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

Browse Items (1926 total)

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Just Because - Lori Morin

The caller is Lori Morin, from Chepachet, RI. She is a modern square dancer, organizer, and caller influenced by Dick Leger. Here she's calling a guest slot at Bob Livingston's monthly dance… View item
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Just Because - Tod Whittemore

Tod Whittemore is the caller; music is provided by Bob McQuillen, piano; Randy Miller, fiddle, and Peter Siegel, mandolin. This was part of a dance workshop on singing squares, recorded on January 15,… View item
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Just Because - Walter Lenk

Caller Walter Lenk, backed up by Tony Parkes, leads dancers through the singing square Just Because. Recorded at the Saturday night Grand Dance, January 1988, at the first Ralph Page Dance Legacy… View item
Document

Juvenile Delinquency and Square Dancing

In this article, published inNorthern Junket in 1959, caller Ed Durlacher describes his experiences leading square dances in Riverside Park, New York City. It was not a promising beginning:"As they… View item
Sound

Kansas City - Ralph Sweet

Ralph Sweet, caller. This singing square, done to a 12-bar blues instead of the usual AABB structure of a traditional fiddle tune, was recorded live in 1964. View item
Website

Karl Byarski - Michigan fiddle and dance recordings

Paul Gifford is a researcher and musician with a particular focus on tradition Michigan fiddling. He writes:---I put up a large collection of home recordings of fiddling made by Karl Byarski, of… View item
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Kathy Anderson - four styles of squares

Caller Kathy Anderson gives an overview of the characteristics of four different regional styles of traditional square dances-- old-time Southern, New England, traditional Western, and singing… View item
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Kathy Anderson - Getting started as a caller

Today, Kathy Anderson is one of the more active callers of traditional and newly-composed square dances in the contra dance world; she is a featured caller at dance weekends and camps across the… View item
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Kathy Anderson - Patter Calling

Caller Kathy Anderson is well-known for her fast-moving squares, accompanied by equally lively patter calling. She talks about how she uses patter, what she chooses to include and what to leave out,… View item
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Kathy Anderson - Sandy Bradley, an appreciation

Sandy Bradley was a dynamic Seattle caller who burst onto the dance scene in the 1970s and early 1980, bringing an enthusiastic presence and a love of traditional western squares to audiences around… View item
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Kathy Anderson - Youth Square Dance Scene

Caller Kathy Anderson discusses the burst of enthusiasm among young people for simple square dances set to hot old-time tunes. Starting in Portland, Oregon, with the efforts of caller Bill Martin, the… View item
Document

Keeler Calling

This three-disk set of 78rpm records features caller Elisha Keeler and the band with whom he recorded, Mac Ceppos and his Country Rhythm Boys:   Mac Ceppos, violin   Eddie Smith, accordion   Bill… View item