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

Browse Items (198 total)

  • Subject is exactly "Modern square dance - general"
Document

The Beginnings of Modern Square Dancing - Jim Mayo

Article by Jim Mayo looking at the transition from traditional to modern square dancing, a short version of the ideas presented at length in his book. View item
Moving Image

Tech Squares - I Will Survive, called by Don Beck

Don Beck Calling the last tip of the Tech Squares (MIT Square Dance Club) class graduation, December 1997 View item
Sound

Sunny - John Hendron

This is a short clip from a singing call by John Hendron at a dance in New England in 1984 View item
Still Image

Stepney Barn

The Stepney Barn was constructed by Al Brundage. (Stepney is a district in the town of Monroe, CT.) You can read more about Brundage and the barn on this site. In Brundage's comments below, note that… View item
Document

Square Dancing Is NOT Out of This World

This is the text of a presentation by Joe Lewis at the 1959 National Square Dance Convention, part of a discussion of the future of square dancing.Lewis points out that the majority of dancers at the… View item
Document

Square Dances in Western Style

A handbook of basic dance figures, written by a Virginia dance caller in the early 1950s. View item
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Square Dance—Houston Style

This article, from Houston History magazine, offers a popular overview of square dance history in that region from the 1940s into the 21st century. The author was , with her husband, president of the… View item
Website

Square Dance Videos (West Coast) - Joe Dehn

A collection of several hundred videos videotaped by Joe Dehn, mostly from West Coast MWSD conventions, illustrating a variety of styles, callers, and programs. Among the many dances, you might… View item
Document

Square Dance Timing for Callers: Philosophy

New England caller Dick Leger, "the man with the guitar," believed strongly in fitting calls to the musical phrase. In this, he was sometimes an outlier in the modern square dance community… View item
Document

Square Dance Revival Due To Shaw’s Dreams in the 1920’s

This newspaper essay by Dorothy Stott Shaw describes, in her usual poetic manner, the rise of square dancing as seen through Lloyd Shaw and his experiences at Cheyenne Mountain School. There are more… View item
Website

Square Dance Resource Net

This is an extraordinarily rich and detailed website, filled with information of interest to anyone with a serious interest in square dance. The emphasis is on modern rather than traditional squares,… View item
Website

Square Dance Radio Network

This weekly show focuses on modern square dancing, and is hosted by Dayle Hodge and Barb Jarvis. They describe their mission thus: "The Square Dance Radio Network provides entertaining and educational… View item