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

Browse Items (1925 total)

Moving Image

Peek-a-Boo Square Dance called by Larry Edelman

Larry Edelman calls at the Dare To Be Square weekend held November 18-20, 2011, at the John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC. In addition to the basic figure, which he demonstrates at the start,… View item
Moving Image

Pearl Beer square dance commercial

This mid-1950s advertisement for Pearl Beer features San Antonio television personality Thomas Reynolds. The square dancers are dancing in the style popularized in the 1930s by caller Bob Sumrall.… View item
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Paul Place - MWSD Traveling Hoedowners - Plus Program

The Traveling Hoedowners is a demonstration group associated with the Travelinghoedowners.com web site. This site offers training videos and other information about square dancing. This video was made… View item
Still Image

Paul Phillips - record album

This is the record album and label for "If You Knew Susie" by Paul Phillips. View item
Still Image

Paul Phillips - photographs

The first photo is a portrait. The second photo shows Paul Phillips at the microphone. In the third photo, it looks as though he is one of the dancers; note the similarity of the shiny dark shirt. The… View item
Moving Image

Paul Jones - Bob Dalsemer - Maryland Line 1

At the Dare To Be Square dance weekend, Bob Dalsemer led a workshop on "Dances of Maryland Line," a small town in northern Maryland that he visited often in the 1970s. Attentive viewers will… View item
Document

Patter Calling - origins

Patter calling is a style of square dance calling in which the caller speaks the words or chants them on a musical pitch, hopefully in harmony with the tune. The classic form of patter is rhyming… View item
Sound

Patter Calling - Frank Lane

This is a short clip from a dance called in 1969 by Frank Lane at the Newton Pavillion in Newton, New Hampshire View item
Sound

Patter Calling - Ed Gilmore

This is a short clip of patter calling by Ed Gilmore. The choreography is the classic Ends Turn In that was created by Ed in 1951. View item
Sound

Patter Calling - Bill Peters

This is a short clip of Bill Peters calling patter at a dance in Adelaide, Australia in 1986. View item