Smoky Mountain Square Dances
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This collection, originally published in 1941 and reprinted into the 1950s, contains a detailed look at big set figures from the region. At the time of his death, the author was working on an expanded version of the text, which is now available here on the SDHP website.
The author describes carefully the formation of the dancers on the floor:
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In the regular true square dance where we have 8 or 12 couples, we form a square with 2 or 3 couples on each side . One end is designated as head and the opposite is called the foot; the others are called the side couples. In most of the "so- called" modern square dances we do not form a square but all join hands to form a large circle.
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Biographical information obtained from a telephone conversation between Bob Dalsemer and David Hendrix's son Charles, June 10, 1999. Charles had donated to the John C. Campbell Folk School a manuscript in progress that his father had started, an expanded version of Hendix's earlier book (1941) on Smoky Mountain Square Dances.
David B. Hendrix (1898-1962) was born in the country near Byington, Knox County, TN. His father was a rural mail carrier and farmer. David graduated from Karnes High School in 1916 and was class valedictorian. He served in the Army during the latter part of World War I but did not see duty overseas. He graduated from U.T. (Knoxville) in 1923 or 1924 with a major in agricultural education.
He married Lida Rule, “a city girl” from Knoxville, and taught vocation agriculture (“vo ag”) in Knox County schools, then in Polk County schools between 1924 and 1930. He and Lida had three children: two boys born in 1925 (Charles) and 1928 and a girl born in 1930.
In 1930, he became the county agent in Sevier County and continued until he retired in 1960. After retirement bought a trailer / camper and with Lida travelled across the country. He suffered a heart attack in the fall of 1961 while in Idaho. After recovery he went to visit his daughter in Oak Harbor, WA and then to visit his sister in California (where he called square dance over the phone to Gatlinburg).
Not much is known about how he learned to dance or call. Apparently his father had been a dancer. His son Charles remembers his grandfather dancing energetically in his 80’s.
Subjects: Southern / Appalachian / Big sets
Tags: D. B. Hendrix, David Hendrix, Gatlinburg, Smoky Mountains, Tennessee
Item Relations
| This Item | is related to | Item: Douglas Kennedy on American dances, 1939 |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Tennessee Star - David Hendrix, 1951 |
| This Item | is related to | Item: "The Square Dance" - David Hendrix, 1951 |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Bird in the Cage - D. B. Hendrix, 1952 |
| Item: East Tennessee Square Dance Calls | is related to | This Item |
| Item: A Tennessee Square Dance | is related to | This Item |
| Item: Susan Spalding Appalachian Traditional Dance Video Collection, 1988-2002 | is related to | This Item |
| Item: Smoky Mountain Square Dance Collection | is related to | This Item |
| Item: D. B. Hendrix correspondence | is related to | This Item |
| Item: "Southern Appalachian"- overview of structure | is related to | This Item |
Additional Files
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Dublin Core
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Description
NOTE: This is a large file and might take a while to load. To read the actual booklet, choose the DOWNLOAD link or select the source file located by scrolling to Additional Files.
This collection, originally published in 1941 and reprinted into the 1950s, contains a detailed look at big set figures from the region. At the time of his death, the author was working on an expanded version of the text, which is now available here on the SDHP website.
The author describes carefully the formation of the dancers on the floor:
---
In the regular true square dance where we have 8 or 12 couples, we form a square with 2 or 3 couples on each side . One end is designated as head and the opposite is called the foot; the others are called the side couples. In most of the "so- called" modern square dances we do not form a square but all join hands to form a large circle.
---
Biographical information obtained from a telephone conversation between Bob Dalsemer and David Hendrix's son Charles, June 10, 1999. Charles had donated to the John C. Campbell Folk School a manuscript in progress that his father had started, an expanded version of Hendix's earlier book (1941) on Smoky Mountain Square Dances.
David B. Hendrix (1898-1962) was born in the country near Byington, Knox County, TN. His father was a rural mail carrier and farmer. David graduated from Karnes High School in 1916 and was class valedictorian. He served in the Army during the latter part of World War I but did not see duty overseas. He graduated from U.T. (Knoxville) in 1923 or 1924 with a major in agricultural education.
He married Lida Rule, “a city girl” from Knoxville, and taught vocation agriculture (“vo ag”) in Knox County schools, then in Polk County schools between 1924 and 1930. He and Lida had three children: two boys born in 1925 (Charles) and 1928 and a girl born in 1930.
In 1930, he became the county agent in Sevier County and continued until he retired in 1960. After retirement bought a trailer / camper and with Lida travelled across the country. He suffered a heart attack in the fall of 1961 while in Idaho. After recovery he went to visit his daughter in Oak Harbor, WA and then to visit his sister in California (where he called square dance over the phone to Gatlinburg).
Not much is known about how he learned to dance or call. Apparently his father had been a dancer. His son Charles remembers his grandfather dancing energetically in his 80’s.