Square Dance History Project
The rich story of North American square dance finally has a home in the digital age.

Browse Items (18 total)

  • Contributor is exactly "Tony Parkes"
Sound

Don Durlacher - Jones Beach

Don Durlacher, son of Ed Durlacher, was a regular summer caller at Jones Beach outside New York City, calling with the Top Hands band that his father had used for many years. At this dance, the… View item
Document

Cowboy Songs and Dances

This is an excerpt-- the dance part; a later song section is omitted-- from an article that includes the author's experiences at a cowboy dance in 1903. The author includes typical patter heard… View item
Sound

Bluebonnet Squares with Melton Luttrell

These are recordings of two sessions led by Melton Luttrell at the 1987 National Square Dance Convention in Houston, Texas. The focus of his sessions was square dancing as led by Herb Greggerson in… View item
Sound

Catch All Eight - Louise Winston

This is an interesting example of a modern square dance call turning up in the repertoire of a caller deeply involved in the New England traditional square dance scene. Louise Winston was one of the… View item
Sound

Ladies Whirligig - two New England versions

Here is the same basic dance called by two New England callers who overlapped. The first is an excerpt from a recording by Ralph Page; the second is a live recording of Louise Winston from 1970.The… View item
Document

Juvenile Delinquency and Square Dancing

In this article, published inNorthern Junket in 1959, caller Ed Durlacher describes his experiences leading square dances in Riverside Park, New York City. It was not a promising beginning:"As they… View item
Still Image

Utah Square Dance History (JPG)

The June 28, 1973 issue of the Deseret News (a Mormon-owned daily newspaper published in Salt Lake City) contained a supplement on the 22nd National Square Dance Convention. The article on Utah square… View item
Still Image

Square Dance in Tacoma, 1940–1960

A collection of seven photographs from the collection of the Tacoma (WA) Public Library. It's likely that similar collections of photographs and-- we hope!--old films exist in libraries and historical… View item
Website

Utah Square Dance History

The June 28, 1973 issue of the Deseret News (a Mormon-owned daily newspaper published in Salt Lake City) contained a supplement on the 22nd National Square Dance Convention. The article on Utah square… View item
Website

John Roach Square Dance History - Minnesota

This website, curated by Lon Roach of Glencoe, Minnesota, documents the career of his parents, John (Jack) and Mabel Roach. Jack was a square dance caller from 1949 to 1974; his career spanned the… View item
Still Image

Old Folks' Frolic

This is a photograph from a news story in the St. Petersburg (Florida) Times of April 7, 1942. Caption: "These lively square dancers and other oldsters performing yesterday brought a Chautauqua salute… View item
Still Image

Ed Durlacher (photos)

Two photos of New York caller Ed Durlacher, one showing him in regular clothing behind the microphone and one where he's in full dance caller regalia. Both photos are from newspaper files; one is… View item