Origin of Appalachian Square Dance
Creator: Hugh Thurston (October and December, 1969)
By ":Appalachian square dance," the author is referring to big circle or big set dances, not specifically to four-couple squares. Thurston rejects the notion that Appalachian squares did not originate from American Indian dances nor were they independently created. He concludes that they came from Europe, particular from the British Isles and even more particularly from Ireland. He demonstrates a strong connection between the structure of typical Appalachian squares with that of the Irish "rinncí fighte" dance.
Subjects: Southern Appalachian - general, Southern / Appalachian / Big sets, Irish set dances
Tags: Appalachia, big circle, big set, Cecil Sharp, Hugh Thurston, Ireland, Irish set dance, Kentucky running set
Tags: Appalachia, big circle, big set, Cecil Sharp, Hugh Thurston, Ireland, Irish set dance, Kentucky running set
Item Relations
| This Item | is related to | Item: Set Running - Cecil Sharp in America |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Stu Jamieson - The Old-Time Kentucky Running Set |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Phil Jamison 1: Southern Appalachian Dance |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Phil Jamison 4 - Cecil Sharp and the "running set" |
Citation
Hugh Thurston, “Origin of Appalachian Square Dance,” Square Dance History Project, accessed March 9, 2025, https://squaredancehistory.org/items/show/1273.
Dublin Core
Title
Origin of Appalachian Square Dance
Description
By ":Appalachian square dance," the author is referring to big circle or big set dances, not specifically to four-couple squares. Thurston rejects the notion that Appalachian squares did not originate from American Indian dances nor were they independently created. He concludes that they came from Europe, particular from the British Isles and even more particularly from Ireland. He demonstrates a strong connection between the structure of typical Appalachian squares with that of the Irish "rinncí fighte" dance.
Creator
Source
Northern Junket, vol. 9 #11, pp. 2-7
Northern Junket, vol. 9 #12, pp. 8-13
Date Created
October and December, 1969