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

New England Fiddles

Caller William Chaisson calls the changes and Joe Cormier's fiddle leads the band in two quadrilles recorded at the French American Victory Club in Waltham, MA. The link takes you to a… View item
Sound

John Newton - Vermont - 5 squares

John Newton was a Vermont teacher and square dance caller. Included here are five examples of his calling. The first three were recorded by Steve Green in 1984 at John's home (with music by… View item
Moving Image

Lancers

Dance Discovery, a St Louis, Missouri troupe, dances all five figures at a Lincoln program given at Lovejoy Library at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville on November 25, 2007. The dance is… View item
Moving Image

Beseda Quadrille, part I

František Bonuš, a noted dance pedagogue from Prague, led a quadrille workshop in Berea, Kentucky in 1987. The video of the entire workshop is lengthy and has been edited and divided into nine parts.… View item
Moving Image

Square dancing, Berea, KY - c. 1950 style

The footage was taken and posted by John Ramsay, who writes: "The Jackson family in Berea, Kentucky got a group together to demonstrate the type of square dancing which was danced by local citizens… View item
Document

John Ramsay - Set Running, a Southern Folk Dance

This article, written in 1987 and updated in 2013 by longtime dancer, caller, and organizer John Ramsay, presents his views on what has been termed "set running," a style of dance that was… View item
Moving Image

John Bill Allen - Big set, Berea, 1975

Note: The first minute of the video has garbled sound, but then it clears up. Notes from John Ramsay: Documentary of local square dancing in Berea, Kentucky circa 1975. The caller, John Bill Allen,… View item
Document

Shoo-Fly Swing and La Boulangère

Compilation of sources that reveal the similarity between La Boulangère, a European dance around 1800 and the only dance mentioned by name by Jane Austen, and the Shoo-Fly Swing, its American… View item
Website

Three singing squares - Vermont, 1956

Three singing squares from an October 6, 1956 recording of the Dick Perry Orchestra and caller Ira Huntley playing a square dance in Newfane, Vermont. Original tape donated to the Vermont Folklife… View item
Moving Image

Bill Ohse 1 - Sally Goodin

West Virginia caller Bill Ohse, recorded at the Dare To Be Square weekend in Riner, VA, on May 5, 2012. There are six clips in this series from the Saturday afternoon sessions that he called.… View item
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Bill Ohse 3 - Mix of figures

West Virginia caller Bill Ohse, recorded at the Dare To Be Square weekend in Riner, VA, on May 5, 2012. Here, he calls a different figure for each active couple in turn; there was no walkthrough. As… View item
Moving Image

Bill Ohse 4 - Grand Reel and Chase Your Dear

West Virginia caller Bill Ohse, recorded at the Dare To Be Square weekend in Riner, VA, on May 5, 2012. Here he is teaching two figures that he'll be calling. They can be seen in the "Swing… View item