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

Browse Items (250 total)

Sound

Mountain Dew (clip) - Marie Armstrong

Marie Armstrong, recorded live at the Downeast Western Square Dance Club in Kittery, Maine. Immediately before this, Marie called a patter tip.To hear the lyrics for Mountain Dew used in a different… View item
Sound

Trail of the Lonesome Pine - Don & Marie Armstrong

Don and Marie Armstrong call Trail of the Lonesome Pine. Recorded live at the Downeast Western Square Dance Club in Kittery, Maine.A clip of Don's commercial recording of this dance can be found here,… View item
Sound

Swanee River (clip) - Mac McKendrick

McKendrick can also be heard on this site calling a singing square to the children's song, Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me. View item
Sound

Tulip Square (clip) - Jim Brooks

Square dance set to the popular tune, "When You Wore a Tulip (and I Wore a Big Red Rose"). View item
Sound

Too Old To Cut the Mustard (clip) - Cal Golden

This is an excerpt; a complete recording can be found here. View item
Sound

Barnacle Bill (clip) - Cal Golden

Cal Golden was a prominent modern caller; another audio clip on this website shows him at the giant 1950 Santa Monica square dance, being introduced by Lloyd Shaw. He was a caller with deep Arkansas… View item
Sound

Oh By Jingo (clip) - Bill Castner

A detailed cue sheet with complete calls and descriptions is available.Wikipedia: "Oh By Jingo!" is a 1919 novelty song by Albert Von Tilzer with lyrics by Lew Brown. The song was featured in the… View item
Sound

Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet (clip) - Charley Thomas

Charley Thomas was a vendor of records and books for squares and contra dances. He founded American Squares magazine after World War II, and edited it until it was purchased by Frank Kaltman and… View item
Document

Singing Squares - Chip Hendrickson's call book

This is a transcription by Walter Lenk of the singing squares in Connecticut caller Chip Hendrickson's call book, c. 1955, made available with the permission of the Hendrickson family. It contains… View item
Website

Notes on Singing Squares - Walter Lenk

A collection of favorite singing square calls, with some musical examples, created by Walter Lenk. His site also includes a valuable transcription of singing calls in the repertoire of Chip… View item
Website

"Rubber Crutches" - YouTube channel

Dan Freligh calls a regular dance in Saegertown, Pennsylvania, 45 minutes south of Erie. He has created a YouTube channel with nearly three dozen dances from his series.Among the singing calls on his… View item
Moving Image

Listen to the Mockingbird - Lester Bradley

Lester Bradley (caller and guitar) with Paul Amey, fiddle, joined by other musicians: Bob Reed, banjo; David Colburn, guitar; George Randall, 12 string guitar, spoons; Mike Hebb, fiddle; Sylvia… View item