Introduction
This section of the CDSS Resource Portal is for traditional social dancers - trad squares, ECD, contra, family/community dance and more! You’ll find resources organized by topic, recommendations for online discussion groups, and much more.
Do you know of a resource that we could add? Maybe even something created by you? 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 resources of interest to dancers. Look through the following sections on contra dance, English country dance, traditional square dance, and children and community dance.
Resources by Topic
This section includes a wide range of resources organized by topic.
The CDSS Online Store also carries resources of interest to dancers. Look through the following sections on contra dance, English country dance, traditional square dance, and children and community dance.
Resources for All Dancers
This section contains some great resources for dancers of any level.
| Title | More information | Tradition |
|---|---|---|
| Contra Pulse: A Podcast about Contra Dance Music |
CDSS Ben Williams and Julie Vallimont Where does contra music come from? Why does it sound the way it does? How has it changed over time? In this online radio show, we take the pulse of contra music today through a series of conversations between host Julie Vallimont and prominent contra musicians from all corners. Join us in this journey through music, dance, time, space, and community. |
Contra |
| Village Green English Country Dancers ECD Manual | 2020 Village Green English Country Dancers This recently updated manual describes in detail figures, formations and steps in English Country dancing. It also includes descriptions of common difficulties in executing steps and figures. |
ECD |
| Tips on Becoming a Better Intermediate-Level Dancer | CDSS News Spring 2019 Laura Brodian Freas Beraha As the title suggests! |
ECD |
| Running Behind: Rush to Catch Up Or Not? | CDSS News Spring 2018 Laura Brodian Freas Beraha Laura's reflection on what to do when you are behind in the dance/music. |
ECD |
| A Couple Left the Set While We Were Dancing | CDSS News Spring 2018 Laura Brodian Freas Beraha Tips on how to recover when a couple leaves the set during the middle of a dance. |
ECD |
| Connecting and Letting Go and the Yin-Yang of Contra | CDSS News Spring 2017 Lisa Marie Lunt Lisa's reflections on the role of 'connecting' and 'letting go' in contra dance and how that relates to life. |
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 |
| Ten Reasons Not to Book | CDSS News Spring 2015 Eric Engles As the title of the article suggests! |
General |
| Dancing the Dance, An Essay | CDSS News Winter 2012-2013 Tom Webb Tom's reflections on what it means to really dance a dance. |
ECD |
| 10 Tips for Contra Dancing With Kids | 2017 Miriam Axel-Lute Blog post: 2017.02.12 This is a personal blog post from a dancer, reflecting on how dancers can be more supportive of children and youth within the contra dance context. Some helpful considerations for dancing with children. While the context of the article is contra dancing, the ideas also apply to many other forms of dance. |
Contra |
| The Top Ten (plus) Things That Make a Good (Contra) Dancer | Jonathan Sivier Jonathan’s thoughts on what makes a good dancer. |
Contra |
| 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 |
| How To Be A Great Dancer | Kimbi Hagen & Peter Baumgartner A printable PDF booklet on how to be a great dancer. |
Contra |
| Dance Technique Notes | Colin Hume This website containes an extensive list of topics for dances of various levels. This includes everything from awareness and consideration as a dancert to how to enjoy dancing more. The list is too long to provide here. Dig in! |
General |
| Age Segregation at Contras | 2012 Jeff Kaufman In this blog post, Jeff explores the complexities of dance communities segregating by age. The post is followed by a community discussion. |
Contra |
| Contra Cliquishness: Healthy? | 2012 Jeff Kaufman In this blog post, Jeff explores how contra dances can be cliquish and whether this is healthy. |
Contra |
| Booking Ahead at Contras | 2012 Jeff Kaufman In this blog post, Jeff explores the practice of booking ahead at contra dances. |
Contra |
| Declining Dances | 2015 Jeff Kaufman In this blog post, Jeff explores the reasons for declining a dance. The post is followed by an extensive community conversation. |
Contra |
| L and R hand positions | 2017 Jeff Kaufman Jeff's reflections on hand positions with relation to Larks and Ravens. |
Contra |
Resources for the Novice Dancer
This section contains a wide range of resources for beginning dancers.
| Title | More information | Tradition |
|---|---|---|
| The Basics of the Contra Dance Form | c 2010s CDSS This two-page PDF describes the very basics for the contra dance form. It's a great backgrounder for dancers who want to understand how the dances fit with the music. |
Contra |
| What is Contra Dance | Gary Shapiro Gary Shapiro’s definition of contra dance. |
Contra |
| How to be a Great Dancer - basic tips, technique, & etiquette | Chattahoochee Contra Dancers A great set of tips for both beginners and long-time dancers to consider. |
Contra |
| Elements of English Country Dance | Hugh Stewart A description of the basic dance figures in English Country Dance. |
ECD |
| Contra Wabi Sabi | CDSS News Summer 2002 Maria Michael Maria's reflections on attending her first contra dance. |
Contra |
| Hands Four | CDSS News Jan-Feb 2003 Greg Rohde A wonderful description of contra dancing and how one dancer 'got hooked.' |
Contra |
| Beginner Session |
Seth Tepfer (caller) |
Contra |
| Contra Dance Introductory Session - video | George Marshall (caller) As a new dancer, this is a great video to watch in order to get a sense of the basics you need to know to start contra dancing. |
Contra |
| Contra Dance: The Movie | Chattahoochee Contra Dancers Chattahoochee has developed a set of 11 YouTube videos as an introduction to contra. Scroll down the page for the videos. |
Contra |
| Becoming a Great Dancer in Five Easy Steps | CDSS News Fall 2010 Ridge Kennedy Ridge's suggestions for how new dancers can become great dancers. |
General |
Resources for the Experienced Dancer
This section contains a wide range of resources for long-time dancers. Dive in!
| Title | More information | Tradition |
|---|---|---|
| "More Dancing!" | CDSS News Winter 2012 Lynn Unger Lynn's reflections on keeping her New Year's resolution to dance more. The article also includes reflections on the importance of our traditions. |
General |
| Dance Local | CDSS News Spring 2012 Dragan Gill Dragan presents some thoughtful reflections on why experienced dancers should consider supporting their local dances by 'dancing local.' |
General |
| Showing Off, Growing Up | CDSS News Spring 2012 Julia Wise Julia's reflections on moving beyond the cool/hot shot stage to focus on bringing out the best in others. |
General |
| Tips on Being a Better Contra Dancer | 2017 Cary Ravitz Cary provides a number of tips on how to become a better contra dancer. |
Contra |
| Tips For Experienced Dancers Dancing With Beginners | Jonathan Sivier Jonathan’s tips on how experienced dancers can support beginners. |
Contra |
| Teaching Experienced Folks to Dance | David Kaynor Some musings from David Kaynor on the behavior of experienced dancers. |
Contra |
| Introducing a Beginner to Contra Dancing | Chris Weiler This article, published in the CDS Boston Center newsletter and based on conversation from the Boston Area Contra Community email group, discusses the fine art of teaching a beginners session at a contra dance. |
Contra |
| Contra Syncretist | This website is promoted as being for contra dancers "who have ever thought to themselves, 'what if I added this to make this dance even cooler?' Or, better yet, 'I added this, and it was really cool, and I want it to catch on! Come look!' ..." One of the main features of their website is a set of videos showing how to do various contra flourishes. | Contra |
Yoga for Dancers
This section contains articles from a long-running series in the CDSS News featuring various yoga stretches for dancers.
| Title | More information | Tradition |
|---|---|---|
| The Spaces In Between the Thoughts: Yoga Esoterica on the Dance Floor | CDSS News: Winter 2017-18 Anna Rain |
General |
| Descend, Ascend, Broaden, Soften: Strengthen the Muscles that Lift Your Torso | CDSS News: Fall 2017 Anna Rain |
General |
| Gypsies! | CDSS News: Summer 2017 Anna Rain |
General |
| Attention, Extension | CDSS News: Spring 2017 Anna Rain |
General |
| Physical Practice (Outside) Leads to a Settled Mind (Inside) | CDSS News: Winter 2016-2017 Anna Rain |
General |
| Float the Floating Ribs and an Altar for the Heart | CDSS News: Fall 2016 Anna Rain |
General |
| Krama: Small Actions, Big Results! | CDSS News: Summer 2016 Anna Rain |
General |
| Yes, Virginia, More Hip Openers... | CDSS News: Winter 2015-2016 Anna Rain |
General |
| Abdominal Integrity, Part the Second | CDSS News: Fall 2015 Anna Rain |
General |
| Abdominal Integrity, Part the First | CDSS News: Summer 2015 Anna Rain |
General |
| Love Your Hips and They'll Love You Back | CDSS News: Spring 2015 Anna Rain |
General |
| Keep Practicing: Release Attachment to Immediate Results | CDSS News: Winter 2014-2015 Anna Rain |
General |
| Open the Shoulders, Open the Breath | CDSS News: Fall 2014 Anna Rain |
General |
| Why the Well-Lifted Spine? For Breath’s Sake! | CDSS News: Summer 2014 Anna Rain |
General |
| Resting | CDSS News: Spring 2014 Anna Rain |
General |
| Thumbs, Wrists, Shoulders and a Postural Epidemic | CDSS News: Winter 2013-2014 Anna Rain |
General |
| Listen to Your Knees | CDSS News: Fall 2013 Anna Rain |
General |
| Next Level of Knee Care | CDSS News: Summer 2013 Anna Rain |
General |
| Cranky Knees and Long Quads | CDSS News: Spring 2013 Anna Rain |
General |
| "Shoulders Back"... and so much more | CDSS News: Winter 2012-2013 Anna Rain |
General |
| On Balance | CDSS News: Summer 2012 Anna Rain |
General |
| Twists for Spinal Freedom | CDSS News: Spring 2012 Anna Rain |
General |
| More Hamstrings, More Abdomen | CDSS News: Winter 2011 Anna Rain |
General |
| Hands and Feet | CDSS News: Fall 2011 Anna Rain |
General |
| Long Legs, Strong Back | CDSS News: Winter 2010 Anna Rain |
General |
| In Which We Revisit The Hamstrings | CDSS News: Fall 2010 Anna Rain |
General |
| Opening the Shoulders | CDSS News: Spring 2010 Anna Rain |
General |
| Align the Spine | CDSS News: Fall 2009 Anna Rain |
General |
| The Upper Spine | CDSS News: March/April 2009 Anna Rain |
General |
Reflections on the History and Evolution of Traditional Dance
Our dance traditions are both strongly rooted in the past and are constantly evolving. In the future, this section will include some interesting reading on how our dance forms are shifting generally.
In the meantime, check the history & evolution sections under callers, and musicians.
| Title | More information | Tradition |
|---|---|---|
| An Introduction to the Various Styles of American Square Dancing |
2019 |
Squares |
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 |
Squares |
| What's Your Pronoun? | CDSS News Winter 2015-2016 Miriam Newman In this article, Miriam explains the movement towards asking people about their preferred personal pronoun. |
General |
| English Country Dance and Its American Cousin | Alan Winston ECD and contra dance share some of the same historical roots. This article by Alan Winston describes those roots and how the two styles have changed over time. |
General |
| The Contracast Podcast of Contra Dance Music |
2010 |
Contra |
| Choosing Contra Dance Shoes | 2014 Jeff Kaufman In this blog post, Jeff explores how to choose shoes for dancing. |
Contra |
| Math, Music and Contra Dance | CDSS Blog December 2014 Lena Erickson In this blog post, Lena writes about the connections between math and contra dance. |
Contra |
Online Discussions
Do you want to connect with other dancers now? Then check out the following online groups. You can ask questions and get immediate responses from dancers throughout North America and beyond. These online communities are full of supportive people who share similar interests with you.
| Facebook Group: Stuff Contra Dancers Say... | This Facebook group exists to provide a place for civil conversation between contra dancers on matters that are important to them as individuals. |
| Facebook Group: English Country Dance | This Facebook group primarily focuses on promotion of ECD events throughout North America. It's great place for ECD dancers who want to learn about other dance events. |
| 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. |
Other Resources
This section contains even more resources that may be of interest to dancers..
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!
| Directories and Calendars | |
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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. |
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The CDSS Events calendar lists traditional dance, music, and song events throughout North America. View events that others have submitted and add your own. |
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| CDSS Dance Map |
The CDSS dance map lists dance series throughout North America. |
| 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. |
| Umbrella Organizations | |
|---|---|
| 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. |