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

Browse Items (1924 total)

Document

Bill Litchman - Rocky Mountain Square Dancing

This overview of square dance history focuses on two major groups of square dance. One group (northern, Eastern, Maritime, etc.) relies on quadrille-style figures, with couples interacting across the… View item
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Bill Litchman 1 - Traditional Western Squares

Caller Bill Litchman discusses characteristic features of traditional western square dances, incorporating his memory of Colorado dances that he encountered starting in the 1950s.For a more detailed… View item
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Bill Litchman 2a - Lloyd Shaw, part 1

An interview with caller Bill Litchman about educator Lloyd "Pappy" Shaw and the important role he played in square dance. Many see Shaw as a defining figure in the transition from… View item
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Bill Litchman 2b - Lloyd Shaw, part 2

Bill Litchman continues his discussion about educator Lloyd "Pappy" Shaw and the important role he played in square dance. Here, he focuses on the impact that Shaw's Cheyenne Mountain… View item
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Bill Litchman 3 - Dorothy Shaw

Lloyd Shaw is the name that is widely recognized as an important figure in square dance history; here, caller Bill Litchman describes the crucial role played by Dorothy Shaw, his wife, and says that… View item
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Bill Martin - Oregon Public Broadcast TV

Note: Oregon Art Beat no longer streams this recording, but the video will play on our site.Broadcast in 2003, this public television documentary profiles caller Bill Martin and the old-time southern… View item
Document

Bill McAdoo - notes on the recordings

These are Bob Dalsemer's notes about the Bill McAdoo field recordings in the Related Item. In addition to transcriptions of McAdoo's calls, Dalsemer notes variations in the dances, describes… View item
Sound

Bill McAdoo – Independence, PA – 1979

These are recordings of caller Bill McAdoo at the Independence, PA dance in 1979. Bob Dalsemer writes, "Most are from 4/21/1979 and a few from 9/8/1979. I always thought Bill was one of the best of… View item
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Bill Miles, fiddler

Bill Miles was the fiddler on Dick Kraus's series of square dance recordings. Kraus is playing guitar in photo 3. Kraus obviously thought highly of his fiddler--see photo 4.Terry Bell writes: "He was… View item
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Bill Ohse - Chase the Rabbit (walkthrough)

Recorded May 5, 2012, at the evening dance at Dare To Be Square, Riner, Virginia Musicians are Chance McCoy -- fiddle; Sebastian Zijp -guitar; Mac Traynham -- banjo; Frances West - first bass… View item
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Bill Ohse - Dip and Dive

"Inside arch, outside under, dip and dive and go like thunder." Also includes Birdie in the Cage Recorded May 5, 2012, at the evening dance at Dare To Be Square, Riner, Virginia. Bill Ohse,… View item
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Bill Ohse - Grapevine Twist

"Take that lady by the wrist, around that couple with a grapevine twist... back to the center with a whoa haw gee."Break: Dive for the OysterA search for "Grapevine Twist" in this project's digital… View item