Do Squares Come from Quadrilles?
Creator: Rod La Farge, John Bellamy, Ralph Sweet, Olcutt Sanders (1957)
This item starts with a 1957 article by Rod LaFarge that takes a strong stand: "the assumption that our present day square dance is derived from the formal quadrille is completely false." Instead, he argues, "the square dance is a DIRECT descendent of the 18th Century Cotillion."
Several issues later, the magazine printed numerous responses (and objections) to LaFarge's thesis, each of which he answers.
In all, this is a lively and thought-provoking look at the origins of square dance in America.
Subjects: Northeast - general, Modern square dance - general, Quadrille, Cotillon / cotillion
Tags: cotillion, John Bellamy, Olcutt Sanders, quadrille, Ralph Sweet, Rod LaFarge
Tags: cotillion, John Bellamy, Olcutt Sanders, quadrille, Ralph Sweet, Rod LaFarge
Item Relations
| Item: "The Good Ole Days" - Olcutt Sanders, 1949 | is related to | This Item |
| Item: Quadrille and Cotillion - history | is related to | This Item |
| Item: Quadrilles and Cotillions | is related to | This Item |
| Item: Ramapo Rangers - Rod LaFarge, 1945 | is related to | This Item |
Citation
Rod La Farge, John Bellamy, Ralph Sweet, Olcutt Sanders, “Do Squares Come from Quadrilles?,” Square Dance History Project, accessed February 23, 2025, http://squaredancehistory.org/items/show/1488.
Dublin Core
Title
Do Squares Come from Quadrilles?
Description
This item starts with a 1957 article by Rod LaFarge that takes a strong stand: "the assumption that our present day square dance is derived from the formal quadrille is completely false." Instead, he argues, "the square dance is a DIRECT descendent of the 18th Century Cotillion."
Several issues later, the magazine printed numerous responses (and objections) to LaFarge's thesis, each of which he answers.
In all, this is a lively and thought-provoking look at the origins of square dance in America.
Several issues later, the magazine printed numerous responses (and objections) to LaFarge's thesis, each of which he answers.
In all, this is a lively and thought-provoking look at the origins of square dance in America.
Source
American Squares, April 1957 and July 1957
Date Created
1957