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

Browse Items (1930 total)

Still Image

DTBS Callers & musicians

The callers are joined by the musicians from the Dare To Be Square Weekend. Front row: Jim Morrison, guitar and fiddle; Sam Bartlett, banjo; Claudio Buchwald, piano and fiddle; Steve Hickman, fiddle View item
Still Image

Duane "Wild Bill" Reagan - photos

These photographs of Duane "Wild Bill" Reagan were supplied by his widow, Pat. There's also a 1987 newspaper clipping describing his work.South Denver High School, Rebel Ranger, mid-1930sYahota Air… View item
Moving Image

Duck and Dive - Bill McAdoo

A section of square dance caller Bill McAdoo calling Duck and Dive on May 11, 1985 at the Independence Grange Hall, Independence Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania. Similar examples may be… View item
Moving Image

Duck and Dive - Bob Dalsemer - Maryland Line 7

At the Dare To Be Square dance weekend, Bob Dalsemer led a workshop on "Dances of Maryland Line," a small town in northern Maryland that he visited often in the 1970s. Attentive viewers will… View item
Moving Image

Duck and Dive - Jerry Goodwin

Yet another example a classic square dance figure. See the many related items for other versions.Recorded at a square dance on February 7, 1987 at the Prosperity Fire Hall, Washington County, PA.Jerry… View item
Sound

Duck for Oysters (clip) - Burns & Wheeler

"Duck for the Oyster, Dig for the Clams" is surely one of the most common traditional square dance figures. There are many examples of this dance on the SDHP website. Here it's "Duck for Oysters,… View item
Moving Image

Duck for the Oyster - Adam Boyce

Traditional singing square dance, recorded in West Newbury, VT, on July 24, 2010. The caller and fiddler is Adam Boyce, accompanied by piano player Donna Weston. View item
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Duck for the Oyster - Bob Dalsemer - Maryland Line 5

This is what might be termed a semi-singing square. Maryland Line caller Jake Jacoby always called Duck for the Oyster to the tune Little Brown Jug (as played by The Sawmill Boys). Note the Georgia… View item
Document

Duck for the Oyster - origins

This discussion of Duck for the Oyster was an e-mail from the author, Tony Parkes, to the coordinator of the Square Dance History Project. A search on this site for "oyster" will bring back numerous… View item
Sound

Duck for the Oyster - Richard Kraus

Let's Square Dance!, Album 1 View item
Moving Image

Duck for the Oyster / Grapevine Twist

This square incorporates two well-known figures.Filmed in Super-8 by Bob Dalsemer, May, 1979, at the Vandalia Gathering, an annual festival in Charleston, WV, sponsored by the West Virginia Department… View item
Moving Image

Dudley Laufman - Monadnock Muddle

This dance comes from the repertoire on the great New England caller, Ralph Page, and is called here by Dudley Laufman in the "Retrospective" session at the Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend, January… View item