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

Browse Items (499 total)

  • Collection: MWSD
Website

Square Dance Callers’ Association of Northern California

This website offers a brief history of the SDCANC, including a list of past presidents, a selection of older photographs, and information about the founding of the group in 1949. View item
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Square Dance camp brochures

Lloyd Shaw's summer school in Colorado Springs started in 1941, then resumed in the years after World War II. This item includes a small collection of brochures illustrating various dance camps… View item
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Square Dance Camps - 1951

As the wave of square dancing took off in the post World War II era, callers and organizers responded with a number of weekend and weeklong camps to cater to the growing interest. This editorial from… View item
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Square Dance Camps - 1957

This is a listing of square dance camps in 1957. Interested viewers can compare it with the Sets in Ordereditorial from 1951. View item
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Square Dance Certificate

This "diploma" was awarded to graduates of a series of introductory modern square dance lessons. In the 1950s, square dancing still played on its country roots, witness the language used in… View item
Document

Square Dance Clubs, Texas Style

This is a detailed description of the organizational plan of the Sally Goodin square dance club of Houston, Texas, which followed a common Texas model at the time: "Most of the square dancing… View item
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Square Dance costumes

This collection of two photos of clothing worn by modern western square dancers is from Bob Osgood's collection. Osgood was the influential publisher of Sets in Order magazine. Most photos illustrate… View item
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Square dance demonstration - Calgary Olympics, 1988

Hundreds of modern western square dancers perform as part of the opening ceremony for the 1988 Olympics, held in Calgary, Alberta. The dance features the "Kaleidoscope Square" created by Gloria Rios… View item
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Square Dance equipment

This collection of photographs illustrates some of the electronic equipment used by square dance callers-- speakers, speaker stands, record players, tape decks, microphones with different… View item
Website

Square Dance Hall of Fame

This website, created by the Square Dance History Project, honors the 34 nominees to the Sets in Order American Square Dance Society Hall of Fame. Dorothy Shaw was the first person named, in January… View item
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Square Dance in Japan - organization

This piece by Masaru Wada, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Japan Square Dancers Association, presents an overview of modern square dance in that country. View item
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Square Dance in Our Schools

Writing in 1952, the author notes that a recent survey shows that square dance is a widely accepted part of school programs. "These certainly are striking figures. But they are not surprising in… View item