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

Exhibition groups - photos

These photos from the Bob Osgood collection illustrate various exhibition groups. Although most are unidentified, there is a photo from the 1964 World's Fair, and another group from the 10th… View item
Website

Explaining Traditional Squares and Contras to MWSD folks

This website is an effort by Clark Baker—a MWSD caller who also enjoys traditional contras and squares—to explain those more traditional forms to modern square dancers. Clark's essay begins: "Modern… View item
Document

Fall Lake George - outing clubs

This 2007 newspaper article describes an annual gathering of outing clubs at Lake George, New York. For many decades, young people interested in outdoor activities-- hiking, canoeing, rock climbing,… View item
Sound

False Hearted Girl - Dick Jones, 1965

View item
Sound

False Hearted Girl - Les Gotcher

This is a short clip from a dance called by Les Gotcher in the mid 1959 at the Newton Pavilion in Newton, New Hampshire. The record is probably Kalox #1004 View item
Sound

Farmer's Daughter (clip) - Ed Bossing

Ed Bossing was director of the Rocky Mount Folk and Square Dance Summer School in Denver, and was employed regularly by the Chicago public school system. He authored the Handbook of Square Dancing,… View item
Document

Fast tempos - Texas, 1954

This article (and the following item in the SDHP site) discusses a common problem facing square dancers in the mid-1950s—tempos that are too fast for good dancing. As the author explains, "If any… View item
Document

Feature Square Dancer - Nebraska, 1956

These are excerpts from two early issues (Vol. 1, #1 and #4, both 1956) of the Feature Square Dancer, a newspaper published by Bill Shilling, brother of Colorado caller Marvin Shilling. To see similar… View item
Document

Fenton "Jonesy" Jones - Sets in Order, February 1961

Cover drawing and appreciation of the caller View item
Sound

Fenton "Jonesy" Jones - interview

This lengthy interview (nearly three hours) with Fenton Jones was conducted by Bob Dalsemer and Drew Tronvig in Los Angeles in 1985. Dalsemer recalls: "In November, 1985 I toured the West Coast… View item
Still Image

Fenton "Jonesy" Jones - photos

This collection of photos of Fenton "Jonesy" Jones includes several from movies in which he appeared. #3 - publicity photo #4 - calling in the 1940s #5 - calling in 1949 #6 - with… View item
Moving Image

Fenton "Jonesy" Jones calling square dance

Fenton "Jonesy" Jones made numerous appearances as a square dance caller in Hollywood movies. This is one example; if a viewer can identify the source, we'll update that information in this site and… View item