Country Dance and Song Society

Country Dance and Song Society
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Name	Country Dance and Song Society
Formation	1915
Type	Non-profit
Headquarters	Boston, Massachusetts
Region served	United States, North America
Leader title	Executive Director

Country Dance and Song Society The Country Dance and Song Society fosters participation in traditional English and North American dance, music, and song, supporting networks of callers, musicians, and singers across United States, Canada, and international partners. Founded amid early 20th‑century revivalist movements linked to figures associated with Folk Song Society of London, the organization connects local communities, historical societies, and arts councils through festivals, publications, and training programs. Its activities intersect with institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, and academic departments at Harvard University and University of California, Berkeley.

History

The society emerged from revival currents that included the Folk-Song Society (London), the English Folk Dance Society, and the transatlantic work of collectors like Ralph Vaughan Williams, Cecil Sharp, and Lucy Broadwood. Early American collaborators drew on collections by Alan Lomax, Francis James Child, and performers associated with the Appalachian region and the Shaker movement. During the 20th century, the society intersected with movements represented by G. Malcolm Laws, Helen Hartness Flanders, and revivalists active in the Greenwich Village scene alongside figures connected to Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. Postwar expansion saw partnerships with festivals such as Folk Festival of the Pocono Mountains, networks tied to New England Conservatory, and advocacy with cultural bodies like the National Endowment for the Arts.

Mission and Programs

The society's mission emphasizes preservation and living practice through programs that support callers, musicians, and organizers linked to entities such as New England Folk Festival, Country Dance Society (Boston Centre), and regionally focused organizations in Vermont, Massachusetts, and New York. Granting programs collaborate with foundations like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, McArthur Foundation, and municipal arts agencies. Programmatic emphases include folk song promotion akin to efforts by Cecil Sharp House and community outreach strategies used by Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

The governance model includes a board of directors with representatives from regional centers, advisory committees drawing on expertise from American Folklore Society, Society for Ethnomusicology, and partnerships with conservatories such as Berklee College of Music. Executive leadership roles mirror nonprofit best practices seen in institutions like National Trust for Historic Preservation and Historic New England; past leaders have liaised with scholars from Brown University, Yale University, and Columbia University. Volunteer networks coordinate local chapters comparable to Friends of Music Education chapters and town-centered groups in places like Concord, Massachusetts and Portland, Maine.

Publications and Media

The society produces newsletters, instructional manuals, and archival materials analogous to publications from Folklife Magazine and collections held by the Library of Congress. Its print and digital output include dance tunebooks, repertoire lists, and instructional videos reflecting pedagogical models developed at Jacques-Dalcroze Institute and shared via platforms associated with Smithsonian Folkways. Collaborations have placed materials in university archives at UCLA, University of Pennsylvania, and regional libraries in Boston.

Events and Festivals

Annual gatherings and regional events include camps, weekend balls, and contra dances that attract participants from circuits similar to Alder Folk Festival, Sierra Folk Festival, and multi-day events inspired by Gretna Green traditions and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe's community programming. The society's event calendar often overlaps with fairs honoring traditions from Newfoundland and Labrador, Appalachia, and New England historic towns, and sometimes partners with performative stages at venues like Tanglewood and community centers used by Americana Music Association affiliates.

Education and Training

Education focuses on caller training, musician mentorship, and youth programming drawing from curricula used by Kodály Method proponents and community music models practiced at Old Town School of Folk Music. Workshops and intensives have featured guest teachers affiliated with Jacqueline Schwab, Tommy Thompson (musician), and instructors connected to Boston Conservatory. Teacher certification, apprentice programs, and repertoire workshops parallel training offered by Royal Academy of Dance and summer programs at institutions such as Middlebury College.

Impact and Community Engagement

The organization influences cultural preservation, local tourism, and civic cultural life in towns comparable to Hanover, New Hampshire and Amherst, Massachusetts, while contributing material to folklife archives like those at Dartmouth College and Vermont Folklife Center. Its community engagement strategies mirror models used by Americans for the Arts and regional arts councils, promoting intergenerational participation and collaborations with indigenous and immigrant musical communities represented at festivals alongside groups from Irish Traditional Music Archive and Scottish Cultural Centre affiliates.

Category:Folk dance organizations Category:Non-profit organizations based in Massachusetts