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

Browse Items (1930 total)

Document

Square Dance Camps - 1951

As the wave of square dancing took off in the post World War II era, callers and organizers responded with a number of weekend and weeklong camps to cater to the growing interest. This editorial from… View item
Website

Sets in Order yearbooks

Bob Osgood published in 1954 a Five Year Book that printed every dance that had been published in Sets in Order in the first five years. In 1956 he issued the first Yearbook that included everything… View item
Document

Fenton "Jonesy" Jones - Sets in Order, February 1961

Cover drawing and appreciation of the caller View item
Sound

Bob Osgood

This is a short clip from a tip called by Bob Osgood at the 1954 National Square Dance Convention in Dallas, Texas. The choreography is a 3 Ladies Chain routine. View item
Still Image

Pardners - Jerry Lewis square dance

The 1956 film Pardners, starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, originally had a square dance sequence with Jerry Lewis as the caller, testimony to the role that square dancing had in American popular… View item
Moving Image

Bob Osgood - square dance television program

Bob Osgood, publisher of Sets in Order, was an enthusiastic promoter of square dance and a follower of Lloyd Shaw. Here is an early broadcast that illustrates Osgood's attempts to reach a home viewing… View item
Moving Image

Bob Osgood - The World Dances

Excerpt from 1954 film. At 1:08, dancers start the Texas Whirl, with women making a circle underneath the men starring. At 2:24, Osgood calls an extended Rip and Snort to finish up the dance. Bob… View item
Moving Image

Asilomar 1973 - Frank Lane

Three films from Bob Osgood's collection showing dancers at the 1973 gathering at Asilomar, California.The first film shows dancers practicing allemande thar, followed by a round dance sequence (Left… View item
Website

Square Dancing - Bob Osgood film, 1951

Film made by Bob Osgood / Sets in Order in 1951 to popularize square dancing.A discussion among square dance enthusiasts on the history of the film can be found here. As that discussion reveals, a… View item
Sound

Grand Square - Bob Osgood

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Document

Bob McClary - Girl I Left Behind Me - Texas, 1942

The calls below come from "Play and Dance," A Collection of Songs and Tunes from the Library of Congress Archive of Folk Song. Recorded in 1942 by John A. Lomax. Liner notes and transcription created… View item
Moving Image

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