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

Browse Items (12 total)

  • Tags: Bill McAdoo
Document

Bill McAdoo - notes on the recordings

These are Bob Dalsemer's notes about the Bill McAdoo field recordings in the Related Item. In addition to transcriptions of McAdoo's calls, Dalsemer notes variations in the dances, describes… View item
Sound

Bill McAdoo – Independence, PA – 1979

These are recordings of caller Bill McAdoo at the Independence, PA dance in 1979. Bob Dalsemer writes, "Most are from 4/21/1979 and a few from 9/8/1979. I always thought Bill was one of the best of… View item
Document

A Few Square Dance Calls from Bill McAdoo

Editor Larry Edelman writes: "I collected these figures in the mid-1980’s at the Independence Grange Hall Dance in Independence, Washington County in southwestern Pennsylvania. During my visits,… View item
Moving Image

Independence Lancers

The Lancers is a five-part Quadrille that made its way from 19th century ballrooms to 1985 in southwestern Pennsylvania at the Independence Grange Hall, Independence Township, Washington County,… View item
Moving Image

Duck and Dive - Bill McAdoo

A section of square dance caller Bill McAdoo calling Duck and Dive on May 11, 1985 at the Independence Grange Hall, Independence Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania. Similar examples may be… View item
Moving Image

Couple Dances at a Square Dance in Southwestern Pennsylvania 1985 - 1987

Dance caller, musician, and videographer Larry Edelman writes: "While studying traditional square dance calling and music in the 1980's in rural southwestern Pennsylvania, I found that there were as… View item
Document

The Independence (PA) Lancers

For moving images of the dance, click here and hereThis is Bob Dalsemer's account of discovering an old dance form maintained in a rural Pennsylvania community:"On two occasions in 1979, I had the… View item
Moving Image

Chase the Rabbit

Filmed by Bob Dalsemer in Independence, Pennsylvania View item
Moving Image

Birdie in the Cage

The well-known Birdie in the Cage figure, filmed in western Pennsylvania, on the border between northern and southern Appalachian styles of square dancing. View item
Moving Image

Dip and Dive

Other examples of the dip and dive figure can be found on this website. View item
Moving Image

Independence Lancers - Pennsylvania

The Lancers is a form of quadrille dating from the 19th century. It appears in many communities throughout the western world. Here is a version (filmed in Super-8 by Bob Dalsemer, September, 1979)… View item