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

Joe Lewis - Callers Class

This is a fragment of a callers' class led by Joe Lewis; unfortunately, we do not know the location or the date. Lewis comments, "When a lot of people suddenly do the same thing wrong, the… View item
Sound

Alabama Jubilee (clip) - Joe Lewis

Alabama Jubilee was a smash hit for Joe Lewis, and the dance was also recorded by a dozen other callers. This clip illustrates one time through the figure along with a lengthy set of closing calls.… View item
Sound

Ends Turn In (clip) - Joe Lewis

Joe Lewis was one of the big names in square dance calling; he played an accordion that was specially fitted out so that different notes would produce different kinds of sounds, and his big hit was… View item
Website

Square Dance Videos (West Coast) - Joe Dehn

A collection of several hundred videos videotaped by Joe Dehn, mostly from West Coast MWSD conventions, illustrating a variety of styles, callers, and programs. Among the many dances, you might… View item
Moving Image

Alabama Jubilee - Joe Casey

Joe Casey, caller. View item
Sound

Saguaro Whirl (clip) - Joe Boykin

A 1950 news story in the Prescott (Arizona( Evening Courier describes him as a "veteran Arizona square dance caller." View item
Document

Fast tempos - Texas, 1954

This article (and the following item in the SDHP site) discusses a common problem facing square dancers in the mid-1950s—tempos that are too fast for good dancing. As the author explains, "If any… View item
Sound

Jimmy Morris and Tommy Cavanagh interview

Interview with two British callers, conducted by Mildred Buhler and shared with her dancers back in California. The two men were the co-founders, president and vice-president, of the fledgling British… View item
Document

West Texas Square Dances - Index

This is the cover and index of the booklet published by Jimmy Clossin and Carl Hertzog, showing dances that were common to that region around 1950. The book offers a dictionary, "Around-the-Ring… View item