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CDR Relaxes COVID for Regular Dances

As of July 5, we have agreed to remove the proof of vaccination requirement at our English Country and contra dances. Our COVID policy page has been updated with the details. Basically, The federal pandemic health emergency is over. Both URMC and RGH have dropped vaccination requirements for their health care workers. CDC has ceased… Read more »

English dances moving to afternoon in January

Starting in January, CDR’s Sunday English dances will be moving from evenings to afternoons, 2 PM to 5 PM.  The afternoon time gives us more window light in these dark months and hopefully will be more attractive to those who can’t come Sunday night. Once Daylight Savings Time starts, on March 12, 2023 we plan… Read more »

No English dance this Sunday

It’s one of those months containing 5 Sundays, and we usually do not hold a dance on those 5th Sundays.  May 29 is one of those, so no dance that night.    We had a mysterious e-mail glitch (now corrected) that claimed otherwise, so just wanted to reinforce the message.

Ball prep session this Sunday afternoon

Our first practice session for the May 1 Jane Austen Ball will be happening this Sunday, April 10, from 1 – 4 PM, with a cost of $5.  The location is the auditorium at Temple Beth El, 139 Winton Road South, at the corner of Hillside.  NOTE that this a change from our earlier plans… Read more »

April 3 Ball prep cancelled

We’ve had to cancel the afternoon Ball prep session planned for April 3 because our venue suddenly became unavailable and scrambling around for other spaces was unsuccessful. However the good news is that the evening English dance program that night at First Baptist, taught by David Smukler, will contain many Ball dances; come to that… Read more »

Summer dance camps

Registration is now open for the summer week-long dance camps run by CDSS at Pinewoods Camp and other locations! To whet your appetite, read Jilli Walch’s testimonial  below, written after her scholarship-supported dance week in August 2021.  To make it easier for everyone to attend, CDR, CDSS and Pinewoods all offer scholarship help.  To find… Read more »

Jane Austen Ball is filling up

As of March 1, 76 of our 85 spots for dancers have been reserved. Click here for all the details on this English dance weekend on April 25 & 25.  You can register either by mailing in a paper form with payment, or on line with PayPal.

Turning of the Year Ball

Our elegant English Turning of the Year Ball is coming up on Saturday evening, Dec. 28. Starts at 6 pm, at First Baptist.

Pop-up beginner English dance class Sunday

Join us before Sunday’s dance for a free in-depth beginner lesson. This class will cover the basics of English Country dancing, with enough time to learn some common figures, practice them, and dance them in real dances. After this class you should be all ready to start joining in the evening’s dancing. The evening dance… Read more »

Dancing at Old Fort Niagara

The Meryton Assembly Dancers at Old Fort Niagara 2018 at Old Fort Niagara On Saturday & Sunday, July 28 & 29, the Meryton Assembly Dancers introduced the history-loving public to English Country Dancing at the Old Fort Niagara’s War of 1812 Grand Encampment. This was the largest gathering of War of 1812 re-enactors in 2018… Read more »

EXTRA! Read All About It. HUZZAH!

We extend warm thanks to Jennifer Reed and Amanda Dedie of Messenger Post Media and their Team in beautiful Canandaigua NY for publishing the illustrated essay co-written by Lisa Brown and Dave Boyer about the 12th annual Jane Austen Ball. On newsstands now.

Jane Austen Ball is filled to capacity

Even though we are full, there are sometimes last minute cancellations, so if you would still like to come, contact our registrar at  or 585-223-2655 to discuss your options. We are still accepting non-lunch Observers at $25 (including the afternoon refreshments).  You can either contact the Ball Registrar or just pay at the door (cash or… Read more »