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

Browse Items (29 total)

  • Subject is exactly "Northern / Maritime"
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Mabou Dancers

The Mabou Dancers are a performance group that shows the 3rd figure of the Mabou set. Here they are performing in the Mabou Community Hall. View item
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Inverness Set - 2nd and 3rd figures

Great example of square dancing at a house party, an authentic setting. It's common for squares to be done at house parties. Lots of well-known locals in the video. The musicians are Howie… View item
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Cape Breton - Iona-Washabuck set

Cape Breton square dance: Three figures of the Iona-Washabuck set, recorded at Boisdale, Nova Scotia. The Iona set is the same as the Washabuck set (hence the conjoined name), and is closely related… View item
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Cape Breton - Inverness Set

Cape Breton square dance: this is the Inverness set, recorded in Brook Village, Nova Scotia. The video contains three figures.Viewers wanting to see the figures in more detail can look at these three… View item
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Down East Squares - 1950s, #2

Live recording made by Dudley Laufman (1955-57) at Orange Hall, Brookline, Massachusetts. Released on cassette tape as "Traditional and Ethnic Square Dance Music of New England —… View item
Sound

Down East Squares - 1950s, #1

Live recording made by Dudley Laufman (1955-57) at Orange Hall, Brookline, Massachusetts. Released on cassette tape as "Traditional and Ethnic Square Dance Music of New England —… View item
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Newfoundland square dance - an introduction

Woody Wilson offers some introductory comments about square dancing, Newfoundland style. The occasion was a dance party at Dan's Hall, a beloved local venue, showcasing many styles of dance and… View item
Website

Rufus Guinchard: The life and music of Newfoundland's late legendary fiddle player

This is a 30-minute film made in 1990 that celebrates the life and music of Newfoundland fiddler Rufus Guinchard. The film is available online, and is well worth watching. Like Medicine Fiddle, the… View item
Website

Fogo Island, Newfoundland - A Wedding and a Party

A Roman Catholic wedding (1967) in the church in Joe Batt's Arm South on Fogo Island, Newfoundland; then a party afterward with music and dancing in Joe Batt's Arm North. There appears to… View item
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Runnin' the Goat - Newfoundland

Harbour Deep was a Newfoundland logging and fishing community that no longer exists; when the cod fishery collapsed, the town disappeared, with the last residents leaving in 2002. This documentary… View item
Website

Prince Edward Island - quadrilles

Bowing Down Home is a detailed website devoted to the fiddle traditions of Prince Edward Island. The site includes videos, photographs, music files, and interviews (both as audio files and as… View item
Document

Cape Breton Caller Interviews

Jørn Borggreen is author ofRight to the Helm, a detailed study of Cape Breton square sets as observed in 14 communities. The book, now in its 4th edition, provides documentation of the figures for… View item