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

Browse Items (349 total)

  • Collection: Northern squares
Document

Adirondack Square Dancing

The author describes her experiences traditional square dancing in the Adirondacks from 1918 to 1965, when she began modern squares. This story appeared in the final edition of Ralph Page's Northern… View item
Still Image

Al Brundage and Pete Seeger

Today, it's easy to think of Al Brundage and Pete Seeger as inhabiting two different world, Brundage the popular caller of modern square dances and Seeger the singer and banjo player associated with… View item
Document

Al Brundage recollections

Al Brundage wrote these recollections of his experiences growing up in Connecticut and the growth of square dancing. His story includes discovering square dance as a boy, followed by the whole… View item
Sound

Alamo Square (clip) - Ted Sannella

This clip is part of a series of eight square dances called by Ted Sannella at the Chesapeake Spring Dance Weekend, sponsored by the Folklore Society of Greater Washington. (Ted called another four or… View item
Document

Alex Boustead – biographical info

Alex Boustead was also one of the founding members of the Canadian Olde Tyme Square Dance Callers Association. He was introduced to squares in the winter of 1931-32, and in a short time he started… View item
Sound

Annie Lurie (clip) - David Park Williams

The dance figure here is the familiar Head Two Men Cross Over, changing to the name tune, and a different meter,for the promenade and break. From the CD set "Mostly Quadrilles,"… View item
Sound

Arch of Six (clip) - Ted Sannella

This clip is part of a series of eight square dances called by Ted Sannella at the Chesapeake Spring Dance Weekend, sponsored by the Folklore Society of Greater Washington. (Ted called another four or… View item
Sound

Around the Outside - Ed Durlacher

Honor Your Partner was a series of rhythmic activities and dance albums, more than 20 in all, released by Ed Durlacher starting in 1949 and extending into the 1950s. This dance is from Album 1, the… View item
Moving Image

Auctioneer - Ralph Sweet

This is the opening of Ralph Sweet calling his version of Marshall Flippo's classic singing square, Auctioneer. Ralph is calling a basic goal post pattern; compare other versions of the dance and read… View item
Moving Image

Back to Donegal - Bob Dalsemer

Bob Dalsemer calls this singing square, with music provided by Notorious (Eden MacAdam Somer on fiddle, Larry Unger on guitar). Recorded January 18, 2013, at the Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend,… View item
Document

Balance and Swing

This account from the early 1950s describes the Vermont Country Dance Festival, an annual event that drew some 6,000 participants. Daytime events focused on school groups, with adults-- 800 coiuples… View item
Moving Image

Best Things in Life Are Free - Jerry Helt

From the "Jerry Helt's Dance Party" video (KDF-003). This is a video and audio cassette for non-dancers, people of all ages, square dancers, school groups, square dance callers, and collectors,… View item