Country Dance and Song Society

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]}

Country Dance and Song Society

Abbreviation	CDSS
Formation	1915; 110 years ago (1915)
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	Easthampton, 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]
Website	www.cdss.org

History

CDSS began in 1915 as a series of American chapters of the English Dance and Folk Society established by Cecil Sharp.^[10]

Several US branches united under the English Folk Dance and Song Society of America in 1933,^[11] and May Gadd was appointed as its first national director.^[12] The organization consolidated in 1940. In 1949, its name was changed to Country Dance Society; “and Song” was added in 1967.

CDSS moved its office from New York City to western Massachusetts in 1987 and started a mail-order store for books, recordings, and supplies around the same time. Its website was launched in 2009.^[11] Today, CDSS supports more than 260 local affiliate groups.^[13]

Leadership

• Bob Dalsemer, (1990-1996)

Activities

CDSS promotes a number of types of participatory dance, including contra dance,^[14] English country dance, square dance,^[15] morris dance, rapper sword, and clogging.^[16]

CDSS runs several week-long summer camps at Pinewoods Dance Camp (MA),^[17] Camp Cavell (MI), Agassiz Village (ME), and Camp Louise (MD).^[18] They also run web chats^[19] and other online programs year-round.^[20]