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

Square Dance Caller's Workshop - Larry Edelman

Starting in 1988, Larry Edelman led a series of classes for square dance callers at weekend and week-long dance camps. This is the basic text for that course, included with his permission. The 52-page… View item
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Square Dance attire

This is panel #21 of the set of Square Dance History panels created for the Square Dance Foundation of New England. It illustrates the various styles of clothing worn by modern western square dancers… View item
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Square Dance attendance & new calls

This slide contains two graphs, part of a presentation by Guy Steele on "The Mathematics of Square Dance Singing Calls," complete with dancers from MIT's Tech Squares group demonstrating figures. You… View item
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Square dance at the Tractor Tavern - Seattle

The Tallboys host a bi-monthly square dance at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood that is wildly popular with the under-30 crowd. Also featured is caller Charmaine Slaven. This… View item
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Square Dance at the Aqua Barn, Seattle

Kappie Kappenman, caller; Vivian Williams, fiddle; Phil Williams, guitar; Judy Webster, bass, videoed in the early 1990s by Phil's brother, Mike. The tune is Ragtime Annie. Vivian and Phil… View item
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Square Dance at La Reunion Place, Dallas, 1945

Two photographs View item
Website

Square Dance Articles - Buddy Weaver resources page

Buddy Weaver has collected on his website a series of transcriptions and printed essays by numerous well-respected square dance callers. On this site, you'll find pieces by Doc Alumbaugh, Ed… View item
Document

Square Dance and Square Dance Music in Western New York State

Two articles by the pre-eminent scholar of this region's traditional music and dance traditions, and included on the site with the permission of the author. Kimball discusses the history of… View item
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Square Dance and Folk Dance (Japan)

Cover and first page of book that Winfield Niblo helped get published in Japan. Niblo played a key role in bringing American square dance to Japan in the time immediately after World War II. ---Edited… View item
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Square Dance (with Corky Calkins)

This 1955 film, produced by Roger Tilton, features Corky Calkins and his band. Calkins was a popular caller in the Springfield, MA, area. Among the dances shown here are Nellie Bly, The Route and the… View item
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Square Dance - Steamboat Springs, 1951

This silent movie shows children dancing at the second annual Square Dance Festival held in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The film was taken by Leonard Fisher, whose daughter was one of the dancers;… View item
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Square Dance - panel discussion

The consultants for the Square Dance History Project look at different aspects of square dance history. Participants include David Millstone, Tony Parkes, Phil Jamison, Bob Dalsemer, Jim Mayo, Larry… View item