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

Browse Items (500 total)

  • Collection: MWSD
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
Document

The Caller - Jonesy

A list of qualifications and items to consider for would-be square dance callers View item
Document

The Calling Computer

In the late 1980s, Don Beck programmed his Macintosh computer to be able to call modern square dances, automatically selecting calls according to a programmed set of rules. Beck had been associated… View item
Moving Image

The Great American Folk Dance

The caller featured in many sequences is Bob Van Antwerp. This film was produced by KBYU, Provo, Utah, produced in cooperation with the Associated Square Dance Clubs of Utah. The original film had… View item
Sound

The More I See You - Betsy Gotta

Betsy Gotta calling a patter call. View item
Document

The Value of Square Dancing - Ralph Maxhimer

In this essay, Ralph Maxhimer explains why he sees square dancing as a vital social/recreational activity. He was a founding member, along with his wife, Eve, of the National Square Dance Convention… View item
Moving Image

This Land Is Your Land - Jim Mayo

Jim Mayo calls this dance at the Dare To Be Square weekend held November 18-20, 2011, at the John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC. Musicians are Steve Hickman, fiddle; Jim Morrison, guitar;… View item
Document

Timing - a vital issue

This is a collection of six articles on the subject of timing, specifically the timing of the caller in delivering a series of figures for modern square dancers. The topic was a contentious one among… View item
Sound

Tipperary - Earl Johnston, 1962

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Document

Today's Whirling Confuses Old-Time Square Dancers

This 1957 newspaper story from central Massachusetts describes a dance culture in transition, as traditional New England square dancing was meeting up with -- and in some cases being replaced by-- the… View item
Sound

Too Old To Cut the Mustard (clip) - Cal Golden

This is an excerpt; a complete recording can be found here. View item
Sound

Trail of the Lonesome Pine - Don & Marie Armstrong

Don and Marie Armstrong call Trail of the Lonesome Pine. Recorded live at the Downeast Western Square Dance Club in Kittery, Maine.A clip of Don's commercial recording of this dance can be found here,… View item