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

Browse Items (1926 total)

Document

The Birth of the Cotillion and the Quadrille, French Contredanses

This is a translation of Simonne Voyer's article, "La naissance du cotillon et du quadrille, contredanses françaises."The translation is by Susan Kevra, Senior Lecturer in French and American… View item
Website

John Roach Square Dance History - Minnesota

This website, curated by Lon Roach of Glencoe, Minnesota, documents the career of his parents, John (Jack) and Mabel Roach. Jack was a square dance caller from 1949 to 1974; his career spanned the… View item
Document

Patter Calling - origins

Patter calling is a style of square dance calling in which the caller speaks the words or chants them on a musical pitch, hopefully in harmony with the tune. The classic form of patter is rhyming… View item
Moving Image

Milagro Square called by Larry Edelman

Larry Edelman calls his version of Herb Greggerson's Milagro Square (sometimes known as Take Three Swings) at the Dare To Be Square weekend held November 18-20, 2011, at the John C. Campbell Folk… View item
Moving Image

Double Birdie called by Larry Edelman

Larry Edelman calls a variation of Birdie in the Cage and Seven Hands Around at the Dare To Be Square weekend held November 18-20, 2011, at the John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown,… View item
Moving Image

Silly Threesome called by Larry Edelman

Larry Edelman leads the walkthrough and calls the figures at the Dare To Be Square weekend held November 18-20, 2011, at the John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC. The trio mixer Silly… View item
Sound

Devils Dream (clip) - Ernest Legg & Kessinger Brothers

Ernest Legg (1904-1970) was from Charleston, WV (Kanawha County) Kessinger Brothers were fiddler Clark Kessinger (1896-1975) and his nephew, guitar player Luches Kessinger (1906-1944) "Devil’s… View item
Sound

Lazy H (clip) - Ed Gilmore

Recording of Ed Gilmore calling his composition, the Lazy H. You can also watch a video of that dance with Tony Parkes calling. View item
Moving Image

Lazy H - Tony Parkes

Tony Parkes is calling Ed Gilmore's classic dance, the Lazy H. As the dance progresses, Tony adds variations so that instead of couples doing a right and left through around a standing line of four,… View item
Moving Image

Two Little Right Hand Stars - Tony Parkes

This dance appeared in Ralph Page's Northern Junket in Volume 1, #2, p. 17. This clip includes Tony's walkthrough of the dance.The dance is attributed to Ralph Page. Tony is using Rod Linnell's… View item
Moving Image

Forward Five - Tony Parkes

The dance is based on one used by Ralph Page. Tony's shortened version goes as follows: A1 All go forward and back Go forward again, gent #1 bring two ladies home A2 At the heads, go… View item
Moving Image

Harlem Rosette Mixer called by Larry Edelman

Larry Edelman calls this scatter mixer at the Dare To Be Square weekend held November 18-20, 2011, at the John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC. He introduces the "Harlem Rosette" figure that… View item