CDSS News
CDSS News Issues
The CDSS News is a print publication and, in a slightly shorter format, an online publication. Below are articles and other material from the most recent issues. We hope you find it informative, thought-provoking, and entertaining. Please contact us if you have comments or questions.
Our Upcoming Events calendar of workshops, balls, special events, weeks, and weekends throughout North America, is only available online. There is no charge for a simple listing (date, event name, town/state, sponsoring group's name, contact info); send to events@cdss.org.
To submit letters, articles, dances, tunes and songs for possible publication, send to news@cdss.org. Information about advertising (print edition only) is here. To receive the printed newsletter as a benefit of CDSS membership, join here.
All material in the CDSS News is copyrighted by CDSS, the individual author or the original publication and may not be reproduced—other than for personal use—without permission. Views expressed represent those of the authors and not necessarily of CDSS.
CDSS News Spring 2019
(photo by Nikki Herbst)
Masthead
Letters and Announcements
Columns
- Balance and Sing: Store Update
- All Join Hands: Dispatches from the World of Community Dance - Community Dancing in Utah, by Larraine Miner
- News From Canada: Remembering Cameron Stewart, Patriarch of Country Dance in Vancouver, BC, by Jane Srivastava
- CDSS Sings — Lucy Picco Simpson's "What's In A Song," by Peter Amidon
Web Extras:
- What’s in a Song
- Done Found My Lost Sheep
- Angels Hovering Round
- Blessed Quietness
- Climbing High Mountains
- Prodigal’s Return
- We do not have a recording of Lucy singing this hymn she found in an old hymnal.
- Peter’s arrangement – Tony Barrand solo, Mary Alice Amidon harmony
Articles
- Celebrating the Life of Tom Siess, by Anne Siess and Brad Foster
- Larks and Ravens: A Report From The Field, by Dela and Dugan Murphy
- Stories from the CDSS Legacy of Joy Society: Beverly Francis and David Chandler
- Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the CDSS Grants Program, by Linda Henry and Katy German
- CDSS Archives Receive New Collection, New Energy, by Susan Creigton and Katy German
- Tips on Becoming a Better Intermediate Level Dancer, by Laura Brodian Freas Beraha
- Taking Someone Aside, by Jeff Kaufman
- Improving the ECD Open Band Experience, by Robert Reichert
- CDSS Executive Committee Kicks Off Strategic Direction in Nashville, Tennessee, by Pam Paulson
Web Extras:
- Downloadable PDF of the CDSS Strategic Direction — 2019 - 2023
- The Experience of a Lifetime: Contra Dance at Burning Man, by Mark Mathis
Dances
- English Country Dance: Ties of Love, by Jenny Beer (with tune The Rose By The Door, by Andrea Hoag)
Web Extras:
- Ties of Love danced at Hey Days 2018 - Joanna Reiner, Caller, with musicians Anita Anderson (piano) Dave Bartley (plucked strings), and Sande Gillette (fiddle)
- Contra Dance: Rainbows Over Ogontz, by Don Veino
Last Page
- Back Cover (photo by Mitch Diamond)
CDSS News Winter 2018-2019
Masthead
Letters and Announcements
Columns
- All Join Hands: Dispatches from the World of Community Dance, by Marian Rose
- Balance and Sing (Store Update)
- CDSS Sings — Songs for Surviving: Reflections on the Lullaby, by Rachel Rudi
- News from Canada — Toronto Women's Sword Tour to the North of England: The Traditional Home of Sword Dancing, by Bev Bernbaum and Laurie Cumming
Articles
- Dancing in Canterbury, by Dudley Laufman
- Stories from the CDSS Legacy of Joy Society: Gaye Fifer
- Introducing the CDSS Commons,, by Sarah Pilzer
- Marketing Your English Dance: Don't Blame Jane, by Lisa Brown
- Surprising Harmony, Made Sweeter by You, by Katy German
- Taking the Dance into the World with You with NVC, by Harriette Bugel and Bruce Hamilton
Dances
- Contra Dance: Come With Me, by Rick Mohr
- English Country Dance: Renewal, by Gary Roodman
Last Page
- Back Cover (photos by Jeff Bary, Carl Friedman, Denise Smith, Nicholas Smith, Gay Kohl, Barbara Bickerman, Debbie Jackson, Nikki Herbst)
Corrections
In an ad on page 34 of the printed Winter News for the March 30, 2019, event in the Philly-Princeton area to celebrate Dilip Soni, Mr. Soni's first name was spelled incorrectly. We regret this error. Here is the page with the correction made.
The ad for the Scissortail Traditional Dance Society's event Set for Spring, which takes place March 15 - 17 in Okahoma City, was inadvertently left out of the Winter issue of the News. Please see the ad here.
CDSS News Fall 2018
(photo by Mitch Diamond)
Masthead
Letters and Announcements
Columns
- All Join Hands: Dispatches from the World of Community Dance, by Marian Rose
- Balance and Sing (Store Update)
- CDSS Sings — The Three Ravens, by Lorraine Lee Hammond
- News from Canada — Living the Regency Life at Port Alberni’s Jane Austen Festival, by Jane Schmidt, with contributions from Martha Burd
Articles
- CDSS Expands Its Support for Local Organizers: New Resources and How You Can Get Involved, by Emily L. Addison
- Deeds, Not Words: Celebrating Suffrage with English Country Dance, by Louise Siddons
- The CDSS Strategic Plan, 2019 - 2023
- Stories from the CDSS Legacy of Joy Society: Dave Pokorney and Jolaine Jones-Pokorney
- Nancy Petrie: My Hero, 100 Years Young, by Susan Amessé
Dances
- Contra Dance: Adrift, by Cary Ravitz
- Contra Dance: Petromorphosis, by Paul Morris
- English Dance: A New Leaf, by Brooke Friendly and Chris Sackett; with Mr. Millstone's Defenestration by Dave Wiesler
- English Dance: Deeds, Not Words, by Hazel Moir, to a tune composed by Rebecca King
- English Dance: Inspiration, by Susan Amessé, with tune by Tom Amessé
Last Page
- Back Cover (photo by Joel Bluestein)
CDSS News Summer 2018
(photo by Doug Plummer)
Masthead
Letters and Announcements
Columns
- All Join Hands: Dispatches from the World of Community Dance, by Marian Rose
- Balance and Sing (Store Update)
- CDSS Sings — On the Banks of Coldbrook, by Anthony G. Barrand, Ph.D.
- News from Canada — Weaving Old-Time Music and Dance into the Fabric of Small Town Life, by Leslie Gotfrit
- Tell Me More — Dr. Fauster's Tumblers, by Graham Christian
Articles
- Announcing the CDSS Legacy of Joy Society
- Skill-building for Dance Promotion: How to Create Good Instructional Dance Videos, by Don Bell
- Advocating for our Arts: CDSS and the North American Conversation on Participatory Arts
- Annual Meeting Looks to the Future of CDSS, by John Seto and Craig Meltzner
- A Couple Left the Set While We Were Dancing: Tips on Recovery, by Laura Brodian Freas Beraha
- Milestones: Traditional Dance, Music, and Song Groups Celebrating Anniversaries
Web Extras:
- Watch Don Bell's English country dance videos on his YouTube channel
- Watch Peter and Mary Alice Amidon tell a story through song during the April 21st community dance event
Dances
- David Ward's Waltz, by Anita Anderson
- English Country Dance: Waltzing with Gaye, or Madame Fifer's Inauguration, by Beverly Francis
- Two Contra Tunes — The Alligator's Dentist, and Gator Boots for Jolie, from the 2018 Stellar Days & Nights tune writing workshop
Web Extras:
- Waltzing with Gaye - dance instructions
- Waltzing with Gaye - tune
- See the dances being called by Gaye Fifer at the close of Stellar Days & Nights (video by Wendy Graham)
- Listen to the tunes on Soundcloud:
Last Page
- Back Cover (photo by Jeffrey Bary)