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

Swanee River (clip) - Mac McKendrick

McKendrick can also be heard on this site calling a singing square to the children's song, Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me. View item

Mac McKenrick photos

Photograph of McKenrick advertisement for square dance instruction at his barn View item
Moving Image

Mildred Buhler demonstration group

Contributor Paul Moore writes: "In the late 1940's through the early 50's there was a very popular caller in Northern California named Mildred Buhler. The film was Mildred calling to the demonstration… View item
Sound

Trail of the Lonesome Pine - Don & Marie Armstrong

Don and Marie Armstrong call Trail of the Lonesome Pine. Recorded live at the Downeast Western Square Dance Club in Kittery, Maine.A clip of Don's commercial recording of this dance can be found here,… View item
Sound

Mountain Dew (clip) - Marie Armstrong

Marie Armstrong, recorded live at the Downeast Western Square Dance Club in Kittery, Maine. Immediately before this, Marie called a patter tip.To hear the lyrics for Mountain Dew used in a different… View item
Sound

Marie Armstrong - patter

Patter tip called by Marie Armstrong, Kittery, Maine, October, 1960. There are some problems with the original tape, resulting in a 5-second gap at 1:48 and a 7-second gap at 2:50. Rather than edit… View item
Sound

Don Armstrong - progressive squares

Don Armstrong calls a tip that moves dancers from one square to another. At the start of the clip, he alerts dances how this will be done and warns them that when they reach the outside of the hall… View item
Sound

In My Adobe Hacienda - Don and Marie Armstrong

Recorded live, Don and Marie Armstrong call a singing square. The tune was recorded by such country artists as Hank Snow, Gene Autry, and Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys. View item
Moving Image

Reach for the Stars - British callers

This singing call was made for promotional purposes by the British Association of American Square Dancing Clubs (BAASDC) in 2001. It features seven top British callers calling to two squares. The… View item
Moving Image

Shindig in the Barn - Earl Johnston - introductory dance

This is a video clip taken from a promotional video made by Earl Johnston for the Manchester, CT Square Dance Club. Earl was their club caller and the video was made for public television in 1988. In… View item
Moving Image

New Zealand Square Dance Convention, 1977

Television news story about modern square dance weekend in Christchurch, New Zealand, featuring Chicago caller Dave Taylor. View item
Moving Image

Chime Bells - Tod Whittemore

Tod Whittemore calling at his dance series at the VFW, Cambridge, MA, December, 1985. The first half of the footage shows dancers, and then the camera is turned toward the caller. Tod Whittemore is… View item