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

Browse Items (1926 total)

Sound

Progressive Squares - Jerry Helt

This half hour recording comes from a 1998 CALLERLAB session led by Jerry Helt, widely known for his use of progressive squares. (We appreciate CALLERLAB giving permission to share the material here.… View item
Still Image

Jean Alve

Jean Alve has been calling squares for more than 50 years. She lives in upstate New York in the town of Spencer, half an hour south of Ithaca. She now calls a weekly two-hour session of "Square,… View item
Document

Square Dance Revival in Lincoln [Nebraska], 1940–1950

[Note: Large file may take a while to load completely.] This detailed booklet describes the revival of square dancing in Lincoln, Nebraska, and offers resources to encourage further growth. After… View item
Moving Image

Square Dancing on Pike's Peak - 1963

Square dancing at 14,000' — footage put online by the Pikes Peak Library. The actual dance footage starts at 1:17 in the footage, and lasts for about a minute. The added sound track is… View item
Moving Image

Saturday Night Square Dance - Jim Boyd, 1949

"Saturday Night Square Dance" was released in 1949 as a Soundie; the footage included here is all that we have been able to locate. (We would appreciate information from anyone having a… 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
Moving Image

Hinky Dinky Parlez-Vous - Jim Kimball

Different callers have put different figures to this tune. Afternoon workshop of traditional New York state square dances Sponsored by the Southern Tier Country Dance Society Saturday, May 14,… View item
Moving Image

Marching Through Georgia - Jim Kimball

Afternoon workshop of traditional New York state square dances Sponsored by the Southern Tier Country Dance Society Saturday, May 14, 2016 Cuba Grange Cuba, NY Jim Kimball, caller and button… View item
Moving Image

Coming Round the Mountain - Jim Kimball

Afternoon workshop of traditional New York state square dances Sponsored by the Southern Tier Country Dance Society Saturday, May 14, 2016 Cuba Grange Cuba, NY Kimball starts with a few… View item
Moving Image

Redwing - Jim Kimball

Afternoon workshop of traditional New York state square dances Sponsored by the Southern Tier Country Dance Society Saturday, May 14, 2016 Cuba Grange Cuba, NY The tune is Redwing, commonly… View item
Moving Image

Bouquet Waltz - Jim Kimball

Afternoon workshop of traditional New York state square dances Sponsored by the Southern Tier Country Dance Society Saturday, May 14, 2016 Cuba Grange Cuba, NY Jim Kimball says that the figure… View item
Website

The James W. Kimball Traditional Music & Dance in NYS Collection

Jim Kimball is a well-known historian who focuses on the music and dance traditions of upstate New York. The James W. Kimball Traditional Music and Dance in New York State Collection is a curated… View item