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

Browse Items (1938 total)

Sound

The Square Waltz (clip) - Carson Robison

music by the Pleasant Valley Boys View item
Sound

Yucaipa Roll Away - Carroll White

The dance was created by Ed Gilmore, who ran a hardware store in Yucaipa, CA, when he started his calling career. The dance was published in 1950 in Square Dancing: The Newer and Advanced Dances, by… View item
Sound

Allemande Hash - Carroll White

Another dance from "A Night at Sunny Hills," a series of records "for experienced square dancers," released in 1951. As the name suggests, the Allemande Hash contains variations on allemandes,… View item
Still Image

A Night at Sunny Hills

Album cover, inside text, and a related record label. This recording, from 1951, illustrates what was considered appropriate material for experienced square dancers at that time in southern… View item
Sound

Push Pa, Shove Ma (clip) - Caroline Oakley

Caroline Oakley, Portland, Oregon, learned to call from her mentor, Bill Martin. Here she is as a beginning caller in a piece by Oregon Public Broadcasting. In this audio clip, she's leading the… View item
Sound

The Old Square Dance Is Back Again - Carolina Cotton

For this 1949 recording,on the Mastertone label, Carolina Cotton (aka the Yodeling Blonde Bombshell) was joined by Fenton "Jonesy" Jones. The release was timely, as the late 1940s saw the dramatic… View item
Moving Image

"America" called by Mike Sikorsky

Filmed at WASCA 2010 in Alexandria, Virginia in March 2010, Mike Sikorsky calls the singing call "America" View item
Moving Image

Lancers Quadrille (in costume)

This performance of the mid-19th century Lancers was produced by Dance Through Time, and is used with permission. The dances are reconstructed and presented under the expert direction of Carol Téten,… View item
Moving Image

Lancers Quadrille (instruction)

2022 update: If the video doesn't play here, you'll have to click on the YouTube icon in the lower right-hand corner of the image, or else click on this link.This instructional video was produced by… View item
Still Image

Central City - more photographs

Janie Chandler writes: "My mother, Carol Case, formerly Carol Chandler, originally Carol Angevine, was a Colorado square dancer from way back.The video I watched (from 1955) was a year before my… View item
Sound

Sally Goodin (clip) - Carl Myles

One wonders where the caller picked up his pronunciation of the title in this dance. Everywhere else we hear Sally GOOD-in, but here it's Sally Good-EEN. He is credited as the square dance caller in… View item