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

Browse Items (1926 total)

Sound

Lady Go Halfway Round - Richard Kraus

Kraus says, "This is not a difficult square, but for a few moments the active boy has to keep his ears open, and do some fast stepping!" Let's Square Dance!, Album 3 View item
Sound

Swing Like Thunder - Richard Kraus

Kraus writes, "This lively square dance is especially popular with teen-agers." In his book, Square Dances of Today, he writes, "This one goes under a variety of names. Some call it the 'California… View item
Sound

Four Bachelor Boys - Richard Kraus

Let's Square Dance!, Album 5 View item
Sound

Ed Gilmore Teaching Dance Style

This is an audio recording of Ed Gilmore calling a morning workshop at the Minnesota State Convention in 1954. His subject is dancing style. At about 7 minutes he starts a teach of the figure for his… View item
Document

East Is East - Pat Pending

Pat Pending was the pen name under which Ed Moody contributed numerous poems to Ralph Page's magazine, Northern Junket. In this one, the poet looks at two distinct styles of dance calling and implores… View item
Sound

Smoke On The Water, introduced by Ed Gilmore

During a morning workshop at the 1954 Minnesota State Convention Ed Gilmore introduces a "new" singing call written by his friend Pancho Baird.Tony Parkes comments:===It may have been new, but Ed had… View item
Sound

Uptown – Downtown (Golden Slippers) - Ed Durlacher

Classic square dance figure, Uptown Downtown, done as a singing square to Golden Slippers by caller Ed Durlacher; music provided by The Top Hands, directed by Frank Novak. One of the Related Items is… View item
Still Image

Square Dances With Calls - Lee Bedford, Jr.

In 1949, Texas caller Lee Bedford released on Imperial Records a four-album set of recordings with music provided by The Big D Ranch Hands. The liner notes, written by Paul Erfer, start by noting,… View item
Sound

Cowboy Loop (clip) - Lee Bedford, jr.

This dance was called by Mildred Blakey at the big 1950 Santa Monica dance. View item