CDSS Resource Portal: Callers - Country Dance & Song Society

Introduction

This section of the CDSS Resource Portal holds as many of the best supports for dance callers as we could find. Look across the tabs for resources organized by topic, opportunities to connect online with other callers, and so much more.

Most of the resources focus on contra, traditional squares, English country dance, and/or community and family dancing. However, some of the resources will also be useful to callers and instructors from other traditions. Special note: You may also want to check the Educators section of the Portal. While we have cross-referenced a few resources in both groups, there are some additional resources for teaching dance to school-aged participants in the Educators section.

We are looking for community input to expand this section of the resource portal!

Do you know of a resource that we could add? Maybe even something created by you or your local community? Let us know through this form.
Is there a resource in the portal that should be updated? Let us know through this form.
Have comments regarding the portal? Email portal@cdss.org.
The CDSS Online Store also carries a wide range of resources for callers. These include resources for contra dance, English country dance, traditional square dance, and children and community dance. Special note: You may also want to check the Educators section of the Portal. While we have cross-referenced a few resources in both groups, there are some additional resources for teaching dance to school-aged participants in the Educators section.

Many thanks from CDSS for all you are doing to support your community!

Resources by Topic

This section includes a wide range of resources organized by topic.

Note: While there are some differences in calling across various dance traditions (e.g., contra vs. traditional squares vs. English country dance), there are also many similarities. Keeping in mind the strength of collaboration, we are presenting all of the caller resources together. Where appropriate, we have noted the specific tradition within which the resource is based.

The CDSS Online Store also carries a wide range of resources for callers. These include resources for contra dance, English country dance, traditional square dance, and children and community dance.

The Caller’s Role

The resources in this section explore the reasons for becoming a caller and how callers impact others through the way in which we fulfill our leadership role.

Title	More information	Tradition
“I Hate Calling. Or Do I?" ~ Two Thoughts	CDSS News March-April 2003 Henry Morgenstein and Jo Mortland Henry reflects on how pressuring and working towards perfection can ruin the experience of calling.	General
Should You Call Dances?	William Watson Some helpful ideas to consider prior to starting to call, regardless of your tradition.	General
Stressful Calling	2013 Jeff Kaufman In this blog post, Jeff reflects on what he finds stressful about calling and also why he calls.	Contra

How to Call: The Basics

This section outlines the basics of calling including how dances are structured, how dances fit with the music, and what tasks are involved with calling.

Looking for where to start?

CDSS’s outline of the contra calling basics
The New Mexico Callers Collective handbook
T-Claw’s Be Square: OldTime Square Dance Handbook - A Southern Subset

Title	More information	Tradition
Contra Dance Calling: A Basic Text	Tony Parkes This is the first comprehensive, entry‐level book ever written on contra dance calling, newly revised and updated. A must‐have for any current or aspiring contra dance caller—filled with useful information on all aspects of calling. Available for purchase through the CDSS Online Store.	Contra
New Mexico Callers Collective Handbook	2016 Erick Erhardt This is a fantastic resource that outlines a number of considerations for callers and callers collectives. This includes having a growth mindset, how to give feedback, how to prepare for calling, teaching a beginner lesson, how to cover when a dance breaks down, rolling starts, and so much more. The resource touches upon calling both contra and square dances although many of the ideas are likely applicable to most calling situations.	General
Calling Contras: The Basics	CDSS C. 2010s This handout provides some of the basics to get you started calling including the structure of contra dances, the type of events that you might call at, and some easy dances for you to try.	Contra
Square Dance Calling Basics	2006 Carol Ormand Carol's tips on how to call square dances.	Squares
Criteria for Good Callers from the Mad Robin Callers Collective	CDSS News Fall 2013 Mary Wesley This article lists some of the criteria that the Mad Robins collection feel make a good caller.	Contra
Calling All Callers, Old and New	CDSS News Summer 2019 Douglas A. Singleton Some great tips, especially for newer callers.	Contra
The Playford Ball: An Introduction	Joanna Reiner C. 2010s The Playford Ball is a very important text both in the history of ECD and for current dancers, musicians, and callers. We recommend it as a good place to start learning about calling for ECD. The Playford Ball (Second Edition, by Kate Van Winkle Keller and Genevieve Shimer, copyright 1994 Country Dance and Song Society) is available in the CDSS online store. This one page resource is a great introduction to Playford.	ECD
Be Square: OldTime Square Dance Handbook - A Southern Subset	T-Claw A fantastic square dance calling resource starting with the basics, and moving through the politics of square dance, getting gigs, working with bands, and even a few dances.	Squares
Tony Parkes on a Caller’s Talents	CDSS Blog January 2011 Max Newman This article features Tony Parkes' thoughts on the talents or qualities that are helpful to callers.	Contra
College Essay—Calling Dances	CDSS News Winter 2009 Rose Axelrod-Adams A personal account of a caller's first few gigs.	General
The Perfect Caller	CDSS News Fall 2002 Keith Connes Some tips on how to be a great caller.	Contra
Calling an Evening of Contra - Workshop Handout	Peter Amidon A great summary of what to consider when calling a contra dance.	Contra
Calling Traditional New England Squares	Ted Sannella This dance booklet will help callers learn more about traditional squares, especially the improvisation of breaks. Includes a CD of Ted's calls with 14 different squares (chosen for the variety of their breaks). Available for purchase through the CDSS Online Store.	Squares
Calling Your First Contra Dance	William Watson This webpage includes some tips to consider ahead of calling your first contra dance.	Contra
Contra Dance Callers Workshop Notes	Bill Olson A great summary of what to consider when calling a contra dance.	Contra
Callers Workshop	Colin Hume Colin's notes about calling provide a overview of the considerations required when calling a barn dance.	Barn Dance
Contra Dance Card Examples	William Watson This webpage includes some ideas on how you might write out your contra dances.	Contra
Notes on Calling	Jonathan Sivier This webpage includes some helpful reflections from Jonathan on calling contra dances.	Contra
Teaching Tips	Richard Powers Richard Powers teaches both historic and contemporary social dance. This resource contains a variety of dance pedagogy guidelines based upon his extensive experience (e.g., student comfort zone; teaching with your whole mind; timing a class)	General
Square Dancing 101 (MWSD)	MIT Tech Squares A clear description of the basic terminology used in modern Western square dance.	Squares
Notes From A Contra Calling Workshop	2011 Jeff Kaufman In this blog post, Jeff outlines some of important considerations as a beginning caller calling a guest spot at a dance.	Contra

Teaching, Walk Throughs, and Demonstrations

Effective teaching has a huge impact on dancer success. Even the most experienced callers are continually working on how they teach... there is always more to learn!

Title	More information	Tradition
Teaching a Dance Efficiently	2014 Beth Molaro In this YouTube video, Beth describes (and demonstrates) her approach to walk throughs, being as efficient as she can with the instruction and getting the ideas across in a single walk through. (11:56)	Contra
Be Square: OldTime Square Dance Handbook - A Southern Subset	T-Claw A fantastic square dance calling resource starting with the basics, and moving through the politics of square dance, getting gigs, working with bands, and even a few dances.	Squares
Efficient, Effective Walk-throughs	2005 Carol Ormand Carol's thoughts on how to teach dances.	General
Square Dance History Project	This is a great site to collect repertoire, learn about different calling styles (e.g., prompting; teaching) and more. It contains a vast collection of stories, photographs, video, and audio.	Squares

Prompting/Delivering the Calls

Prompting is a real art - you need to deliver information in a way that is both easy for dancers to respond to and enjoyable to listen to.

Title	More information	Tradition
Square Dance History Project	This is a great site to collect repertoire, learn about different calling styles (e.g., prompting; teaching) and more. It contains a vast collection of stories, photographs, video, and audio.	Square
How Much Should a Caller Call?	2010 Jeff Kaufman In this blog post, Jeff reflects on past practices as well as his thoughts on how much a caller should call.	Contra
Beth Molaro - On Her Personal, Musical Style	2014 Beth Molaro In this YouTube video, Beth describes her personal style and where it came from, as well as thoughts on how the caller's vocal range fits in with the band instruments. (7:10)	Contra

Considerations Regarding Repertoire

Depending on which dance tradition you call, there could be a limited repertoire of dances or a seemingly endless list of possibilities. It is important to find dances that you can effectively teach/call and that fit well with the interests and abilities of your dancers. The resources in this section will provide you with some guidance in how to select dances.

Title	More information	Tradition
Why I Call Squares	1998 Carol Ormand Carol Ormand reflects on why she calls square dances!	General
Unphrased Sections of Contras	2012 Jeff Kaufman In this blog post, Jeff explores how some contra dances has sections that are unphrased.	Contra
Contra Figure Frequencies	2013 Jeff Kaufman In this blog post, Jeff explores the relative frequency of various contra dance figures. The post is followed by a community discussion.	Contra
Notes on Choreography for Duple Minor Improper Contra Dances	Cary Ravitz 2012 “These notes are about the choreography of duple minor (two couple minor sets), improper contra dances, i.e. modern contra dances. They are for potential and practicing choreographers and callers and assume that you have a working knowledge of contra dancing.”	Contra
Simple Satisfying Dances	2013 Jeff Kaufman In this blog post, Jeff explores how to meet the needs of both experienced and new dancers through the choice of dances.	Contra
Country Dance & Contra Dance Formations	John Sweeney This website provides images and sample dances for over 100 different formations. Check it out as one way to move belong longways sets and squares! (Submitted January 2020)	General

Program Planning

As a caller, you need to know how to put together a fun program that will fit the level of dancers at your event. AND… when things aren’t going smoothly, you need to know how to change your program on the fly.

Title	More information	Tradition
Program Planning: A Look at One of the Caller's Jobs	CDSS News Spring 2005 Colin Hume As the title suggests!	General
Programming an Evening	2014 Beth Molaro In this YouTube video, Beth talks about how she programs the dances for an evening of contra. (4:13)	Contra
Programming an Evening	2006 Carol Ormand Carol's handout on how to program an evening of dance.	General
Be Square: OldTime Square Dance Handbook - A Southern Subset	T-Claw A fantastic square dance calling resource starting with the basics, and moving through the politics of square dance, getting gigs, working with bands, and even a few dances.	Squares
Selecting Dances	2005 Carol Ormand Carol's handout on how to select dances for a dance event.	General
On Squares at a Contra Dance	2014 Beth Molaro In this YouTube video, Beth talks about her views on calling squares at a contra dance, when to call them, when not, what times, how many, what sorts. With Dennis Merritt. (9:43)	Contra

Supporting New Dancers

Supporting beginners is key. If beginners feel welcome, that they were successful their first night, and that they had a great time, then they are much more likely to come back and help grow the community. AND - successful beginners also result in happier experienced dancers!

Title	More information	Tradition
Calling for Beginners by Beginners	David Kaynor 1992 This booklet includes a number of easy dances, as well as thoughts on teaching and calling.	General
New Mexico Callers Collective Handbook	2016 Erick Erhardt This is a fantastic resource that outlines a number of considerations for callers and callers collectives. This includes having a growth mindset, how to give feedback, how to prepare for calling, teaching a beginner lesson, how to cover when a dance breaks down, rolling starts, and so much more. The resource touches upon calling both contra and square dances although many of the ideas are likely applicable to most calling situations.	General
Contra Dance Introductory Session	George Marshall (caller) Watch George Marshall teach an introductory session before an evening contra begins. (YouTube video)	Contra
Beginner Session	Seth Tepfer (caller) Watch a contra dance beginner lesson in action (YouTube video). These videos are both helpful to callers wanting to learn how to teach beginners AND to beginners wanting to learn how to contra dance. Part 1 Part 2	Contra
Technique for Swinging, Connection and Allemandes	John Sweeney In these three resources, John provides tips on good technique for swinging,allemands, and connection. There is a focus on how to improve dancing skills and prevent injuries. (Submitted January 2020)	General

Calling for Different Audiences

Calling for a room full of experienced dancers is very different than calling for a room full of children, college students, or individuals with mobility impairments. This section includes resources that support calling in various contexts.

If you call for school-aged participants, check out the Educators section of the Portal.
Also, the Dance Organizers section of the Portal contains some great resources on working with youth that might be of interest to callers.

Title	More information	Tradition
All Join Hands - Dispatches From the World of Community Dancing	CDSS News Fall 2018 This article provides great insight into how many callers/educators began (and grew their experience) teaching dances to school-aged participants.	Community
Cheers for the Canoneers!	CDSS News Summer 2010 Judy Chaves This article describes a weekly English country dance class in a retirement community.	ECD
Be Square: OldTime Square Dance Handbook - A Southern Subset	T-Claw A fantastic square dance calling resource starting with the basics, and moving through the politics of square dance, getting gigs, working with bands, and even a few dances.	Squares
Choosing Dances for Older Adults	CDSS News Winter 2012 Judy Chaves As the title suggests!	ECD

The Finer Details of Calling

As the title suggests … dive into these resources to refine your calling.

Title	More information	Tradition
Crowded Dance Halls	CDSS News May-June 2005 Robin Stern & Brad Foster Brad describes some ways in which callers can manage a crowded hall of dancers.	General
Teaching Courtesy	CDSS News May-June 2002 Bruce Hamilton Bruce describes how callers can help teach courtesy to dancers.	ECD
Taking Your Calling to the Next Level	2013 Carol Ormand A fantastic handout on strategies to use to become a great caller.	General
Calling Without Cards/Memorizing the Dances	2014 Beth Molaro In this YouTube video, Beth discusses what she sees as the value to memorizing dances so you don't need to refer to the cards as you call. (3:59)	Contra
Notes on Calling Contra Dances	Cary Ravitz Cary’s notes about calling contra dances. These notes are not meant to be an introduction to calling but rather, a set of topics for caller workshops and discussions. Topics range widely (e.g., no walkthrough dances; dance medleys; improving dancer interaction; working with the organizers)	Contra

Gender-free and Positional Calling

While gender-free and positional calling are not new, they have recently become much more popular throughout North America. This section of the portal contains a number of resources to support callers interested in learning about these approaches.

Title	More information	Tradition
Larks and Ravens: A Report from the Field	CDSS News Spring 2019 Dela and Dugan Murphy Dela and Dugan make a case for gender-free calling and describe how communities can transition to using gender-free terms.	Contra
Positional Calling	2019 Jeff Kaufman In this blog post, Jeff explores positional calling. The post is followed by a community discussion.	Contra
History of Larks/Ravens	2019 Jeff Kaufman In this blog post, Jeff presents a history of Larks/Ravens. The post is followed by a community discussion.	Contra

Getting Gigs and Working with Organizers

Unless you are organizing your own dances, you will have to find gigs and work with organizers. This section covers everything from how to build relationships with organizers to what you need to know before a gig.

If you are interested in looking at the caller-organizer relationship from the organizer’s perspective, read some of our organizer resources on how to work with callers and bands If you are interested in organizing your own events, check out the Dance Organizers section of the Portal.

Title	More information	Tradition
How to Get Gigs	CDSS c. 2010s This two-page resource contains a number of great ideas on how to get gigs as a dance musician. Many of the ideas are also applicable to callers as well as other types of musicians.	General
Be Square: OldTime Square Dance Handbook - A Southern Subset	T-Claw A fantastic square dance calling resource starting with the basics, and moving through the politics of square dance, getting gigs, working with bands, and even a few dances.	Squares

Title

More information

Tradition

How to Get Gigs

CDSS
c. 2010s
This two-page resource contains a number of great ideas on how to get gigs as a dance musician. Many of the ideas are also applicable to callers as well as other types of musicians.

General

Be Square: OldTime Square Dance Handbook - A Southern Subset

T-Claw

A fantastic square dance calling resource starting with the basics, and moving through the politics of square dance, getting gigs, working with bands, and even a few dances.

Squares

Working with Musicians and Music

Callers work with live bands or recorded music. This section includes tips for doing both.

Title	More information	Tradition
Working and Communicating with the Band	CDSS News Winter 2005 Nan Evans and Fred Nussbaum As the title suggests!	ECD
New Mexico Callers Collective Handbook	2016 Erick Erhardt This is a fantastic resource that outlines a number of considerations for callers and callers collectives. This includes having a growth mindset, how to give feedback, how to prepare for calling, teaching a beginner lesson, how to cover when a dance breaks down, rolling starts, and so much more. The resource touches upon calling both contra and square dances although many of the ideas are likely applicable to most calling situations.	General
Communicating with the Band	2016 Carol Ormand Carol's thoughts on how to communicate with dance bands.	General
Be Square: OldTime Square Dance Handbook - A Southern Subset	T-Claw A fantastic square dance calling resource starting with the basics, and moving through the politics of square dance, getting gigs, working with bands, and even a few dances.	Squares
Working with the Band	2014 Beth Molaro In this YouTube video, Beth talks about her ideas on working with the band, picking tunes that work well with the dances.	Contra
Should Square Music Be 'Square?'	Michael Shapiro This blog post provides an interesting discussion about music for square dancing.	Squares
The Contracast Podcast of Contra Dance Music	2010 Jeff Kaufman Through the two posts below, Jeff provides links to a wide range of contra dance recordings and identifies the various tunes that are featured. A Complete Tune Index of Contracast Contracast: Lots of Free Contra Dance Music	Contra

Sound Equipment

Composing Dances

Interested in composing dances? Check out these resources.

Title	More information	Tradition
Writing Dances: A Conversation with Erik Hoffman	CDSS News Spring 2012 Evo Bluestein Evo interviews Erik about how he started writing dances and his process. Some of Erik's dances are featured in the article.	Contra
My Rules on Choreography	Cary Ravitz Cary provides a list of the rules he follows when writing a dance.	Contra
Notes on Composing Contras	1988 Al Olson These are Al's handwritten notes on how he composes contra dances.	Contra
Composing Dances	Colin Hume Colin's thoughts on composing dances.	General
Tom's Contra Page - Choreography	Tom Lehmann Tom's thoughts on composing contra dances.	Contra

Strategies for Developing as a Caller

The Portal is full of resources to support your development as a caller. However, this section highlights some specific strategies that can help you build your experience and skills (e.g., how to set up a callers collective; requesting feedback).

Looking for where to start?

The New Mexico Callers Collective handbook, which describes a number of considerations for callers and caller collectives as they work on improving their skills.
Mary Wesley’s description of the Mad Robin Callers Collective
Michael Kernan’s description of the annual Syracuse Callers Gathering - a great learning opportunity for newer and experienced callers alike.

Title	More information	Tradition
Training New Contra Callers in Portland, ME	CDSS News Summer 2017 Dugan Murphy Dugan describes Portland Maine's experience in training new callers.	Contra
Continuing Education for Callers	CDSS News Fall 2016 Michael Kernan This article describes an annual caller gathering for callers of all levels where callers support each other in their learning.	General
Nontraditional Funding and Focused Mentorship: How We’re Growing a New (Awesome) Contra Dance Community in Portland, ME	CDSS News Fall 2016 Dela Taylor Dela describes Portland, Maine's approach to training and mentoring new callers, including how they source funding for that work.	Contra
Madison’s Tuesday Night Dances—Fostering Talent for More Than Twenty Years	CDSS News Spring 2014 Carol Ormand This article describes Madison's approach to developing talent through weekly dances that feature newer callers as well as an open band.	Contra
Catapulting Upward	CDSS News Fall 2013 Luke Donforth Luke describes his experience calling at Catapult - a showcase for callers and musicians.	Contra
Spreading Our Wings to Fly	CDSS News Fall 2013 Mary Wesley Mary describes how the Mad Robin Callers Collective formed, how they support each other as callers, and how they call as a committee.	Contra
Feedback Tool: Try This at Home Too!	CDSS News Winter 2007 Linda Henry Linda presents an approach to collecting and using feedback that callers might find helpful in improving their own calling.	Contra
Contra Dance Callers and Musicians—Making Connections	CDSS News March-April 2007 Chrissy Fowler Chrissy describes a weekend where callers and musicians gathered to explore the relationship between the two roles to create a successful dance.	Contra
The Hatchlings—Developing Callers in St. Louis	CDSS News Fall 2009 Martha Edwards Martha describes a model for developing callers that she feels will work in many different community contexts.	General
Do Try This at Home!	CDSS News September-October 2006 Linda Henry In this article, Linda describes a one-day caller course which is a model that could be used in other communities.	General
New Mexico Callers Collective Handbook	2016 Erick Erhardt This is a fantastic resource that outlines a number of considerations for callers and callers collectives. This includes having a growth mindset, how to give feedback, how to prepare for calling, teaching a beginner lesson, how to cover when a dance breaks down, rolling starts, and so much more. The resource touches upon calling both contra and square dances although many of the ideas are likely applicable to most calling situations.	General

Reflections on the History and Evolution of Calling

Our dance traditions are both strongly rooted in the past and are constantly evolving. This section includes some interesting reading on how our dance forms are shifting in relation to calling.

Looking for where to start?

Title	More information	Tradition
Cracking Chestnuts	David Smukler and David Millstone A detailed look at 17 classic New England contra dances. The authors write about style, historical background, and how these chestnuts have influenced and affected contemporary contra dances. It includes music for each dance, and an appendix of 20 additional dances and essays on how to call chestnuts. Available for purchase through the CDSS Online Store.	Contra chestnuts
An Introduction to the Various Styles of American Square Dancing	2019 CDSS This resource is a fantastic place to start if you are interested in learning about calling traditional squares. A wide range of square dance styles are described including both the history and form. Many videos also accompany each section.	Squares
Response to: "A Figure by Any Other Name: Exploring Alternatives to Gypsy"	CDSS News Fall 2019 Dragan Gill An interesting exploration of the term gypsy, both in terms of how it is used in dance as well as in the broader cultural context.	General
A Figure By Any Other Name: Exploring Alternatives to Gypsy	CDSS News Summer 2019 Katy German, Sue Stanton, Jeff Kaufman, and callers This article explore the use of the term gypsy in calling and presents a range of alternative options.	Contra
The Dolphin Hey: The Evolution and Transmission of a Dance Figure	CD+S Online 2019 David Millstone & Allison Thompson This article tracks the history of the figure Dolphin Hey as it begins in the Shetland Islands and then moves to England, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the United States.	General
Teaching the Country Dance	CDSS News Fall 2015 Mary Gadd This article is a reprint of comments from a lecture/demonstration that Mary led in 1928.	General
Square Dance History Project	This is a great site to collect repertoire, learn about different calling styles (e.g., prompting; teaching) and more. It contains a vast collection of stories, photographs, video, and audio.	Squares
“I Call Square Dances for the Army, Do You?”	CDSS News Fall 2015 Lovaine Lewis, The Country Dancer, July 1942 This article is a reprint of an article that appeared in The Country Dancer back in July of 1942.	Squares
The Northern Junket - Highlights	Ralph Page This website is a great place to start exploring Ralph Page's Northern Junket as Chris Page has identified various articles under thematic headings. The posts include not only the history of dance but also tips for callers and more.	General
The Northern Junket	Ralph Page This is a digital collection of Ralph Page's Northern Junket. "Far-reaching in scope, each issue contains a forthright editorial, 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."	General
Swing Your Partner Round and Round, and Turn Your Corner Upside Down	Phil Jamison An article from the Old-Time Herald discussing Phil’s ongoing search for old-time patter calls.	Squares
Square Dancing in the 1800s	Fred Feild As the title suggests, this blog contains some historical information about square dancing in the US.	Squares
NEFFA Essay Collection	NEFFA maintains an ever-growing selection with historical and current interest. They feature the writings from key figures in the New England traditional dance scene, reflecting on a wide range of topics for organizers, callers, and dancers.	General
English Country Dance and Its American Cousin	Alan Winston ECD and contra dance share some of the same historical roots. This article describes those roots and how the two styles have changed over time.	General
Be Square: OldTime Square Dance Handbook - A Southern Subset	T-Claw A fantastic square dance calling resource starting with the basics, and moving through the politics of square dance, getting gigs, working with bands, and even a few dances.	Squares
Divided By a Common Language	2016 Colin Hume, with Brad Foster and Rosemary Lach In this blog post, Colin, Brad, and Rosemary describe some of the similarities and differences between "American English" and "British English" dance.	General
Community Dances in the Eighties: Dare To Be Square!, and Old-Time Square Dancing in the 21st Century: Dare to be Square!, both by Phil Jamison — Pair of articles from the Old-Time Herald (original article written in 1988, follow-up article written in 2003), discussing the relationship between modern contra dance and traditional squares	1988 Phil Jamison This is Phil Jamison's original Dare to be Square article.	Squares
Barn Dance with Calls: Old-Time Southern Square-Dance Calls on 78s (1920s to early 1930s)	Phil Jamison An article from the Old-Time Herald discussing the calls on old recordings from the 1920s and 1930s.	Squares
A Post on Assumptions Relative to New and Old Contras	David Kaynor Some musings from David Kaynor regarding assumptions made of new and old contras.	Contra
Community Dance in Utah	CDSS News Spring 2018 Laraine Miner & Marian Rose In this article, Laraine and Marian explore community dance in Utah including the history of Mormon pioneer dances.	General
CDSS Archives Receive New Collection, New Energy	CDSS News Spring 2019 Susan Creighton and Katy German News on the CDSS's effort to digitize the archives of the University of New Hampshire Library of Traditional Music and Dance.	General
200 Years of American	Colin Hume In this blog post, Colin explores 200 years of country dance history in America.	General
Right Shoulder Round	2019 Jeff Kaufman In this blog post, Jeff explores the use of Right Shoulder Round to replace gypsy. The post is followed by a community discussion.	Contra
The Origins of English Country Dance	Mary Peralta Railing Mary provides a brief history of how English Country Dance came to be.	ECD
Contra Dance Choreography: A Reflection of Social Change	1995 Mary McNab Dar This book (available free online) is based upon Mary's research into the changing choreography of contra dance. "This book is the story of these new dances [from the 1990s]—how they 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."	Contra

Other Resources & Loose Ends

This section contains a number of resources that don’t easily fit under the other headings. Dive in!

Title	More information	Tradition
An Introduction to the Various Styles of American Square Dancing	2019 CDSS This resource is a fantastic place to start if you are interested in learning about calling traditional squares. A wide range of square dance styles are described including both the history and form. Many videos also accompany each section.	Squares
Contra Dance Callers Survey	2013 CDSS This PDF is the report of an extensive survey of contra dance callers. 480 callers completed the survey with 11 countries represented. The goal of the survey was to learn what challenges callers face, resources they find beneficial, and additional resources that would be helpful.	Contra
CDSS Contra Task Group surveys 480 contra dance callers!	CDSS Blog December 2013 CDSS Contra Dance Task Force This blog post summarizes some of the key findings from the CDSS survey of contra dance callers.	Contra
Leading a Contra Dance Role-swapping Workshop	CDSS News Summer 2017 Erik Erhardt and Tina Fields This article describes one approach to running a workshop where dancers develop familiarity and skill in dancing both dance roles.	Contra
Growing the Dance Community via a Wiki	CDSS News Spring 2013 John Nash John describes how his local community uses a wiki to organize information for their ECD group. Much of the information is helpful to ECD dance callers.	ECD
What's Your Pronoun?	CDSS News Winter 2015-2016 Miriam Newman In this article, Miriam explains the movement toward asking people about their preferred personal pronoun.	General
“Do We Have To?” ~ Copyright Basics	CDSS News August 2006 Pat MacPherson This article provides some considerations on whether one needs to get permission to use someone else’s work when publishing a dance or tune book or when recording a CD.	General
Many Resources on How to Be a Great Dancer	The dancer section of the portal contains a lot of tips on how to be a great dancer (and improve). Callers and organizers may find these resources interesting!	General
Taking Care of Your Vocal Cords	2013 Carol Ormand As the title suggests! This resource was developed for callers but is also useful for singers.	General
Techno Contra and Phrasing	2011 Jeff Kaufman In this blog post, Jeff explores the challenges of phrasing when calling for techno contras.	Contra
Contra Caller Gender	Jeff Kaufman In these two blog posts, Jeff reflects on the booking practices of dance weekends as it relates to the gender of the callers. 2017 post 2015 post	Contra
Contra Heatmap	2014 Jeff Kaufman In this blog post, Jeff shares a heat map that he created of where contra dance happens throughout North America.	Contra
Contra Weekend Heatmap	2014 Jeff Kaufman In this blog post, Jeff shares a heat map that he created of the various contra dance weekends throughout North America.	Contra
Dance Video Archives	Bob Green This website, hosted by the Childgrove Country Dancers, hold a wide range of videos of contra dances, English country dances, morris dances, and square dances. They are organized by dance title for easy reference by callers, musicians, and dance leaders.	General
Caller's Companion	Will Loving Caller's Companion is software for dance callers designed to make it easy to catalog large numbers of dances and to create, edit and save "Sets" of dances for specific events. (Essentially - a way to organize your dances on a computer/tablet/phone rather than having paper cards.) CCDB was originally developed with contra dances in mind but includes options that accommodate squares and English Country Dance	General
Dance Organizer	Colin Hume Colin's software for organizing one's own 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.	General

Dance Repertoire

This section of the Portal contains links to many collections of dances. You could get lost in these resources for days so grab a coffee or tea and dig in!

Also - The CDSS Online Store also carries a wide range of resources for callers. These include resources for contra dance, English country dance, traditional square dance, and children and community dance.

Title	More information	Tradition
Michael Dyck’s Contradance index	Michael Dyck A very 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.	Contra
The Caller's Box	Chris Page & Michael Dyck 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.	Contra
Country Dance & Contra Dance Formations	John Sweeney This website provides images and sample dances for over 100 different formations. Check it out as one way to move belong longways sets and squares! (Submitted January 2020)	General
Square Dance History Project	This is a great site to collect repertoire, learn about different calling styles (e.g., prompting; teaching) and more. It contains a vast collection of stories, photographs, video, and audio.	Squares
Cracking Chestnuts: The Living Tradition of Classic American Contra Dances	David Smukler & David Millstone 2008 This resource is both a book and a set of accompanying videos featuring 17 chestnut dances in detail. The authors also call for an inclusive approach to contra dancing, one that embraces the newer and older dances alike.	Contra
Dare To Be Square: Old Time Square Dance Handbook - a southern subset	T-Claw An entertaining and informative handbook for square dance callers, created by T-Claw, one of the many younger callers inspired by Bill Martin. The handbook includes great organizing tips for square dances PLUS lots of dance figures and patter, calling tips for squares and family dances; program planning for a whole evening, and both “Dare To Be Square” articles by Phil Jamison.	Squares
The Old-Time Kentucky Running Set	Stu Jamieson This article written by Stu covers variations on the Southern Appalachian big circle/set formation. There are descriptions about the dances, calls, and more. (Submitted by John Sweeney, January 2019)	Squares
English Dance & Song’s Contra and Longways Dances	English Folk Dance & Song Society John Sweeney has reproduced all of the contra and longways dances published in English Dance and Song.	General
ContraDB	David Morse ContraDB is another large collection of contra dances which is available online.	Contra
West Virginia Square Dances	CDSS website Robert G. Dalsemer This online version of Bob Dalsemer's book describes dance figures as done in five rural West Virginia communities in the mid- to late-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. The history of each dance event is discussed, as is their ongoing process of evolution.	Squares
Online Collection of 4X6 Dance Cards	Rich Goss This is a Word document formatted so that the dance cards will print 4X6. All of the dances are in the public domain.	Contra
The Northern Junket - Square Dances	Ralph Page All of the square dances that appeared in Northern Junket with a table of contents.	Squares
10 Simple English Dances For Beginning Callers and/or Beginning Dancers	CDSS This is a great repertoire resource for beginning and new callers!	ECD
The Challenge Square Dancing Handbook	Clark Baker 1978 This handbook includes terminology and concepts used in higher levels of modern Western square dance.	Squares
Barnes Three Dance Database	Robert Messer The goal of this website is to provide information and instructions for all of the dances in the third Barnes Book of English Country Dance Tunes.	ECD
Squares by Bob Dalsemer	Bob Dalsemer A few squares (as well as dances of other formations).	Squares
Square Dances Considered Traditional, and Singing Calls in Use Prior to 1954	Canadian Old Tyme Square Dance Association A brief introduction and a variety of traditional square dance figures, from the Canadian Olde Tyme Square Dance Callers' Association.	Squares
Dance Figures Index: English Country Dances, 1650-1833	CDSS website Robert M. Keller (compiled by) A guide to the basic figures in major English printed longways country dances in eighteenth and early nineteenth-century sources. This database only includes sources for dances with instruction for country dances, or dances that could be identified as such. It does not include other dance forms, such as Cotillions or Allemand or similar dances.	ECD
Sitting Square Dance Figures	Fred Wersan These figures and example dances are for dancers sitting in chairs. Description of the figures Example dances	Squares
Rick Mohr's Grid and Singing Squares	Rick Mohr Rick Mohr's website includes few singing and grid squares that he has written - two relatively uncommon formations today.	Squares
The Bolton Collection	Charles Bolton This online collection contains both interpretations of 17th & 18th century English country dances (with music) as well as nine booklets of Charles' original dances and tunes.	ECD
Kentucky Running Set	Hugh Stewart A useful and informative introduction, plus a variety of figures for big set, square, and two couple formations.	Squares
Kentucky Mount Square Dancing	CDSS website 1960/1999 Patrick Napier 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.	Squares
A Look at Southern Squares	Bill Martin A useful and informative orientation, plus a variety of figures for little circle (two couple), big set, and square formations.	Squares
Playford's Dancing Master: The Compleat Dance Guide	This is an exhaustive collection, catalogue, and index of all dances published in editions of the Dancing Master, 1651-1728	ECD
The Dancing Master 1651-1728: An Illustrated Compendium	Robert M. Keller (compiled by) This is an online searchable database of all known country dances published in the various editions of The Dancing Master, published by John Playford, Henry Playford and John Young, from 1651-1728 in London, with facsimiles of each "unique" dance with its music.	ECD
Videos of English Country Dancing Done Well	Paul B Ross 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. (Submitted January 2020)	ECD
Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend Syllabi 1998-2017	RPDLW 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 traditional contras and quadrilles, triple minor dances, singing squares, and couple dances as part of the program."	General
The Sheffield Collection	Ken Sheffield 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.	ECD
Neil Kelley's Dance Index	This online bibliography is Neil Kelley's compendium of where to find dance tunes and descriptions. (Submitted by David Means, January 2020)	ECD & Contra
Be Square: OldTime Square Dance Handbook - A Southern Subset	T-Claw A fantastic square dance calling resource starting with the basics, and moving through the politics of square dance, getting gigs, working with bands, and even a few dances.	Square
Dance Kaleidoscope's Dance Animations	Sheree Greenhill This website not only contains the instructions to many English country dances but also includes digital animations in order to observe how dancers move throughout the dance.	ECD
GEMS: The Best of The Country Dance and Song Society Diamond Jubilee Music, Dance and Song Contest	1993 CDSS This online collection contains American (e.g., contra; mixer; triplet) dances, English dances (with music), tunes, and songs composed by the country dance and song community.	General
Elements of Country Dance	Hugh Stewart A description of the basic dance figures in ECD.	ECD
Hugh Stewart's Database	Hugh Stewart This database includes many different styles of dance searchable by dance title, author, publication and recording. It does not include the actual dance instructions or accompanying music notation.	ECD
New Mexico Callers Collective Handbook	2016 Erik Erhardt This is a fantastic resource that outlines a number of considerations for callers and callers collectives. This includes having a growth mindset, how to give feedback, how to prepare for calling, teaching a beginner lesson, how to cover when a dance breaks down, rolling starts, and so much more. The resource touches upon calling both contra and square dances although many of the ideas are likely applicable to most calling situations.	General
Scott and Jenny's Index of English Country Dances	Scott Higgs & Jenny Beer This is a list of 550 English Country Dances that are fairly well known. The list includes set formation, meter, and key but does not include the actual dance instructions or accompanying music notation.	ECD
Some Seasonal and Holiday-themed Dances	CDSS Blog December 2012 Pat Petersen This article lists a number of English country dances that have seasonal or holiday themes.	ECD
American Country Dances Online	Russell Owen This is a collection of dances that Russell Owen edited and maintained. The contra dances are also listed in The Caller's Box, but the squares are not.	General
A Barn Dance Repertoire	Thomas Green This is a large collection of English barn dances.	Barn Dance
Dance Figures Index: American Country Dances, 1710-1830	Robert M. Keller (compiled by) This resource is a guide to the basic figures in all American printed and manuscript longways country dances in eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century sources. 2,738 dances were coded. In addition to the usual information such as title, page number, and source name and date, each dance was analyzed for its basic figures and number of active couples in the longways minor set.	Early American dance
John Brown's list of English Ceilidh Dances	John Brown This website contains the instructions for dozens of English ceilidh dances.	English Ceilidh
The Full English Project	English Folk Dance and Song Society The Full English Project is the world's biggest free digital archive of traditional folk music and dance tunes. It also includes song!	General
Antony’s Dance Database	Antony Heywood Antony’s collection includes over 17,000 dances from a wide range of traditions.	General
The Playford Assembly	Graham Christian The Playford Assembly is a collection of 125 English country dances that have their origins in the 17th through the early 19th centuries. It is a successor volume to The Playford Ball. Each dance entry is published with music, facsimile, modern interpretation, and historical information. Available for purchase through the CDSS Online Store.	ECD
The Playford Ball	Kate Keller The now classic edition, containing over 100 dances of the 17th/18th century, with facsimiles of the original dance and tune and modern notation of both, historical notes for each dance plus a discussion of modern English dance technique. Available for purchase through the CDSS Online Store.	ECD
The English Country Dance Collection	The multi‐volume collaboration combines wonderful music by Bare Necessities with books of instruction for each track. Books each contain more than a dozen of the best loved dances grouped by different themes and edited by Helene Cornelius, Francis Attanasio, and Brad Foster with notes on teaching. Available for purchase through the CDSS Online Store.	ECD
Classic English Country Dances and Easy English Country Dances	CDSS These two collections from CDSS represent some of the finest English country dances available in an easy‐to‐use format. Both include a CD of dance length tracks as well—everything you need to start dancing! Perfect for someone starting an ECD group or getting into English calling. Available for purchase through the CDSS Online Store.	ECD
Zesty Contras and Give and Take	These two books represent an enormous collection of dances in the popular contra‐dance repertoire. The first volume by Larry Jennings presents some 500 New England style contras, triplets, and others along with a glossary,suggestions for organizing dances, programming, working with musicians, and much more. The second volume adds another 628 dances! Available for purchase through the CDSS Online Store.	Contra
Cracking Chestnuts	David Smukler and David Millstone A detailed look at 17 classic New England contra dances. The authors write about style, historical background, and how these chestnuts have influenced and affected contemporary contra dances. It includes music for each dance, and an appendix of 20 additional dances and essays on how to call chestnuts. Available for purchase through the CDSS Online Store.	Contra chestnuts
Calling Traditional New England Squares	Ted Sannella This dance booklet will help callers learn more about traditional squares, especially the improvisation of breaks. Includes a CD of Ted's calls with 14 different squares (chosen for the variety of their breaks). Available for purchase through the CDSS Online Store.	Squares
On the Beat with Ralph Sweet	Ralph Sweet Ralph Sweet’s favorite squares from his massive collection. The book includes instructional essays on how to call patter and singing squares; each of the ninety squares in the book includes instructions for the figure, teaching tips, sequences, and notes. All thirty-four singing squares include music for the accompanying tune. Available for purchase through the CDSS Online Store.	Squares
New River Train	Keith Blackmon, Nils Fredland The 40 carefully selected squares from the collection of New York State caller Keith Blackmon. The dances, with music, and many tips and variations provided by editor Nils Fredland, are divided into easy and intermediate levels. The book includes a glossary of terms, and basic information for making singing squares part of your calling repertoire. Available for purchase through the CDSS Online Store.	Squares
Calling New England Squares	Tom Hinds Twenty-three square figures and breaks. Includes sections on timing, teaching, programming, analyzing and adapting material. Good especially for contra callers learning to call New England squares. Available for purchase through the CDSS Online Store.	Squares

Online Discussions

Do you want to connect with callers? Then check out the following online groups. You can ask questions and get immediate responses from callers throughout North America and beyond. These online communities are full of supportive people who share similar interests with you.

Title	More information
Shared Weight: Trad Callers	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!
Shared Weight: Contra Callers	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!
Shared Weight: English Country Dance	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!
Pourparler	Pourparler is a closed email group for educators & callers who have attended at least one Pourparler gathering. The rich discussion is very useful for those interested in teaching folk/ethnic/world/traditional dance to school-aged children.
Facebook Group: Community Dance	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.
Facebook Group: Rising Contra Dance Callers' Collective	This Facebook group is an online community of callers who support each other in a wide range of caller topics.
Facebook Group: Gender Free Contra	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.

In-Person Gatherings

There are many in-person networking and learning opportunities for callers. These types of events are a great way to be inspired, gain answers to questions you may have, and learn about new techniques that you might want to try.

There are many models of caller gatherings:

Formal/informal discussions at a regional events (e.g., annual lunch-time caller discussion at the Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend)
One-day caller gatherings (e.g., Syracuse Callers Gathering that attracts callers from throughout the region)
Weekend events (e.g., Dare To Be Square West)
Week-long caller courses as part of a dance camp (e.g., CDSS usually has a callers course or two each summer)
Even more models (e.g., callers collectives) are described in Resources by Topic > Strategies for Developing as a Caller

Check out some of the gatherings below.

If you have an event to add, please email portal@cdss.org. Please note - events that are listed here need to to have a regional or national scope and include some level of training for callers. If you have a more local dance/caller event, you can submit it to our events calendar.

And - Consider organizing your own learning/networking opportunity for callers! Check out the dance organizers section of the Portal if you want some tips of how they tend to connect.

CDSS offers grants for weekend workshops and more. Grants are usually between $250-$500. Get in touch with us at resources@cdss.org if you have an idea that needs a little financial support to make into a reality.

Title	More information
CDSS Camps	Many of CDSS’s annual summer camp weeks are wonderful opportunities or connecting with other callers and learning about calling. Check the camp website as there are often intensives (courses) for English country, contra, and/or traditional square dance callers. Scholarships are available!
Pourparler	Pourparler is a yearly gathering of dance and music educators from North America who are dedicated to teaching folk/ethnic/world/traditional dance in schools and/or community events. There are many experienced educators who attend each year but teachers/educators/enthusiasts are always welcome. Much of the weekend is spent sharing dances.
Syracuse Callers Gathering	This bi-annual callers gathering in Syracuse NY is an opportunity for callers and people interested in calling to get together and “workshop” dances in a friendly and supportive environment. The organizers choose a topic to focus on for the day and work with each other to learn from the dances and from the collective experiences brought to the gathering by the participants.
John C. Campbell Folk School	The John C. Campbell Folk School offers occasional training opportunities for callers among all the rest of their fine programming. Check out their class schedule - look under ‘dance.’
Dare To Be Square DMV (DC-MD-VA)	This is a great regional event for learning how to call, play for square dances, learn clogging/flatfooting, and dance squares!
Dare To Be Square West	This is a great regional event for learning how to call, play for square dances, sing, and dance squares!

Other Resources

This section contains even more resources that may be of interest to callers.

Share your resources: Do you have a resource you think should be shared on The Portal? Fill out this easy form to let us know about it!

Umbrella Organizations
Directories and Calendars
CDSS Affiliate Directory	The CDSS Affiliate Directory contains contact information of all of the organizations that are currently members of CDSS. It’s a great resource to find organizers with whom you might want to connect.
CDSS Events Calendar	The CDSS Events calendar lists traditional dance, music, and song events throughout North America. View events that others have submitted and add your own.
CDSS Dance Map	The CDSS dance map lists dance series throughout North America.
The Caller Directory	Developed by Luke Donforth, 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.
Dance DB	Ted Crane's database is another location where organizers can post their events so that dancers, musicians, callers, and other organizers can find out about them. This database tends to focus on contra dance, although some English country dance and swing dances are listed.
Contradancelinks.com	This website focuses primarily on contra dance but it also has information about waltzing, Scandinavian dance, and old time square dance. The site not only lists dance series by region but also has links to callers, bands, and much more.
ECD Around the United States	Alan Winston maintains a list of English country dances throughout the United States.
Trycontra.com	Jeff Kaufman maintains a website of contra dances where you can enter your zip code and it will list dances close by. You can also look at the full list of dances.
The Dance Gypsy	The Dance Gypsy is another listing of dance-related events, venues, and performers. The list focuses primarily on contra dance but does include other forms of folk dance as well.
Where's the Dance?	Submitted by Rachelle Cournoyer: 2018 This resource is primarily for the modern western square dance community although it also lists a few other traditions including contra. The website allows users to easily look up where and when dance events are happening in North America.
English Folk Dance and Song Society	Based in England, EFDSS was founded in 1932 to preserve, promote, and develop the English folk arts (specifically songs, tunes, and dances). Activities supported by this incredibly active organization include advocacy, learning, participation, and performance and artists' development. They have taken on many initiatives to support local organizers.
Still More Resources
CDSS E-News	This is CDSS’s main e-newsletter with announcements, articles, and other news. You can browse through past issues and sign up to receive the news.
CDSS News	CDSS News is our quarterly print publication, and in a slightly shorter format, an online publication. Each issue is full of fantastic articles as well as other content (e.g. songs; dances; announcements). You can browse through past issues. Become a CDSS member to receive the print publication.
Country Dance + Song	CD+S is an online journal with articles that explore how Anglo-American dance and song traditions continue to reinvent and refresh themselves..
Country Dance and Song Archives	This webpage contains the 26 volumes of CDSS's Country Dance and Song publication which ran from 1968-1998. The articles are available free online and cover a wide range of topics from ritual dance to social dance to traditional song.
The Country Dancer Archives	This webpage contains CDSS's Country Dancer Archives, which ran from 1940-1966. Many of the articles focus on news from the dance music and song community although there are articles on music/dance style, song contributions, and more.
CDSS Library & Archives at the University of New Hampshire	The CDSS Library at UNH is a collection of nearly 3,000 books, 400 periodicals, pamphlets and sheet music, and close to 2000 recordings all about traditional dance, music and song. The CDSS Archives are another 64 boxes of manuscripts, personal papers of individuals prominent in the teaching and collection of American traditional dances and songs, microfiche recordings, and archival materials dating from CDSS's founding in 1915.

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