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

Pop Sweet

This item recounts a chance encounter between Margot Mayo, the leader of the American Square Dance Group, and Pop Sweet, a traditional fiddler/caller from western Massachusetts. Her excitement at… View item
Sound

Pony Boy (clip) - Floyd Woodhull

Another recording of Pony Boy (full length) View item
Sound

Polly Wolly Hoedown - Eddie Evans

Eddie Evans was an Australian caller. View item
Sound

Polly Wolly Doodle (clip) - Gene Gowing

This dance uses the familiar children's song as the basis for a singing square. It's unclear whether caller Gene Gowing is singing the song at the beginning; the quality of the voice… View item
Sound

Polka Square - Ralph Page (clip)

This clip of Ralph Page calling Polka Square demonstrates his melodic style, part patter call and part singing. The musicians are Page's Boston Boys: George Gulyassy, fiddle; Bob Gulyassy,… View item
Moving Image

Polka

Traditional square dance series and some contra series have often included couple dances as part of the evening program. This polka was recorded at the contra dance at the VFW, Cambridge, MA. You'll… View item
Moving Image

Plus Program Square Dancing in Germany

This is a video of a square dance in Germany in 2008. The callers are Jerry Jestin from the USA and Joe Kromer from Germany. The video is of a singing call, Tiger By the Tail and the two callers join… View item
Moving Image

Plain Quadrille - 1890

Caller Ralph Sweet provides the instruction and prompts the figures in this Retrospective Session from the 2000 Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend, held at the University of New Hampshire. The tunes are… View item
Moving Image

Plain Jane (Quadrille) - Adam Boyce

Traditional quadrille, recorded at an open house sponsored by the Ed Larkin Dancers, Tunbridge, Vermont, March 12, 2010. The prompter is Adam Boyce, and the musicians are Harold Luce on fiddle and his… View item
Document

Piute Pete - Village Barn

Piute Pete called squares regularly at the Village Barn in New York City. This newspaper columnist took a less-than-enthusiastic view of the proceedings. The SDHP collection has numerous items… View item
Still Image

Piute Pete - photo and card

See also the postcard featuring Piute Pete. View item