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
Moving Image

Star Thru & Square Thru - Jim Mayo - MWSD 2a

After an introductory dance using figures that dancers already knew, in this sequence of three clips (2a-2c) Jim Mayo introduces Star Thru and Square Thru. In this clip he teaches the basic figures;… View item
Moving Image

Starline

This dance, an Ed Gilmore composition published in Sets in Order Year Book No. 3, was part of a workshop of "Jigsaw & Origami Squares" led by Tony Parkes at the annual Star Hampshire Weekend of… View item
Still Image

Stepney Barn

The Stepney Barn was constructed by Al Brundage. (Stepney is a district in the town of Monroe, CT.) You can read more about Brundage and the barn on this site. In Brundage's comments below, note that… View item
Still Image

Summer Institute, Asilomar, 1957

InAs I See It, Bob Osgood devotes an entire chapter to Asilomar, a series of summer square dance institutes sponsored bySets in Order magazine. Asilomar was a conference facility that Osgood had… View item
Sound

Sunny - John Hendron

This is a short clip from a singing call by John Hendron at a dance in New England in 1984 View item
Moving Image

Sweet Home Alabama - Ted Lizotte - Tech Squares

Caller, Ted Lizotte. Recorded March 5, 2011, at a Tech Squares weekend, East Hill Farm, Troy, NH. Ted Lizotte is the club caller for Tech Squares, the MWSD club on the campus of Massachusetts… View item
Sound

Swing All Eight (clip) - Pancho Baird

This link will provide a list of other Pancho Baird recordings on this website. SWING ALL EIGHT Originated and Presented by "Pancho" Baird Santa Fe, New Mexico Recorded on Western Jubilee (calls… View item
Website

TAMinations - animated MWSD diagrams

This website offers animated diagrams illustrating all the calls in the various CALLERLAB programs from Mainstream through C-3A. If you're a traditional or MWSD dancer encountering an unfamiliar term,… View item
Moving Image

Tech Squares

This half-hour video looks closely at the Tech Squares modern square club at MIT. Under the leadershp of caller Ted Lizotte and with the assistance of a large group of dedicated assistants and dance… View item
Moving Image

Tech Squares - I Will Survive, called by Don Beck

Don Beck Calling the last tip of the Tech Squares (MIT Square Dance Club) class graduation, December 1997 View item
Sound

Texas Whirlwind (clip) - Rickey Holden

Starting with a simply RH star in the center, Holden ups the complexity with a series of Catch All Eight calls around outside of the circle. === TEXAS WHIRLWIND (Folkraft 1073A) – Rickey… View item
Document

The Beginnings of Modern Square Dancing - Jim Mayo

Article by Jim Mayo looking at the transition from traditional to modern square dancing, a short version of the ideas presented at length in his book. View item