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

Browse Items (74 total)

  • Subject is exactly "Southern / Appalachian / Big sets"
Document

D. B. Hendrix correspondence

A Selection from the Papers of David B. Hendrix, Smoky Mountain Square Dance Callerby Bob DalsemerIn 1999 the John C. Campbell Folk School received a donation of several boxes of papers from the… View item
Document

"The Square Dance" - David Hendrix, 1951

East Tennessee caller D. B., Hendrix provides a general introduction to square dancing. He writes, "Square dancing is easy to learn. Anyone who can march or keep time to music can learn it. in… View item
Document

Smoky Mountain Square Dance Collection

In his later years, Tennessee caller David Hendrix was working on an expanded version of his Smoky Mountain Square Dances, complete with diagrams and professional photographs. After his death, his… View item
Document

Smoky Mountain Square Dances

NOTE: This is a large file and might take a while to load.To read the actual booklet, choose the DOWNLOAD link or select the source file located by scrolling to Additional Files.This collection,… View item
Moving Image

Square dance at the Tractor Tavern - Seattle

The Tallboys host a bi-monthly square dance at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood that is wildly popular with the under-30 crowd. Also featured is caller Charmaine Slaven. This… View item
Moving Image

Georgia Rang Tang description - Bob Dalsemer

The figure of alternating hand turns is known in the west as a Docey-Do and in some Southern communities as Do-Si-Do (Kentucky) or Georgia Rang Tang (North Carolina). Bob explains that in New Creek,… View item
Moving Image

Georgia Rang Tang, big set - Bob Dalsemer

This clip shows the dancers finishing up the figures with another couple, and then being called back into the big circle for the grand right and left for everyone. The musicians are Sandy Bradley,… View item
Moving Image

Georgia Rang Tang close-up - Bob Dalsemer

This very short high-definition video clip conveys the smooth feeling of the Georgia Rang Tang figure.Recorded at Dare To Be Square, Seattle, in 2009. For a more complete view of dances from the… View item
Moving Image

Big Set - Bob Dalsemer

Recorded at Dare To Be Square, Seattle, in 2009. For a more complete view of dances from the weekend, see the audio and video files posted here. View item
Moving Image

Bob Dalsemer - demonstration of smooth transitions

Bob Dalsemer demonstrates how New Creek dancers move smoothly from swinging the opposite to a partner swing, and then out to join in one big circle. Recorded at Dare To Be Square, Seattle, in 2009.… View item
Sound

Bob Dalsemer - West Virginia dances

This is audio only; it's part of Bob Dalsemer's introduction to his workshop introducing different dance styles from West Virginia. Despite its small size, there are different square dance styles in… View item
Moving Image

Elizabeth Burchenal 2 - big set in field

Brief shot of Elizabeth Burchenal herself at the start; shots of musicians (guitar, 2 banjos, fiddle) at 2:51 Figures include: Opposite turn by right hand; partner turn by left hand; swing… View item