Country Dance & Song Society

08/28/2026

Save the date for our September Contra Callers' Corner, with Chris Page!

Wednesday, Sept. 9, 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT)

New in 2026! Contra Callers’ Corner is a series of free monthly Zoom calls for contra callers of all levels. It’s a place to ask questions, network, and address hot topics from your local dance community in a safe space. Hosted by Seth Tepfer and a different featured guest each month, the sessio...

08/26/2026

Congrats to Scissortail Traditional Dance Society for meeting their CDSS Membership Drive Challenge goal!

If your local group is also participating, you can help them win a prize! Become a CDSS Member or increase your membership giving any time before the end of the year.

cdss.org/join

Photo courtesy of Scissortail Traditional Dance Society.
[Image description: a group of contra dancers mid-dance, in lines of four moving toward the viewer.]

08/06/2026

Contra callers - join us online next week for a chat with Susan Michaels!

https://cdss.org/programs/contra-callers-corner/

This month’s topic is how callers contribute to building a multigenerational dance community.

Expect a lively and thoughtful discussion, and be sure to bring your own questions!

This program is free and open to all; please register in advance.
Photo courtesy of Susan Michaels.
[Image description: a graphic with photos and text about the upcoming Contra Callers' Corner session. In the top third, the Contra Callers' Corner logo is to the right of a photo of Seth Tepfer. The space below has a photo of Susan Michaels and white text on a blue background saying, "Wednesday, August 12 / 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT) / Guest: Susan Michaels / Topic: Building multigenerational dance communities."]

08/05/2026

Friends, we're proud to present to you our 2025 annual report!
https://cdss.org/about/finances-annual-report/

While it's always an interesting exercise to evaluate the previous year while deeply involved in our current year's work, it's been rewarding to look back on all we accomplished in 2025. As we report on the second year of our 2024-2029 Strategic Plan, we can see how our work has moved us toward achieving those long-term, mission-supporting goals.

We couldn't do this work with out you, our amazing network of members and donors! I hope this report gives you a clear understanding of what your support made happen last year. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Cover photo by Heather Martley, Baltimore Folk Music Society - BFMS 50th anniversary event (recipient of a 2025 CDSS Community Grant).
[Image description: the cover of the CDSS 2025 Annual Report, featuring a large photo of dancers holding hands in a many-layered spiral. "2025 Annual Report / Country Dance & Song Society" is at the top in green and gold.]

08/04/2026

For our August Song of the Month, Carolyn Robson introduces “Derwentwater’s Farewell.” The song speaks in the voice of James Radcliffe, who was executed for his part in the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion, as he laments leaving his beloved homeland.

Listen and learn more at https://cdss.org/publications/listen/song-of-the-month/
Photo by Andrew Curtis. Creative Commons Share-Alike license, via Wikimedia Commons.
[Image description: a photograph of Dilston Castle, a ruined tower house from the 15th century, in a green field surrounded by trees. A small chapel is behind to the left.]

08/03/2026

Contra callers, join us next week for a chat with Susan Michaels!

Contra Callers’ Corner
Hosted by Seth Tepfer
Featuring Susan Michaels
Wednesday, August 12, 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT)

This program is free and open to all; please register in advance.

New in 2026! Contra Callers’ Corner is a series of free monthly Zoom calls for contra callers of all levels. It’s a place to ask questions, network, and address hot topics from your local dance community in a safe space. Hosted by Seth Tepfer and a different featured guest each month, the sessio...

07/29/2026

Don't miss episode 34 of From the Mic, with Ghislain Jutras!

Listen at https://cdss.org/podcasts/podcast/from-the-mic-episode-34-ghislain-gigi-jutras/ or wherever you get podcasts.
[Image description: a quote from Gigi Jutras, in white block letters on a black background. “I’m at the service of the dancers—I’m not at the service of the dance. So what’s important for me is the people… and the tool to have fun is the dance!" The graphic has a light blue border and the From the Mic logo in the lower right corner.]

07/28/2026

This month's episode of the Flying Shoes Radio Hour features pianist and accordionist Amy Englesberg and fiddler Cedar Stanistreet. You’ll hear about their early influences, how Cedar and Amy became dance musicians, when they started playing together as a band, and their thoughts on the tunes they play in the episode. You’ll also hear tunes from the Irish music repertoire, a couple of classic New England chestnut tunes, and some originals, too. Enjoy!

Listen at https://cdss.org/podcasts/fsradiohour/ or wherever you get podcasts!
[Image description: Cedar and Amy stand next to each other: Cedar on the left wearing a blue patchwork zip-up over a green shirt with a red print holding a fiddle; Amy on the right wearing a long blue patterned dress and red scarf holding a piano accordion.]

07/18/2026

From the Mic is back!

Listen at https://cdss.org/podcasts/from-the-mic/ or wherever you get podcasts!

In this episode, we talk with Ghislain “Gigi” Jutras, a renowned square dance caller from the Bois-Franc region of Québec. Gigi shares how discovering square dance parties in a farmhouse kitchen sparked a lifelong passion for dance, music, and community. Now he’s actively calling throughout Québec and beyond, traveling in his camper van to festivals around the rich and active contemporary dance scene there. This episode, recorded nearly a year ago during a backlog of episodes, marks our return to the FTM feed—this summer, we’re excited to bring more caller conversations your way!
Photo by Véronique Chochon.
[Image description: a black and white photo of Ghislain Jutras, a man with short hair wearing a t-shirt, talking into a microphone on a stand in front of him. The From the Mic logo is in the lower right corner.]