"Square Dance in the 1950s Rural West: An Oral History"
Creator: Tina Fields (April, 2016)
Click below to Visit Website in a new tabSquare Dance in the 1950s in the Rural West
Interviews with two older dancers in the author's family. One describes dancing in Garden Valley, Idaho, including stories of all-night dancing in the middle of the road in mid-winter, a literal "dance by the light of the moon" experience. The other subject, the author's father, describes his experiences as a dancer and caller in Modoc, California., a rural ranching community. Hank Fields quit calling in 1964, though in the 1970s he signed his children up for MWSD classes. He was not pleased with the changes he observed: “The calls is getting so complicated that it’s not as much fun."
The author is working on a book describing her father's calls in more detail. See her website for more information.
Subjects: Transitional/Western 1950s
Tags: California, Hank Fields, Idaho, Rosamund Burgess
Tags: California, Hank Fields, Idaho, Rosamund Burgess
Item Relations
| This Item | is related to | Item: Mica Flats, Idaho - traditional dance |
Additional Files
Citation
Tina Fields, “"Square Dance in the 1950s Rural West: An Oral History",” Square Dance History Project, accessed February 23, 2025, https://squaredancehistory.org/items/show/1609.
Dublin Core
Title
"Square Dance in the 1950s Rural West: An Oral History"
Subject
Description
Interviews with two older dancers in the author's family. One describes dancing in Garden Valley, Idaho, including stories of all-night dancing in the middle of the road in mid-winter, a literal "dance by the light of the moon" experience. The other subject, the author's father, describes his experiences as a dancer and caller in Modoc, California., a rural ranching community. Hank Fields quit calling in 1964, though in the 1970s he signed his children up for MWSD classes. He was not pleased with the changes he observed: “The calls is getting so complicated that it’s not as much fun."
The author is working on a book describing her father's calls in more detail. See her website for more information.
The author is working on a book describing her father's calls in more detail. See her website for more information.
Creator
Source
CD&S Online, Vol. 1
Date Created
April, 2016