Country Dance and Song Society

American nonprofit organization
Country Dance and Song Society
AbbreviationCDSS
Formation1915; 109 years ago (1915)
TypeNonprofit organization
HeadquartersEasthampton, Massachusetts[1]
Region served
United States and Canada
Membership
2400 individuals and 260 affiliate groups[2]
Executive Director
Katy German
Budget
$1.2 million (2021)[3]
Staff
12[4]
Websitewww.cdss.org

The Country Dance and Song Society (abbreviated CDSS) is a nonprofit organization that seeks to promote participatory dance, music, and song with English and North American roots.[5][6][7][8][9]

History

CDSS began in 1915 as a series of American chapters of the English Dance and Folk Society established by Cecil Sharp.[10] The organization consolidated in 1940 and grew steadily through the present.[11] Today, it supports over 260 local affiliate groups.[12]

Leadership

  • Bob Dalsemer, (1990-1996)

Activities

CDSS promotes a number of types of participatory dance, including contra dance,[13] English country dance, square dance,[14] morris dance, rapper sword, and clogging.[15]

CDSS runs several week-long summer camps at Pinewoods Dance Camp (MA),[16] Camp Cavell (MI), Agassiz Village (ME), and Camp Louise (MD).[17] They also run web chats[18] and other online programs year-round.[19]

References

  1. ^ "Office Staff". Country Dance and Song Society. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  2. ^ "Country Dance & Song Society - About". CDSS. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  3. ^ "CDSS 2021 Financial Statement" (PDF). CDSS. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Country Dance & Song Society - About". CDSS. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  5. ^ Hast, Dorothea E. (1993). "Performance, Transformation, and Community: Contra Dance in New England". Dance Research Journal. 25 (1): 21–32. doi:10.2307/1478188. JSTOR 1478188. S2CID 147023859.
  6. ^ Horton, Laurel (2001). "Material Expressions of Communality among Dance Groups". Western Folklore. 60 (2/3): 203–226. doi:10.2307/1500377. JSTOR 1500377.
  7. ^ Larkin, Leah (3 January 1971). "The old dances rock along". The Courier-Journal. p. 92. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  8. ^ Foster, Cathy (24 January 1982). "Country dancing revival is sweeping the country". The Daily Register. Christian Science Monitor. p. 47. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  9. ^ Walkowitz, Daniel J. (2010). City Folk: English Country Dance and the Politics of Folk in Modern America. New York University Press. pp. 2, 235–236, 244, 258, 273–274.
  10. ^ "Rare images taken by Cecil Sharp to be displayed in Burnsville". Black Mountain News. August 21, 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  11. ^ "History of CDSS". Country Dance and Song Society. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  12. ^ "About CDSS". Country Dance & Song Society. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  13. ^ Smith, Sean (November 29, 2017). "Folk music's Windborne troupe loves to perform, and educate in the doing of it". Boston Irish Reporter. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  14. ^ Rhone, Jeffrey (2017). "The Challenge and Benefit of Evaluating Folk Dancing Quality". General Music Today. 31 (1): 10–15. doi:10.1177/1048371317713068. S2CID 149080455.
  15. ^ "The Social Dance Traditions". Country Dance and Song Society. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  16. ^ "Program Providers". Pinewoods. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  17. ^ "CDSS Dance, Music, and Song Camps | CDSS Dance, Music, and Song Camps and Online Programs". Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  18. ^ "Web Chats for Organizers". Country Dance & Song Society. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  19. ^ "Online Programs | CDSS Dance, Music, and Song Camps and Online Programs". Retrieved 2023-06-24.

External links

  • Country Dance and Song Society website


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