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

Browse Items (1929 total)

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Phil Jamison 2: African influences, and African-American callers

Phil Jamison discusses his research into the origins of American square dance in the south, and describes the key role that African-American musicians played . There are the well-known musical… View item
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Phil Jamison 3 - The caller's role in Southern squares

The square dance caller in Southern dance traditions plays a somewhat different role than his Northern counterpart. Phil looks at the way a Southern caller improvises and uses basic figures in… View item
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Phil Jamison 4 - Cecil Sharp and the "running set"

Phil discusses the origins of the term "running set," going back to when the English folklorist and collector Cecil Sharp first encountered southern Appalachian dancing.For a demonstration of the… View item
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Pigtails and Ribbons - Bob Dalsemer

Bob Dalsemer calls (and plays accordion) on this singing square, which he learned from callers Otto Wood and Donald Davis, at the John C. Campbell Folk School. Otto's source was probably a… View item
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Pioneer Dance Calls - Nebraska 1

This is the first in a series of three booklets of square dance calls collected in Nebraska in the late 1930s. (The larger series looks at Nebraska Folklore.) Each volume presents background… View item
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Pioneer Promenaders - Denver University

These newspaper clippings and photographs document the Denver University Pioneer Promenaders Square Dance Club as they travel to Washington, DC, for the 1940 National Folk Festival and a separate trip… View item
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Pistol Packin' Mama, with jitterbug - Bob Livingston

Bob Livingston, caller, with the Falltown String Band: Jack Arensmeyer, acoustic guitar and mandolin; Jason Burbank, keyboard, fiddle; Jack Nelson, bass; Champ Dickinson, electric guitar, and Linwood… View item
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Piute Pete - albums

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Piute Pete - dance directions (album insert)

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Piute Pete - photo and card

See also the postcard featuring Piute Pete. View item
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Piute Pete - Village Barn

Piute Pete called squares regularly at the Village Barn in New York City. This newspaper columnist took a less-than-enthusiastic view of the proceedings. The SDHP collection has numerous items… View item
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Piute Pete – Square Dance Party Book

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