The Country Dance And Song Society Inc

What The Country Dance And Song Society Inc does

The Country Dance & Song Society Inc (CDSS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1915 and headquartered in Easthampton, Massachusetts, that stewards the participatory traditions of English country dance, contra and square dance, morris and sword dance, and the traditional music integral to those forms. CDSS serves six core personas — dancers, callers, musicians, educators, organizers, and families — through a horizontally-segmented portfolio of residential camps, online workshops, publications, podcasts, and toolkits. Its core programs include four residential dance camps (Pinewoods in Plymouth, MA; Agassiz Village in Poland, ME; Camp Kweebec in Schwenksville, PA; and Camp Cavell in Lexington, MI), with a fifth location at Lady of the Lake in Harrison, ID coming online in 2027. The organization hosts three podcasts (Contra Pulse, From the Mic, and Flying Shoes Radio Hour — totaling 121 hours of published content), publishes the quarterly CDSS News magazine and the Country Dance + Song Online journal, distributes the Bob McQuillen Curated Tune Lists app with over 1,500 tunes on the Apple App Store, and maintains a digitized physical archive at the University of New Hampshire.

CDSS monetizes through a diversified nonprofit revenue mix: membership dues, sliding-scale camp registration fees (adult sessions priced $810–$1,485; children's sessions $80–$1,055), merchandise sales via the CDSS Store, CDSSPrints on Etsy, and Bandcamp digital downloads, individual donations and planned giving, grants (including a $75,000 Mass Cultural Council Cultural Sector Recovery Grant in 2024), and publication advertising. Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on word-of-mouth within folk dance communities, member referrals, and a network of affiliated local dance organizations. CDSS also produces operational toolkits — notably the Community Culture & Safety Toolkit and the Archiving Toolkit — that are distributed free to organizers and educators, reinforcing the affiliate ecosystem and reducing churn among local groups.

The organization operates with a small core team (1–10 employees, geographically dispersed) and is governed by a volunteer board. There is no venture, private equity, or institutional ownership. CDSS's primary strategic levers going forward are geographic expansion into the Pacific Northwest, continued content production across podcasts and publications, and equity-focused outreach through programs like the African American Dance Caller Pathways initiative.

Name

The Country Dance And Song Society Inc

Legal name

Country Dance & Song Society

Website

https://cdss.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CDSS is a 1915-founded Massachusetts nonprofit that stewards participatory English country, contra, square, and morris dance traditions through residential camps, publications, podcasts, toolkits, and an affiliate network serving dancers, callers, musicians, educators, organizers, and families across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Folk Dance and Music Education

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Music & Dance Festivals (Non-Commercial/Local) (MPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Participatory folk dance
• Traditional music programs
• Community dance education
• Folk dance publications
• Residential dance camps

Headquarters

HQ city

Easthampton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership program with join/renew options supporting the organization's operations
2. Camp Registration Fees: Residential camp programs with sliding scale pricing for adults ($810-$1,485) and tiered pricing for children ($80-$1,055), covering accommodation, meals, and all programming
3. Merchandise Sales: CDSS Store for books and CDs, CDSSPrints on Etsy for apparel and merchandise, Bandcamp for digital music downloads
4. Donations and Grants: Individual donations, special funds, planned giving, and grants including $75,000 Mass Cultural Council Cultural Sector Recovery Grant
5. Publications: CDSS News magazine, Country Dance + Song Online journal, advertising in publications

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Country Dance & Song Society (CDSS) is a nonprofit organization that connects and supports communities through participatory folk dance, music, and song programs. It operates residential dance camps at four U.S. locations, produces publications (CDSS News magazine, CD+S Online journal, Song of the Month), distributes podcasts (Contra Pulse, From the Mic, Flying Shoes Radio Hour), maintains an online library and resource portal, runs community grants, and sells books, recordings, and folk dance merchandise through its online store and partner storefronts.

Product overview

The Country Dance & Song Society (CDSS) is a nonprofit organization that offers a diverse portfolio of programs and resources centered on traditional Anglo-American dance and music. The organization operates primarily as a content and community platform, offering educational publications (CDSS News magazine, Country Dance + Song Online journal), multiple podcasts (Contra Pulse, From the Mic, Flying Shoes Radio Hour), and residential camp programs at four locations (Pinewoods, Camp Cavell, Agassiz Village, Camp Kweebec). Additional offerings include an online Resource Portal with the Community Culture & Safety Toolkit, Lesson Plans for Educators, Archiving Toolkit, Song of the Month features, Community Grants, and a retail store. The organization also provides virtual programming through Online Workshops, Contra Callers' Corner, and Web Chats for Organizers. Together, these products and services support dancers, callers, musicians, organizers, and educators in building and sustaining vibrant communities through participatory dance, music, and song.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Contra Pulse Podcast: A podcast hosted by Julie Vallimont exploring contra dance music—its history, present, and potential future, through in-depth conversations with contra musicians.
• From the Mic Podcast
• Flying Shoes Radio Hour
• CDSS Store
• CDSS Camps

Products and services

• CDSS Dance, Music & Song Camps Immersive residential camp programs at four U.S. locations offering instruction in contra dance, English country dance, morris, sword dance, and traditional music for all skill levels and ages, including a dedicated Family Week at Agassiz Village.
• Online Workshops and Virtual Programs Virtual programming including Contra Callers' Corner monthly Zoom calls for contra callers, Web Chats for Organizers, and online workshops on dance and music topics.
• Contra Pulse Podcast Podcast hosted by Julie Vallimont exploring contra dance music—its history, present, and potential future—through in-depth conversations with contra musicians.
• From the Mic Podcast Podcast hosted by Mary Wesley diving into the caller's role in North American social dance forms, exploring how callers think about their work and how it fits into shared community.
• Flying Shoes Radio Hour Podcast Podcast hosted by Chrissy Fowler highlighting the roots and branches of contra dance music with live music and interviews with musicians.
• CDSS News Magazine Quarterly magazine published by CDSS covering English country dance, contra and square dance, morris and sword dance, and related music traditions.
• Country Dance + Song Online Journal Online journal featuring articles on Anglo-American dance traditions across different historical periods.
• Community Culture & Safety Toolkit Comprehensive downloadable guide helping organizers develop policies, procedures, and supporting documents for community safety, including values statements, codes of conduct, complaint procedures, and physical space safety checklists.
• CDSS Archiving Toolkit Guide developed to help folk organizations gather, process, and archive their history, personal anecdotes, and material culture.
• Lesson Plans for Educators Educational materials developed by the CDSS Educators Task Group to introduce students to traditional music and dance topics in classroom settings.
• Online Library Digital archive including Bob McQuillen's curated tune lists and other historical materials from CDSS collections.
• CDSS Store Online retail store offering books, CDs, morris bells, t-shirts, and other merchandise related to traditional dance and music, with over 50,000 morris bells sold historically.
• CDSS Membership Annual membership program with join/renew options that supports CDSS operations and provides members access to the community and resources.
• Bob McQuillen Curated Tune Lists App Mobile application available on the Apple App Store containing over 1,500 tunes from contra musician Bob McQuillen, presented as curated tune lists.
• Community Grants Program Grant program supporting local communities and special projects related to traditional dance, music, and song, including the Anthony Barrand Research & Stewardship Fund.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,174 campers hosted at camps in the past year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lady of the LakecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2027Starting in 2027, CDSS will take over the long-standing Lady of the Lake June Music and Dance Week in Harrison, ID. The Lady of the Lake board invited CDSS to assume responsibility to ensure the camp continues far into the future.
• Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival (FWAAMFest)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026CDSS is sponsoring 2026 FWAAMFest and the African American Dance Caller Pathways program, supporting Black-identified aspiring dance callers.
• Mass Cultural CouncilcoreOthers · 1 January 2024Massachusetts Cultural Council is an independent state arts agency charged with bolstering Massachusetts's creative and cultural sector. CDSS received a $75,000 Cultural Sector Recovery Grant from MCC in 2024.
• CDSS Community Culture & Safety Task GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018The CCSTG was formed 2018-2024 to support local communities in their efforts to provide a safe environment for music, song, and dance events. Produced the comprehensive Community Culture & Safety Toolkit.
• University of New Hampshire (UNH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015CDSS archives are housed at UNH, where a $50,000 digitization project (funded during the 2015 Centennial Campaign) is making the collection digitally accessible. The partnership includes Special Collections at UNH Library.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS): UK-based nonprofit that stewards English folk dance and song traditions, publishes journals and resources, runs workshops and events, and operates a major archive (Vaughan Williams Memorial Library). Closest international analogue to CDSS in mission, membership model, and programming mix.
• Swannanoa Gathering: Annual summer workshop series at Warren Wilson College offering weeklong classes in folk, traditional, and roots music and dance. Comparable residential traditional-arts camp programming targeting adult hobbyists.
• Augusta Heritage Center: Davis & Elkins University's traditional arts program offering weeklong summer workshops in dance, music, and song at residential camps. Directly comparable immersive camp model and traditional-art focus.
• Lark Camp: Long-running annual traditional music and dance camp held in Mendocino County, California. Comparable residential workshop model and intergenerational community focus, with regional (West Coast) overlap.
• Country Dance New York (CD*NY): Regional umbrella organization coordinating English country and contra dance events across the New York metro area. Functions as an affiliate-style organization comparable to CDSS's affiliate network model.
• Ashokan Fiddle & Dance Camps: Residential traditional music and dance camps in Olivebridge, NY offering instruction in fiddle, guitar, dance calling, and related arts. Direct competitor in the Northeast US traditional-arts camp market.
• Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS): Global nonprofit dedicated to Scottish country dance with affiliated networks, residential summer schools, teaching certifications, and publications. Highly comparable membership-based structure and camp programming model to CDSS.

Broad incumbents

• Folk Alliance International: Largest nonprofit supporting folk music worldwide, hosting an annual conference and advocacy programming. Operates as a broader industry umbrella with overlapping community and membership elements but a music-rather-than-dance focus.

Others

• American Folklore Society: Scholarly association for folklore studies that publishes journals and hosts an annual meeting. Adjacent ecosystem player — overlaps with CDSS on tradition stewardship and research, but is academic rather than participatory.

Emerging players

• Dance Flurry Foundation: Nonprofit producing the annual Dance Flurry Festival and year-round traditional music and dance programming in the Hudson Valley. Comparable community-driven participatory dance festival model with partial geographic overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CDSSorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/cdss.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/CDSSorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/countydanceandsongsociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Country Dance And Song Society Inc