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

Browse Items (1938 total)

Moving Image

Square Dance History Pageant, 1976, part 3-Dorothy Shaw

Recorded at the 25th National Square Dance Convention, Anaheim, CA. This is the third part of the square dance history pageant, which was dedicated to Mrs. Shaw, the widow of Lloyd "Pappy"… View item
Still Image

Village Barn

Venue in New York City that hosted Piute Pete and played up its country image. See Card 14 on the postcard collection on this website. View item
Document

Western Square  (Ohio)

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Document

Whirlaway News  (Indiana)

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Still Image

10,000 Square Dancers Can't Be Wrong

1954 newspaper article and photographs about popularity of modern square dancing in St. Louis View item
Document

Catalogs

This collection of seven catalogs from the 1950s and early 1960s illustrates the range of materials offered to participants in the early square dance boom years, from recordings to clothing to badges… View item
Document

5 Steps to Better Dancing

The "5 Steps" of the title can be taken literally; this tiny handout, illustrated with stick figures, is all about how to move on the dance floor: 1. Keep both feet on the floor,… View item
Website

Traditional Square Dance Figures

One section of the Lloyd Shaw Foundation's website provides detailed instructions (and source information) for 20 figures from traditional Western and southern Appalachian squares:Arkansas… View item
Document

Soco Gap Dancers at the White House

This is the program for the evening entertainment provided for the visiting King and Queen of England at the White House, Thursday, June 8, 1939. Among the performers (see page 5) were the Soco Gap… View item

Square Dance Video collections

There are thousands of videos on sites such as YouTube that show modern square dancing. Several individuals have done their own collecting, presenting many videos on one location. Andy Abeles is based… View item
Document

Frank Lane - bio

Basic biographical information about Frank Lane, a short article on "directional calling" from Square Dance magazine that accompanied his cover photo, and the text of the presentation of the CALLERLAB… View item
Still Image

CALLERLAB founders

CALLERLAB, the International Association of Square Dance Callers, officially began in 1974, but discussions about the need for such an organization started some 15 years earlier. The organization has… View item