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

Don Messer - souvenir booklet

The Don Messer Jubilee Show toured extensively, bring Down East music, song, and dance to audiences throughout the US and Canada. Messer was well known thanks to his weekly television show broadcast… View item
Moving Image

The Route - Bob Dalsemer

Recorded at Dare To Be Square, Seattle, 2009 View item
Moving Image

Newfoundland square dance - first figure

This is the first figure of a square dance set from the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland. Woody Wilson is the caller; the fiddler is Jim Sadlish and the guitar player is Kevin Gardner, with… View item
Moving Image

Newfoundland square dance - second figure

This is the second figure of a square dance set from the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland. Woody Wilson is the caller; the fiddler is Jim Sadlish and the guitar player is Kevin Gardner, with… View item
Sound

Crooked Stovepipe - Dudley Laufman -

Live recording, Bernardston, Massachusetts, with Dudley Laufman calling. He introduces this by noting, "First dance I ever called, when I was a kid." Music by the Fall Town String Band: Ed Phelps and… View item
Sound

Girl I Left Behind Me (clip) - Dudley Laufman

Live recording, Bernardston, Massachusetts, with Dudley Laufman calling. This was the third dance of the evening. At the end of Soldier's Joy, a contra, Dudley had groups of two couples circle left… View item
Moving Image

Grandfather's Clock / Chains Across - Dudley Laufman

Dudley Laufman calls as part of the "Square Dance" Retrospective session at the annual Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend in Durham, NH. The basic figure is shown below, but you'll see the dancers… View item
Moving Image

There Is a Tavern in the Town / Three Ladies Chain - Dudley Laufman

To the tune of "There Is a Tavern in the Town," Dudley Laufman calls as part of the "Square Dance" Retrospective session at the annual Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend in Durham, NH. The musicians are… View item
Sound

Prisoner's Song - Dudley Laufman

Dudley Laufman says he never heard this dance called by anyone other than Linn Cady, and it was always done to the tune of "If I Had the Wings of an Angel." Dudley Laufman calls a program… View item
Sound

The Slow One - Dudley Laufman

Dance as called by Lin Cady, though Dudley said he's at a loss as to the title since it was always done at the same speed as every other square. He identifies the tune as Solomon Levi, though the… View item
Sound

Doo Dar - Dudley Laufman

The dance is a singing square set to Camptown Races. This audio file begins with an introduction about Linn Cady, and then additional comments from Dudley Laufman, who was the Farm & Wilderness… View item
Moving Image

Dudley Laufman - Monadnock Muddle

This dance comes from the repertoire on the great New England caller, Ralph Page, and is called here by Dudley Laufman in the "Retrospective" session at the Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend, January… View item