Membership Benefits

CDNY members receive:

• Reduced admission rates to all our regular ECD and Contra dances: $15 – $20 sliding scale ($5 discount for each dance)

• Discounted admission and early announcements of special events

• Free guest passes to give to friends and family who have never danced with us before

• Free admission to dances through volunteering

• Participation in either or both of our volunteer bands, The Anglopolitans and Contrapolitans

• The satisfaction of supporting the Country Dance New York community!

Joining CDNY

You can become a member:

• at the door of any dance, or

• by completing the Google form below and using the PayPal link below to pay with a credit card or PayPal account, or

• by completing a printable membership form and mailing it back with your check.

For student membership, you must use the printable form and include a copy of your current student ID, or become a member at a dance.

Sounds great! I want to become a member right here, right now!

To become a member online, you must do two things:

1. Complete the CDNY membership form below, including scrolling all the way down to the bottom and clicking the “Submit” button

2. Click on the PayPal button that pops up after you click “Submit” to send your payment.

All our dances are run by volunteers. Help run a dance by working the door, setting up refreshments, or joining the sound crew. You’ll have the satisfaction of being part of the CDNY team, and you’ll get free admission. Full-time volunteers receive free admission to all normal dances for the season; other volunteers receive free admission to the dance they work, plus door volunteers receive a free pass for one future normal dance.

Volunteer Positions:

Sound: Help the dancers hear the musicians and callers, which involves setting up and putting away speakers, microphone stands, microphones, and the sound board; with training, using the sound board to balance different instruments and the caller, and managing the volume.

Door: Run the front desk at dances, which involves taking money for admissions, membership, and donations; answering basic questions; and being the friendly and welcoming face of CDNY.

Refreshments: Keep the dancers happy, which involves setting up and cleaning up snacks to be eaten during the break. 

Shoe Police (Contra Only): Protect our dance floor, which involves asking dancers to change into dance shoes or to clean their street shoes.

Other ways you can participate in our community of dancers include:
Donating refreshments
Posting flyers in your neighborhood, school, or workplace
Dancing with newcomers
Joining the beginners’ workshop
Helping decorate the hall for a special event
Sponsoring a dance
Writing an article for Stepnotes
Donating

Speak to the dance coordinator if you would like more information about these or other ways to help.

Please use the link above to visit the "Join The Band" page for additional details.

Sponsoring a dance is a great way to recognize a special event in your life or that of someone else! Sponsorship is basically a donation to CDNY, but it also allows you to influence how the evening goes and have your occasion publicly recognized. In general, a minimum donation would be equivalent to payment for at least the band and caller for the evening, and would allow you to request a specific caller and musicians for the event. The expected donation could vary from a minimum of $240 (for a two-person band, usually on an English evening) to over $600 ($90 each for a five-person band, plus $110 for the caller, plus special refreshments). Of course, donations beyond the direct cost are quite welcome!

If you want a special band or caller, arrangements must be made with the English or Contra coordinator early in the previous season (e.g., for a fall dance you would have to talk to the coordinator in January, and for a spring dance in September). The program coordinator retains final say in choice of band and caller, to ensure the integrity of the program.

Beyond the basic cost, the celebrant and their friends are responsible for making arrangements on their own. Some people have arranged to have a song, a dance, a play, or other performance made up for the occasion; have arranged special food or decorations; or even to have a lower admission price for everyone that evening, paid for by the celebrant (it isn’t as costly as it sounds). It is expected that the celebration will primarily take place during the break, and unless otherwise arranged would take no more than an additional 15 minutes (so that other dancers get what they came for). A larger donation would encourage more flexibility in this as well. A small number of friends and/ or family may be admitted free – a rough guideline would be one free admission per $100 donated.

All changes from usual procedures at regular dances need to be cleared with the respective dance program chair (English Country or Contra), well in advance. If you are interested in sponsoring a dance, please speak to either the English or American coordinator, or fill out this interest form here. Thank you!

Country Dance New York Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations to CDNY are tax deductible.

CDNY Offers Dance Camp Scholarships for Summers

In previous years, Country Dance New York has offered summer dance camp scholarship grants to its members. The CDNY grants may be applied to any camp week offering primarily American and/or English Country Dance and music instruction, including callers’ workshops being held in conjunction with a dance week. These are partial grants, limited to a maximum of 40% of the camp fee, and are intended for current CDNY members who need some financial assistance in meeting the cost of camp fees.

During the proper seasons, scholarship application forms will be available at the admissions table at CDNY dances.  If you would like to apply, complete the form and submit it to [info to come]. You can also deliver the application to in person at a dance. The application form will also be posted on our website when the option to apply is available.

Other scholarships: Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) has many scholarship programs for their dance weeks. CDSS offers work scholarships, straightforward cash grants, and “matching grants” to be paired with another organization’s award.  These grants have earlier deadlines and dancers should check them out immediately if interested. Go to 

CDSS Dance, Music, and Song Camps | CDSS Dance, Music, and Song Camps and Online Programs and https://camp.cdss.org/scholarships/ or call CDSS: 413-203-5467 for more information.  

Fiddle & Dance camps at Ashokan: http://ashokan.org/camps/ have an economy pricing tier and a youth pricing tier available for those who can’t afford the regular price.

A partial grant from another organization may be supplemented by a grant from CDNY, up to a maximum total of 100% of the camp fee.

If you need further information, call [info to come].

Happy dancing,

[info to come]

CDNY Scholarship Committee Chair

Give

Country Dance New York is a nonprofit organization that keeps traditional dance and music alive in New York City. All donations are tax-deductible.

Give in Person
The volunteers at the door will be happy to take your donation in cash or check at any dance. On Tuesdays, donations to the Third Musician Fund can be placed in the red plastic monkey that is usually by the door.

Give via Paypal
Use Paypal to pay with credit card or money transfer.

Give via Check

Send checks, payable to CDNY, to:

Country Dance New York
P.O. Box 878
Village Station
New York, NY 10014

Donations are used to fund all of CDNY’s activities generally, but you may show your support of either the English or Contra programs by adding “English program” or “Contra program” to your check’s memo line.

Legacy Gifts

CDNY can be the beneficiary of a bequest in your will, or of a life insurance policy, retirement fund, or other vehicle. Contact [info to come] at bequests@cdny.org to discuss how you can give to CDNY in the future.

Country Dance New York Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations to CDNY are tax deductible.