The portal contains a vast range of resources by and for the dance, music, and song community. From expert tips from fellow organizers and callers, to databases of dances and songs, find what you need to help engage with the traditions you love!
Resources added before 2022 do not all have explicit permission from the authors. If your resource is in the portal and you’d like it removed, please email us.
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Use the search box and filters below to find resources.
Tip: Selecting multiple checkboxes will give you more specific results. For example, to see specific resources for contra dance callers, select both Callers and Contra Dance.
82 Results
Contra Dance Calling: A Basic Text
The comprehensive entry-level book on contra dance calling by Tony Parkes. Every aspect of the caller’s work is dealt with clearly and thoroughly, including how to get started as a caller; music as it relates to the dance; timing and phrasing; voice technique; fitting the calls to the music; dance notation; teaching and walkthroughs; choosing material; calling for special groups; working with live or recorded music; buying and using a sound system; and running a dance series. In addition, the book includes an in-depth discussion of the basic movements; a selection of easy-to-call dances; a complete glossary of terms; an extensive list of resources; and information on how to use other dance books. In short, this is your guide to the entire world of contra dance calling, teaching, and organizing.
View the first chapter for free above—or purchase the complete book.
From Tony Parkes and Hands Four Productions
Categories: Callers, Contra Dance
Nearly 50 new contra dances from Isaac Banner, along with tips for running a workshop, glossary, and index by figure and dance type. A great resource for new callers, as well as experienced callers looking for new dances.
From Isaac Banner
Categories: Callers, Contra Dance
A Google map with many local dances in the US and Canada. Also searchable by zip code, for special events, and for dances using non-gendered calling. Created by Jeff Kaufman.
Categories: Callers, Contra Dance, Dancers, Musicians
Colin Hume presents descriptions and commentary on all of the 200+ square dances in Northern Junket, a magazine published by Ralph Page from 1949 to 1985.
Categories: Callers, Square Dance
The CDSS Community Culture and Safety Task Group (CCSTG) aims to support local communities in their efforts to provide a safe environment for music, song, and dance events. We are working to provide advice and resources that will help organizers develop the policies, procedures, and supporting documents needed to understand and facilitate safety in their communities.
CDSS is not prescriptive in regard to what your community ‘should be doing.’ We recognize and value the range of living traditions practiced by our communities.
Categories: Callers, Educators, Musicians, Organizers
Shared Weight: Positional Calling Discussion List
This list is for anyone interested in exploring positional calling within traditional dance (contra, squares, ECD, community, family dance, Irish ceili, Scottish ceilidh, etc).
Our goal is to support each other by discussing topics of interest to callers specifically in relation to positional calling. We encourage callers to also join some of the other Shared Weight lists as those communities are valuable resources for other aspects of calling.
Categories: Callers, Dance Tradition, Dancers, Organizers
This article by Carol Ormond gives excellent tips on how organizers can create a great gig experience for a caller. Much of the advice applies to other hired staff as well.
From the CDSS News
Categories: Callers, Musicians, Organizers
An extensive survey of approximately 400 contra dance callers throughout North America and beyond. Interesting and useful information for organizers and callers alike
From CDSS, 2013
Categories: Callers, Organizers
Working with Crowded Dance Halls
In this piece, Brad Foster explores some solutions on how to handle dances where the crowd is too large for the space.
From the CDSS News
Categories: Callers
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
Categories: Callers, Community/Family Dance, Educators
Jeremy Child explores positional calling as a way to expand the boundaries of choreography.
Categories: Callers, Contra Dance
Miriam Newman explains the movement towards asking people about their pronouns.
From the CDSS News
Categories: Callers, Dancers, Educators, Musicians, Organizers, Singers
5 Things…Inside the Dancing Mind of…
A one-hour chat with Q&A from movers and shakers in the English Country Dance community from across the country about the 5 things that they feel are important to our passion for ECD and why.
From the Historical Tea and Dance Society.
Categories: Callers, English Country Dance, Musicians, Organizers
Introducing a Beginner to Contra Dancing
An article published in the CDS Boston Center newsletter discussing the fine art of teaching a beginners session at a contra dance.
From Chris Weiler
Categories: Callers, Contra Dance
This website contains an extensive list of topics for dancers of various levels. This includes everything from awareness and consideration as a dancer to how to enjoy dancing more. Useful both for teachers of dance and dancers.
From Colin Hume
Categories: Callers, Dancers
The Caller Directory is a spreadsheet listing self-submitted callers, their contact information, and what they call. It also provides space for references, video links, and a comment from the caller.
From Luke Donforth
Categories: Callers, Dancers, Organizers
Gender Free Contra Facebook Group
This Facebook group is for enthusiasts of Larks and Ravens terminology. However, other ways of welcoming LGBTQIA dancers into contra and other folk dances are also on topic. The group offers resources, discussion, and strategy.
Categories: Callers, Contra Dance, Dancers, Organizers
Rising Contra Dance Callers’ Collective Facebook Group
This Facebook group is an online community of callers who support each other in a wide range of caller topics.
Categories: Callers, Contra Dance
Community Dance Facebook Group
This Facebook group was established to share choreography and video links of ‘family friendly’ community dances for dance leaders and callers, and also to provide information about opportunities for caller education.
Categories: Callers, Community/Family Dance
Shared Weight: English Country Dance Discussion List
The Shared Weight ECD listserv (email group) is for discussion of all aspects of modern and historical English Country Dance and related forms as they have relevance to the discussion. (Related forms include contra, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, contradanza, Victorian longways dances, quadrilles, cotillions, etc.). The list is intended for callers, dancers, organizers, and musicians, who are all part of one community. Join the discussion!
Categories: Callers, English Country Dance, Musicians, Organizers
Shared Weight: Contra Callers Discussion List
This mailing list (email group) welcomes contra dance callers and people who are interested in learning about calling for contra dances. List members ask/answer questions, discuss issues that come up for them, and share helpful resources. There are both new and experienced callers from throughout North America and beyond. Join the discussion!
Categories: Callers, Contra Dance
Shared Weight: Trad Callers Discussion List
Trad Callers is a discussion list (email group) with wide-ranging interests. The group welcomes callers interested in community dances, dancing for children, one-night stands, traditional squares, and other forms outside the contra dance and ECD realm. List members ask/answer questions, discuss issues that come up for them, and share helpful resources. The list is a great way to talk with trad callers from throughout North America and beyond. Join the discussion!
Categories: Callers, Dancers
This website includes a large collection of English barn dances as well as tips for playing, resources for beginners, descriptions of terms, and more.
From Thomas Green
Categories: Callers, Community/Family Dance, Musicians
A comprehensive description of each of the 50+ basic dance figures in ECD.
from Hugh Stewart
Categories: Callers, Dancers, English Country Dance, Novices
This online collection of approximately 100 English country dances comes from some earlier collections (e.g., Thompson; Wilson; Wright) as well as dances composed by Ken Sheffield. Both the music notation as well as instructions for the dance are provided.
From CDSS
Categories: Callers, English Country Dance, Musicians
Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend Syllabi 1998-2017
This is a very extensive collection of traditional dances from New England as called at each annual dance weekend. A significant portion of the program celebrates the tradition’s roots and includes choreography for traditional contras and quadrilles, triple minor dances, singing squares, and couple dances as part of the program.
From RPDLW and UNH
Categories: Callers, Contra Dance, English Country Dance, Square Dance
English Country Dance Video Playlists
The Childgrove channel on YouTube is a repository of over 100 videos of English country dancing and is a source of instruction on how to dance many of the finest dances choreographed by Fried de Metz Herman.
From Paul B Ross
Categories: Callers, Dancers, English Country Dance
This book by Patrick Napier (available online as a PDF) provides a wonderful introduction to Kentucky Mountain Square Dancing. The book includes a bit of history and general calling tips prior to describing many Big Set and Running Set figures. It also includes fillers and closing calls.
From CDSS
Categories: Callers, Square Dance
A useful and informative introduction, plus a variety of figures for big set, square, and two couple formations.
From Hugh Stewart
Categories: Callers, Square Dance
This online collection of Charles Bolton’s work contains both interpretations of 17th and 18th-century English country dances (with music) as well as nine booklets of Charles’ original dances and tunes.
From CDSS
Categories: Callers, English Country Dance
Contra, square, grid square, and mixer dances composed by Rick Mohr.
Categories: Callers, Community/Family Dance, Contra Dance, Square Dance
A collection of square dances for seated dancers. Descriptions of the figures are here.
From Fred Wersan
Categories: Callers, Square Dance
Contra and square dances composed by North Carolina caller Bob Dalsemer.
Categories: Callers, Community/Family Dance, Contra Dance, Square Dance
The Challenge Square Dancing Handbook
This handbook by Clark Baker includes terminology and concepts used in higher levels of modern Western square dance.
Categories: Callers, Experienced Participants, Square Dance
10 Simple English Dances For Beginning Callers and/or Beginning Dancers
From CDSS
Categories: Callers, English Country Dance, Novices
This online version of Bob Dalsemer’s book describes dance figures as done in five rural West Virginia communities in the 1970s and reports on their regular dance events, including programming, type of audience, price and method of admission, and the traditions of figure calling and musical performance.
Categories: Callers, Square Dance
ContraDB is a large online collection of contra dances.
From David Morse
Categories: Callers, Contra Dance
English Dance & Song’s Contra and Longways Dances
An archive of the contra and longways dances published in English Dance and Song (EFFDS’s magazine)
From John Sweeney
Categories: Callers, Contra Dance
The Old-Time Kentucky Running Set
This article by Stu Jamieson covers variations on the Southern Appalachian big circle/set formation, including descriptions of the dances, calls, and more.
Categories: Callers, Square Dance
This is an extensive collection of contra dances (approx 12,000) writen by dozens of callers. It includes the full written dances in addition to information such as the author, formation, and progression. There are even links to videos of many of the dances! The collection covers many (but not all) dances found on other sites.
From Chris Page and Michael Dyck
Categories: Callers, Contra Dance
Michael Dyck’s Contra Dance Index
An extensive index of contra dances with the goal of capturing all contras written since 1953. While it doesn’t include the full written dances, it includes information such as the author, formation, and where to find the dance.
From Michael Dyck
Categories: Callers, Contra Dance
This is a free software for organizing your collection of dances. It comes with Colin’s collection of over 2000 dances, including English country dance (Playford and traditional style), American squares and contras, Scottish dances, and more.
From Colin Hume
Categories: Callers, Contra Dance, English Country Dance, Square Dance
In this blog post, Jeff explores the challenges of phrasing when calling for techno contras.
From Jeff Kaufman
Categories: Callers, Contra Dance, Musicians
Leading a Contra Dance Role-swapping Workshop
This article by Erik Erhardt and Tina Fields describes one approach to running a workshop where dancers develop familiarity and skill in dancing both dance roles.
From the CDSS News
Categories: Callers, Contra Dance, Organizers
English Country Dancing During the Pandemic
This site includes an archive of one-person dances for online dancing.
From the Carolina English Country Dancers
Categories: Callers, English Country Dance
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.
Categories: Callers, Contra Dance, Organizers
A Figure By Any Other Name: Exploring Alternatives to Gypsy
This article by Katy German, Sue Stanton, and Jeff Kaufman explores the use of the term “gypsy” in calling and presents a range of alternative options.
From the CDSS News
Categories: Callers, Dancers, Organizers
Response to: “A Figure by Any Other Name: Exploring Alternatives to Gypsy”
Dragan Gill’s exploration of the term gypsy, both in terms of how it is used in dance as well as in the broader cultural context.
From the CDSS News
Categories: Callers, Dancers, Organizers
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.
Categories: Callers, Community/Family Dance, Contra Dance, Dancers, Musicians, Singers, Square Dance
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
Categories: Callers, Contra Dance, English Country Dance, Novices, Organizers
Thanks to the Massachusetts Cultural Council for their generous support.