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

Browse Items (189 total)

  • Collection: Southern Appalachian
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Kentucky Running Set - demonstration

This short piece gives an idea of the speed of the so-called "running set." Two couples illustrate the southern Appalachian dosido, a series of four hand turns-- partner left, opposite… View item
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Kentucky Running Set

Stew Shacklette provides a brief introduction, followed by instruction in several components of the dance (1:03), and concluding with all the figures danced (3:10). Excerpted from "The Kentucky… View item
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From Our House to the White House

From Our House to the White HouseThis half-hour documentary tells the story of Sam Queen and the Soco Gap Dancers from the Maggie Valley area of North Carolina. They are widely credited with… View item
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Bill Martin - Oregon Public Broadcast TV

Note: Oregon Art Beat no longer streams this recording, but the video will play on our site.Broadcast in 2003, this public television documentary profiles caller Bill Martin and the old-time southern… View item
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Not Your Grandparents Square Dance

Old-time music and square dancing in Portland, Oregon. Interviews with Bill Martin and Michael Ismerio, and footage from the Old Time Music Gathering, reveal the intimate links between the old-time… View item
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Barn Dance - Wisconsin

This is video from an Old-time Barn Dance held in the O'Brien Farms beautifully refurbished barn in Brooklyn, WI. Music provided by the Ambrosia Dance Band (Chuck Hornemann, Paul Kienitz, Peter… View item
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Lake of the Ozarks Square Dancers - 1953

The Lake of the Ozarks Square Dancers were based in Tuscumbia, Missouri.The group toured around the Midwest and eventually reached national fame after appearances with caller L. D. Keller on the Ted… View item
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Square dancing, Berea, KY - c. 1950 style

The footage was taken and posted by John Ramsay, who writes: "The Jackson family in Berea, Kentucky got a group together to demonstrate the type of square dancing which was danced by local citizens… View item
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Set Running - Berea Country Dancers

In a voiceover at the start of the clip, the group's director, John Ramsay, speaks about the history of the dance and share some of his philosophy about dance bringing people together.Other "set… View item
Website

Set Running - Cecil Sharp in America

The name "running set" comes to us from the work of the great English song collector Cecil Sharp, founder of the English Folk Dance Society and, in 1915, what became Country Dance and Song Society.… View item
Website

"Barn Dances with Calls"

Article published in The Old-Time Herald (Volume 7, Number 8) discussing what can be learned from a careful study of old dance records. Includes a discography. View item
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Hires Throws a Square Dance

16-page booklet distributed by Hires Root Beer in 1950 as part of the square dance craze of that time. The booklet calls Sanderson "the most famous man in square dancing" and cites numerous… View item