Meet the Docey-Doe Family - 1949
Square dancers in the late 1940s and 1950s encountered a variety of similar-sounding terms meaning very different figures. The do-si-do / docey-doe / dos-a-dos / do-paso confusion produced several attempts at a solution.
In this article, northern California dance leader Mildred Buhler summarizes the situation:
"As soon as the beginner is familiar with his basic square fundamentals we try to introduce him to the DoceyDoe family. ... When the novice attempts to survey the various handbooks on square dancing he will find himself completely bewildered by the different definitions given by our present day authorities and recognized leaders. ... Our country is so large that to try to establish one standard set of definitions and patterns for us all to follow would be like trying to make us all speak with the same accent. ... However, since we in this area intermingle on such a large scale at our festivals and jamborees, we have need for a common language that we can readily interpret without difficulty.”
She then provides definitions agreed upon by the Square Dance Callers Association of Northern California.
Tags: Docey Doe, Docey-Doe, Mildred Buhler
Item Relations
| This Item | is related to | Item: Docey-doe / Do Paso agreement |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Bill Litchman - Rocky Mountain Square Dancing |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Six Styles of Square Dance - Rickey Holden |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Mildred Buhler - biography |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Mildred Buhler demonstration group |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Bill Litchman 1 - Traditional Western Squares |
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Square dancers in the late 1940s and 1950s encountered a variety of similar-sounding terms meaning very different figures. The do-si-do / docey-doe / dos-a-dos / do-paso confusion produced several attempts at a solution.
In this article, northern California dance leader Mildred Buhler summarizes the situation:
"As soon as the beginner is familiar with his basic square fundamentals we try to introduce him to the DoceyDoe family. ... When the novice attempts to survey the various handbooks on square dancing he will find himself completely bewildered by the different definitions given by our present day authorities and recognized leaders. ... Our country is so large that to try to establish one standard set of definitions and patterns for us all to follow would be like trying to make us all speak with the same accent. ... However, since we in this area intermingle on such a large scale at our festivals and jamborees, we have need for a common language that we can readily interpret without difficulty.”
She then provides definitions agreed upon by the Square Dance Callers Association of Northern California.