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

Browse Items (1926 total)

Website

Notes on Singing Squares - Walter Lenk

A collection of favorite singing square calls, with some musical examples, created by Walter Lenk. His site also includes a valuable transcription of singing calls in the repertoire of Chip… View item
Moving Image

Not Your Grandparents Square Dance

Old-time music and square dancing in Portland, Oregon. Interviews with Bill Martin and Michael Ismerio, and footage from the Old Time Music Gathering, reveal the intimate links between the old-time… View item
Sound

Northern Lights (clip) - Floyd Parker

You can find a written description of the dance and a video of the dance called by Bill Litchman. The tune is Blackberry Quadrille. View item
Moving Image

Northern Lights - Bill Litchman

Dance written by Floyd Parker, Colorado, danced at the 2011 Dare To Be Square dance weekend in Brasstown, NC, called by Bill Litchman. Dance directions are available, as is an audio clip of the… View item
Moving Image

North Carolina Cloggers

Clogging in square dancing has a long history, going back at least as far as Sam Queen's Soco Gap Dancers. It is a form of dance that deserves its own detailed site, but we are including a few… View item
Sound

Nobody's Baby - Max Forsyth, 1966

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Website

Nineteenth Century Social Dance (article)

Library of Congress overview of dance history, including links to specific books in their collection. View item
Moving Image

Ninepin - Bob Dalsemer

Bob Dalsemer calls the version of this traditional square dance as he learned it at Maryland Line, MD, back in the 1970s. This was recorded at at the Dare To Be Square weekend held November 18-20,… View item
Moving Image

Nils Fredland – Four Square

Nils Fredland calls a contemporary composition as part of the "Square Dance" Retrospective session at the annual Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend in Durham, NH. The musicians are Old New England (Bob… View item
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Nils Fredland - Bouquet Waltz

Nils Fredland calls a traditional square dance figure to the tune of Kitchen Girl with music provided by Notorious (Larry Unger and Eden MacAdam Somer) and Old New England (Bob McQuillen, Jane… View item
Moving Image

Nils Fredland - Birdie in the Cage and Seven Hands Round

Birdie in the Cage is a traditional square dance figure and a common one; a search for "birdie" on this SDHP website will bring up more than half a dozen other examples. In this version, each of the… View item
Moving Image

Nils Fredland - Bachelor Mill

This dance originated with George Waudby, of Tucson, Arizona, and was adopted by Jimmy Clossin of El Paso, Texas. It is described in more detail in Lee Owens, Advanced Square Dance Figures of the West… View item