these activities has included playing in a dance band, singing with Village Harmony, joining a longsword team, performing in the Hanover Christmas Revels, singing in a hospice chorus, and calling dances. David’s calling and our travels were, in roughly equal parts, devoted to English country, contra and squares, and community/children/family dancing.

L’dor v’dor (from generation to generation) is a Jewish phrase which refers to continuity, the responsibility of passing on knowledge and traditions to sustain them for the future. This concept informs our plans to leave a bequest to CDSS.

We met folk dancing, and our marriage and family life has been enriched by community dance and song, largely from our home base in Northern California. We’ve danced throughout the U.S. and even in Jerusalem, courtesy of an American expatriate dancer. As toddlers, our daughters fell asleep on the sidelines of contra dances, and as they grew, joined us on the dance floor and at summer camps. This summer we look forward to CDSS Family Week at Ogontz with our daughter and 2-year-old granddaughter—the next generation to share the tradition with us.

Many things make CDSS important to us. Dancing and music have had a huge impact on our lives, not the least of which was bringing us together. Joel grew up in a musical family and first attended Pinewoods in the early 1970s. Michal remembers her first time at Pinewoods in the 1980s, when she was curious to find out how everybody discovered dancing. She was impressed and hugely jealous that many people were introduced to it by their parents and had grown up with music and dance. We’ve done the same with our children. We started bringing them to CDSS family weeks when they were little; they’re now in their 20s, and dance and music are a central part of their lives.

In writing our will, it was clear that supporting CDSS was important to both of us. Watching the response of the Country Dance & Song Society to the COVID-19 crisis on our continent confirms all that we admire about our national organization.

Musicians play to calm our souls and camp weeks hold virtual gatherings that unite friends and families with joy and good cheer. CDSS web talks convey vital information concerning critical decisions by our local organizations about reopenings. CDSS also created a venue to support musicians and callers who depend upon events for their livelihood. This year’s virtual camp weeks provided an opportunity to enjoy sensitive and uplifting songs, stories, fun, and games. Viewing these moments helped us through yet another week or two of no dancing, no socializing, and no meals with family and friends.

Sometimes people ask what it is that I love about CDSS. That’s easy: it has given me decades of joy. I was introduced to English country dance by accident 30 years ago, and I’ve never looked back. My participation in everything from English country, contra, morris and rapper, to the exhilarating community singing of Sacred Harp, all lead back to CDSS.

I have included CDSS in my estate planning because traditional music and dance has contributed so much to me, and I want it to continue into the future. I trust CDSS to use my contribution wisely to promote the traditional music and dance forms that I enjoy so much.

This is just one of the ways I give back to the dance community. Giving back has never been a burden or chore; I contribute simply because it feels right.

Adding CDSS to our estate plans this year was a natural step in setting up our legacy, because we trust CDSS to carry forward the things that matter most to us far into the future.

When we began dancing in our home communities in Massachusetts, we were focused on our own challenges of becoming competent dancers and thoroughly appreciated the patience and skill of our local leaders. Thanks to Helene Cornelius in the ‘70s and Robin Hayden in the 2000s! We focused on our local groups and were not very aware of CDSS.