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

Browse Items (1940 total)

Still Image

National Square Dance Convention attendance

The National Square Dance Convention has been held annually since 1952, with the exception of 2020 (the Covid year). Attendance rose steadily over the early years as club square dancing became… View item
Document

National Square Dance Convention - 1959 Who's Who

This excerpt from the program of the 1959 National Square Dance Convention lists the better-known presenters at the event. As such, it's a useful snapshot of who was respected enough at that time… View item
Still Image

Bill Castner - Fiesta de la Cuadrilla

Flyer from the Fiesta de la Cuadrilla featuring California caller Bill Castner View item
Website

Square Dance collection at University of Denver

The archives at the University of Denver (DU) hold a vast collection of square dance material. DU is the repository for two vast archives, those of the Lloyd Shaw Foundation and the personal… View item
Still Image

Frank Messina

Frank Messina and the Mavericks recorded hundreds of titles for the Mac Gregor label, providing music for Fenton "Jonesy" Jones, Bob Van Antwerp, Arnie Kronenberger, Jerry Helt, and more. View item
Still Image

Ed Durlacher - World's Fair, 1940

The description on this publiicity photo from the 1940 New York World's Fair reads: FAIR STAGES WORLD'S BIGGEST BARN DANCE More than 700 square dancers, hill billy bands and square… View item
Sound

Keeler Calling - audio

These six files are the recordings contained in Keeler Calling, the 1950 release by New York caller Elisha Keeler.The album's first three disks contained the six dances, one on each side; the final… View item
Document

Friday Night Supper Dances - Windham, VT

This is an account of social dances in a small southern Vermont town, held from 1926 until about 1940. The first two pages of the PDF show the article as it appeared, followed by a clean copy of the… View item