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
Sound

Star the Ring (clip) - Ralph Page

Recorded by the Ralph Page Trio, to the tune of Girl I Left Behind Me (Disc 364) View item
Sound

Pony Boy (clip) - Floyd Woodhull

Another recording of Pony Boy (full length) View item
Sound

Trail of the Lonesome Pine (clip) - Don Armstrong

Armstrong took the figures from Ralph Page's "Gents and Corners" dance and set them to a popular tune, creating a well-known singing square. We've also included here a clip of Ted Sannella prompting… View item
Sound

Cut Away 6, 4, 2 (clip) - Fred Townsend

Canadian caller, born 1900, who was the caller for Don Messer's bands on its many cross-country trips. A three-LP boxed set of his dance calls (Let's Square Dance) was released (Doncaster DS-3-102).… View item
Document

Piute Pete - Village Barn

Piute Pete called squares regularly at the Village Barn in New York City. This newspaper columnist took a less-than-enthusiastic view of the proceedings. The SDHP collection has numerous items… 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
Sound

Standard Club Quadrille (clip) - Benjamin Lovett

Benjamin Lovett, a New England dancing master, was hired by Henry Ford and relocated from Massachusetts to Michigan. He recorded numerous albums with the Henry Ford Orchestra, as well as authoring… View item
Sound

Buffalo Gals (clip) - Piute Pete

Resident caller the Village Barn in New York City View item
Sound

Silver Bell (clip) - Paul Hunt

music by the Rock Candy Mountaineers View item
Sound

Northern Lights (clip) - Floyd Parker

You can find a written description of the dance and a video of the dance called by Bill Litchman. The tune is Blackberry Quadrille. View item