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

Browse Items (1950 total)

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Bully of the Town

Nils Fredland calls a singing square from the repertoire of Keith Blackmon, an upstate New York square dance caller. The dance figures are the familiar Cut Off Six, also known as Divide the Ring. A… View item
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Deborah Carroll-Jones Calling for Canyon Lake Twirlers

This video starts with an interview with the club president and then, at 1:17 continues with an interview with Deborah Carroll-Jones. At 2:30 Deborah begins a description of the singing call she is… View item
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Keith Blackmon & Pony Boy

Nils Fredland led a workshop session that included many dances from the Keith Blackmon collection at the Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend, Durham, NH, January 19, 2013. Here, he speaks briefly about… 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
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

Newspaper Article - The Sumter Item - Sumter, SC - First there were 13; Now there are 130... - Fun of Square Dancing Increases Tenfold Here... - 8 Mar 1963

Newspaper article describing growth of MWSD in South Carolina in early 1960s View item
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Set carré - Drummondville, Quebec

Dance filmed by Normand Legault, filmed in the early 1980s in Durham-Sud (South Durham), south of Drummondville. Caller: Ernest Carson Fiddle: Mario Landry Mandolin: Dave Gallant Piano: Paul… 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

1955 Florida Folk and Square Dance Convention, program

Program of 1955 state convention View item
Sound

Shoot the Owl (clip) - Hollis Johnson

Hollis Johnson (1897–1996) was born in Eastland County, Texas. This dance figure was introduced decades later by Sandy Bradley and appears on her "Potluck & Dance Tonite" album. View item
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Hollis Johnson

photograph View item
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Charley Thomas selling records

Founder of View item