About the Square Dance History Project
Square dancing has been an integral part of American social life for centuries. Traditional square dance was vital for generations of Americans, especially in rural communities; in the post-World War II era, modern square dance similarly enjoyed participants numbering in the millions.
Despite its popularity, the history of square dance has not been well documented. Scores of books explain specific figures and calls, but there are few current sources that offer a detailed discussion of the development of this form of American social dance. We hope this site helps to fill that need.
Website
Canadian Olde Tyme Square Dance Association
The Canadian Olde Tyme Square Dance Association was founded in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1954 by a group of callers interested in preserving, and promoting the traditional Canadian style of square… View itemDocument
Four dances from Gaspé
This is a detailed description in French of the four dances documented in the Grand Chain - Grande Chaîne video. It was created by Hélène Gaulin, the caller in the video. View itemWebsite
Grand Chain - Grande Chaîne
Note: The link will take you to the home page featuring a documentary by Guy Bouchard about "Traditional music and dances from the tip of the Gaspé peninsula." Interested viewers can stream the… View itemDocument
Les Gotcher's Text Book for Square Dance Callers
One of the leading callers in promoting the use of sight calling, Les Gotcher went his own way as modern square dance developed. Frequently described as "The Hash Master," Gotcher went his own way in… View itemDocument
Round Robin correspondence
Long before the internet, a group of a dozen or so square dance callers around the country exchanged ideas through a series of Round Robin letters. (Note: the Square Dance History Project would dearly… View itemDocument
Cape Breton Dance Halls
This undergraduate thesis looks at the dance halls of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Traditional music and dance plays an important role in the life of the communities there, and the dance halls function… View itemDocument
Ballroom & the Barn: Dr. Lloyd Shaw, Dean Edwards & the Western Square Dance Revival in Colorado Springs
This article presents a look at square dancing in Colorado Springs from the perspective of Dean Edwards; it appears that the author adopted his views about Lloyd Shaw and to some extent misrepresented… View itemStill Image
Les Gotcher - photo and autograph
Unlike the other photos of Gotcher (see Related Items), this one captures the high energy of his calling. View itemDocument
Pop Sweet
George R. "Pop" Sweet was a traditional fiddler and dance caller from Austerlitz, NY, and the neighboring towns of the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. In the early 1930s, he was engaged in a… View itemStill Image
Santa Monica 1950 - official program
This is the official program for the 1950 Diamond Jubilee square dance in Santa Monica. Our website has many other items related to this important event in square dance history. View itemStill Image