Browse Items (111 total)
- Subject is exactly "Traditional Western (pre-1940)"
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Cowboy Medley Square - Silver Spurs
Caller Red Henderson, who founded the Silver Spurs youth dance troupe, here calls a "cowboy square dance," mixing together figures based on traditional western square dances. The film dates… View itemMoving Image
The Dancing "Silver Spurs" - 1951
This is an excerpt from a half-hour film, made in 1951 by Standard Oil, about the Silver Spurs, a performing dance group from Spokane, WA. The group was founded in 1947 by E. S. "Red"… View itemDocument
Ladies to the Center
This short article by Texas dance historian Olcutt Sanders looks at the role played by women in that state's dance history. Sanders notes the early absence of women: "A scarcity of woman… View itemDocument
Herb Greggerson bio
This profile of El Paso caller Herb Greggerson was written in 1946. It mentions Greggerson's Blue Bonnet Set heading off on their first US tour in 1939; this was after the team triumphed over Bob… View itemDocument
Round Dances
Olcutt Sanders was a Texas dance historian. He writes, "The round dances that are included quite generally on square dance programs these days originated in Europe in the late Eighteenth and… View itemMoving Image
Black Hawk Waltz
Black Hawk Waltz is a classic round (or couple) dance. The tune was composed by Mary Walsh in 1877. Here is a link to an illustration of the sheet music cover; you may also view instructions on the… View itemDocument
Rural Leaders' Guide for Square and Group Dances, 1951
From the forward: "This circular is designed to assist rural leaders in teaching square and group dancing and in conducting organized recreational dancing activities." After several pages of… View itemDocument
"The Good Ole Days" - Olcutt Sanders, 1949
Dance historian Olcutt Sanders asks, "As you unwound yourself from the mazes of the latest square dance concoction introduced at your club meeting, did your ever wonder how people ever got along… View itemDocument
Cowboy Square Dances of West Texas
This booklet provides an introduction to West Texas square dances. After a detailed glossary, complete with diagrams, the author provides a sample of dances as they might be called. The patter is… View itemDocument
Early Dance Houses
This piece about Texas dance halls is a companion to the author's article on Texas dance history. View itemDocument
Early Texas Dances
This article was written by Olcutt Sanders, a dance caller and historian who was among the founders of Foot 'n' Fiddle magazine, an early square dance magazine in Texas. View itemDocument
Texas Square Dance - Family Tree
The author attempts to trace the various antecedents leading up to Texas square dancing in the 1940s. After the obligatory look at British sources, he notes: "The recent history of the square… View item
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