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

Browse Items (1925 total)

Document

Tennessee Star - David Hendrix, 1951

East Tennessee caller D. B., Hendrix provides directions for this big set variation of the Texas Star. A biography of the author can be found at the related item, "Smoky Mountain Square… View item
Still Image

Dancers at Pappy Shaw's summer school - 1947

These photos show dancers at Shaw's summer class in August of 1947. In addition to squares, photos illustrate round dances, including the Varsouviana. (This last photo includes musicians: piano,… View item
Still Image

Cheyenne Mountain Dancers - California, 1948

These photographs, taken during the Cheyenne Mountain Dancers trip to California in November of 1948, illustrate different aspects of the dancers' performance. Today, we associate them with the… View item
Document

Cheyenne Mountain Dancers - death in La Jolla

Tragedy hit the Cheyenne Mountain Dancers on one of their trips. On Thursday, November 4, 1948. dancer Tommy Collins died when he was swept into the Pacific Ocean near La Jolla, California. After… View item
Moving Image

Pam McKeever and the Flying Squares, 1981

Demonstration of the sort of exhibition dancing created by Lloyd Shaw in the 1930s and popularized by his Cheyenne Mountain Dancers. The dancers are: Jim Bollman, Karen Atkins, Ernie Spence,… View item
Still Image

Tait's Orchestra with Bud Udick

Cactus Tait’s Orchestra, taken at the Broadmoor hotel ballroom.. From left to right: piano, Mrs. Ethel Tait caller, Col. Earl “Bud” W. Udick (1/11/1916 – 9/5/1979) fiddle, Ben Chichester (1897-… View item
Document

Cherokee Indian Circle Dance - Indian style?

Where does the square dance call "Indian style" originate? This description of a Cherokee dance, published in 1947, offers interesting possibilities. It comes from a booklet authored by two… View item
Moving Image

Newfoundland square dance - second figure

This is the second figure of a square dance set from the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland. Woody Wilson is the caller; the fiddler is Jim Sadlish and the guitar player is Kevin Gardner, with… View item
Moving Image

Newfoundland square dance - first figure

This is the first figure of a square dance set from the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland. Woody Wilson is the caller; the fiddler is Jim Sadlish and the guitar player is Kevin Gardner, with… View item
Moving Image

Newfoundland square dance - an introduction

Woody Wilson offers some introductory comments about square dancing, Newfoundland style. The occasion was a dance party at Dan's Hall, a beloved local venue, showcasing many styles of dance and… View item
Moving Image

Maggie Valley - Mountain Square Dance

Haywood County, North Carolina has long been known for its dancing. This was the home of Sam Queen’s Soco Gap Square Dancers, who were invited, in 1939, to perform for the king and queen of… View item
Sound

Ladies Whirligig - two New England versions

Here is the same basic dance called by two New England callers who overlapped. The first is an excerpt from a recording by Ralph Page; the second is a live recording of Louise Winston from 1970.The… View item