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

Browse Items (503 total)

  • Collection: MWSD
Sound

Puttin' on the Style (clip) - Al Brundage

This is an excerpt (opener and first figure) from Al Brundage's recording of the dance on the Windsor label. View item
Still Image

Radio spots music

This is a record with music of the right length for producing radio spots. See the related item for three examples. View item
Moving Image

Ragtime Lonesome Me - Ted Lizotte and Paul Cote

These two modern square dance callers enjoy working together, billed as "The Duo." This video presents a collection of some of their singing square dance duets, recorded at a weekend at East Hill Farm… View item
Document

Ralph Piper - Teaching the Waltz

This is a handout by caller Ralph Piper for use at a class during the American Squares week at Camp Ihduhapi, MN, in 1953. He provides a brief description of different styles of waltz, a short history… View item
Website

Ralph Sweet's Personal Square Dance History

This is a 2005 presentation by Ralph Sweet to NECCA (New England Council of Callers Associations), a group of MWSD callers. Reviewing his own interest in this activity provided Ralph with an… View item
Still Image

Raymond Smith - photo

View item
Moving Image

Reach for the Stars - British callers

This singing call was made for promotional purposes by the British Association of American Square Dancing Clubs (BAASDC) in 2001. It features seven top British callers calling to two squares. The… View item
Sound

Red Bates 1961, Patter

By the time of our first clip from a 1961 dance at the Newton Pavilion in Newton, NH, Bates was a busy caller working dances throughout New England. The choreography is very representative of MWSD at… View item
Sound

Red Bates 1968 Patter

The next clips we have are from another dance at Newton Pavilion seven years later. By then the calls Swing Thru and Spin the Top had been added to the call vocabulary and Red makes use of both in… View item
Sound

Red Bates, 1982 Pecos Promenade

The singing call, Pecos Promenade, was recorded by Beryl Main on Chaparral label #406. At 120 beats per minute (bpm) it is the first indication in this collection of a trend toward slower tempo that… View item
Sound

Red Bates, 1973 Patter

Our 1973 clip is from a dance at the Longmeadow, MA, square dance club a short distance from where Red lived at that time. He starts with a Scoot Back and Circulate combination and in the second half… View item
Sound

Red Bates, 1982 Patter

The examples we have for the 1980’s also were recorded at the Longmeadow club and this was the opening patter call for a dance on February 16, 1982. The choreography is very different from his earlier… View item