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

Browse Items (1939 total)

Document

'Sophisticated' City Folks Are Getting Rural Rhythm

Newspaper story (1946) datelined New York that describes the post-WWII enthusiasm about square dancing: ---lt's hep these days to be a square—a square dancer, that is. Folks from 7 to 70 are… View item
Sound

Lady Round Two, Gent Cut Through (clip) - Arkie Woodchopper

Arkansas "Arkie" Woodchopper was the stage name and persona adopted by Luther Ossenbrink. He was a star of the WLS National Barn Dance show, and he recorded more than three dozen sides between 1929… View item
Still Image

"So They Gave Up Football"

This full-page article and layout of photographs was created by the Associated Press, drawing attention to Lloyd Shaw and the Cheyenne Mountain Dancers. The top right photo shows the bus in which the… View item
Document

At the Keith Ranch (1893)

SeeAdditional Filesfor the full story.This short story, published in 1893, focuses on events at a square dance at a Colorado ranch. Although the plot itself is melodramatic, the author includes… View item
Still Image

The Singing Caller

This book went through three editions from 1944 to 1951, testimony to the popularity of singing square dance calls in that period. The Table of Contents shows many familiar dances; others are set to… View item
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Deborah Carroll-Jones Calling for Canyon Lake Twirlers

This video starts with an interview with the club president and then, at 1:17 continues with an interview with Deborah Carroll-Jones. At 2:30 Deborah begins a description of the singing call she is… View item
Moving Image

Hot Hash called by Mike Sikorsky

Mike Sikorsky calling Hot Hash at the Plus level at RIVCO in Indio, Calif. on November 12, 2011. This video also includes an interview with Mike Sikorsky, conducted and filmed by Andy Abeles. View item
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Marshall Flippo interview

Marshall Flippo is one of the most popular and durable of MWSD callers. This is a recent interview with him done at the Riverside County Square Dance Festival in November of 2011. View item
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High Country Dancers

California State Square Dance Convention in San Diego at Balboa Park April 8-10 2011. This clip is of the High Country (Colorado) Dancers, a square dance exhibition team and The Heritage Dancers… View item
Document

Hipsters and Traditional/Old-Time Square Dance

The author looks at the rising popularity of square dance among young hipsters and sees in it, and its Appalachian roots, a desire for a homeplace:"For one such group, the ill-defined, often contested… View item
Sound

Big circle dance - Manny Wiener & American Square Dance Group

Caller Manny Wiener leads a big circle dance—here introduced as a Kentucky running set—with members of Margot Mayo's American Square Dance Group. This is a portion of a half hour radio… View item
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Call & Answer - Amanda Lovelee

Minneapolis based artist, Amanda Lovelee believes finding, preserving and constructing a space for physical connection is an urgent issue. As a society that faces the collapse of communities how do we… View item