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

Browse Items (1934 total)

Website

Duke Miller website

Duke Miller was a square dance caller (and a wrestling coach) in Gloversville, NY, and later became a popular caller for summertime dances in the Monadnock region of southwestern New Hampshire. His… View item
Sound

East Meets West (clip) - Lawrence Loy

Lawrence Loy was from western Massachusetts but this recording, with its apt title, shows the influence of the western style of dance, with changing choreography. After generic opening figures, two… View item
Still Image

Chris Sanderson - picture

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Sound

Dive for the Oyster (clip) - Chris Sanderson

Audio clip of Chris Sanderson calling with the Pocopson Valley Boys, popular caller and band from southeastern Pennsylvania. Opening figure: Bow to your partner, Bow to your corner, hands all… View item
Document

Hires Throws a Square Dance

16-page booklet distributed by Hires Root Beer in 1950 as part of the square dance craze of that time. The booklet calls Sanderson "the most famous man in square dancing" and cites numerous… View item
Website

Square Dance Resources - CDSS website

A rich, detailed, extensive collection of resources assembled by caller Nils Fredland and hosted on the website of Country Dance and Song Society. In some ways, the website mirrors this site in… View item
Website

"Barn Dances with Calls"

Article published in The Old-Time Herald (Volume 7, Number 8) discussing what can be learned from a careful study of old dance records. Includes a discography. View item
Website

Amish Barn Dance

Article from Pennsylvania Folklife (winter 1962-63) describing how a traditional community with no electricity hosts events with large crowds: "The most disturbing technical problem that faces the… View item
Sound

Docey-Doe Hoedown - Lloyd Shaw

A YouTube site that plays Lloyd Shaw calling from his Cowboy Dances album View item
Website

Calendar - Traditional and Old-Time Square Dances

This calendar is a subsection of a detailed and well-maintained website that lists dances around the country. View item
Document

Allemande Alphabet

Allan Brozek, Oxford, CT: "Charles Crabbe Thomas, from Woodbury, NJ, was the publisher of American Squares during the magazine's early years. Most likely, some of these alphabet calls were made up by… View item
Website

"Play Me Something Quick and Devilish"

Bob Holt (1930–2004) was a respected Missouri dance fiddler, a 1999 recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship. He is featured on several videotapes of Ozark style dancing in this website's… View item