CDSS Resource Portal: Ritual Dancers & Organizers

Resources by Topic

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

A few highlights include:

• Rhett Krauss’ account of One Hundred Years of Morris Dancing in America
• Roy Dommett's Morris Notes - this online collection contains an extensive set of dance notes from various traditions. It also includes articles on other topics such as sports injuries, playing music for morris, clowning in morris, and more.
• Also - take a look at the (social) Dance Organizers section of the portal. There are resources on topics such as marketing or community safety that have been created by the social dance community which can be modified and used in the ritual dance context. 
• And - check out the Educators section of the portal if you work with school-aged participants. That section contains all the resources specifically designed for teachers/educators of traditional dance, music AND song.
• Reminder: The CDSS Online Store also carries a wide range of resources for ritual dancers and leaders. View those resources here.

We are working to expand this section of the resource portal.

In January 2019, we asked some ritual dance organizers what they wanted to learn about. Here is what they said:

• Marketing & recruitment (e.g., how to find new members and keep them; how to use social media; fun morris memes)
• Team culture (e.g., how to re-engage longtime members who are feeling apathatic; managing interpersonal issues within a team)
• Topics relating to dancer age/stage of life (e.g., how to accommodate dancers with young families; strategies for teaching youth; accommodating aging members; how to recruit young members)
• How to start a new team
• How to find events at which to perform (e.g., folk/music festivals)
• Planning tours (e.g., how to source funding)
• Insurance
• Admin (e.g., simple bookkeeping; costume costs)

Our goal is to have a wide range of resources on all of these topics and others as interest grows. Your contributions are welcome!

Dance Repertoire

This section contains resources relating to dance repertoire.

Online Discussions

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

In-Person Gatherings

There are many in-person networking and learning opportunities for ritual dancers and organizers. These events are a great way to be inspired and gain answers to questions you may have.

Check out the regional/national gatherings below - most of them are Ales!

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, preferably for ritual dance organizers. If you have a more local song event, you can submit it to our events calendar.

And - Consider organizing your own gathering for ritual dance organizers. It could be as simple as a one-hour discussion as part of pre-existing event. Here are some resources that the dance community has created which can help to get you started.

• How to Facilitate an Organizers Discussion: This resource not only provides a number of tips on how to facilitate a discussion but it also includes a how-to on including a session at a pre-existing event or creating your own day-long gathering.
• CDSS News article on how to include organizer discussions at regional events: A fantastic read for regional organizers of dance, music or song!
• Mastering the Art of Facilitation: A great resource on facilitation skills developed by Delia Clark (community & contra dance caller based in Vermont).
• A how-to on Impact/Feasibility Assessment as used at the Puttin’ On The Dance 2 conference.
• A how-to on Peer Feedback Circles as used at the Puttin’ On The Dance 2 conference.

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.

Other Resources

This section contains even more resources that may be of interest to traditional ritual dancers and organizers.

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!