About the Square Dance History Project
Square dancing has been an integral part of American social life for centuries. Traditional square dance was vital for generations of Americans, especially in rural communities; in the post-World War II era, modern square dance similarly enjoyed participants numbering in the millions.
Despite its popularity, the history of square dance has not been well documented. Scores of books explain specific figures and calls, but there are few current sources that offer a detailed discussion of the development of this form of American social dance. We hope this site helps to fill that need.
Sound
Bumps-A-Daisy
The figures of this dance mirror the basic pattern found in Solomon Levi, Nelly Bly, and others; each couple in turn stands back to back, dances around the outside of the set-- in this one, just… View itemDocument
No Swing Hash
In the early 1950s, callers were delivering prearranged sequences. The pages of Sets in Order were filled with such routines, generally short with a distinctive gimmick in each. In this example,… View itemDocument
Community Squares - Ed Durlacher
Writing for Sets in Order, Ed Durlacher looks back at his successful program of outdoor dancing in New York City parks.===The first evening was more or less a nightmare. ... From the hundred or so the… View itemDocument
Saturday Night in Central Park
This song is from a 1947 musical, Make Mine Manhattan, and refers to the popular Saturday night square dances led by Ed Durlacher in Central Park. Clearly, the dances were enough of a phenomenon that… View itemWebsite
First Lady to the Right - Joe Robertson
The recording comes from a Fretless album, 1973, with Robertson accompanying himself on electric guitar. Robertson, a stone mason from White Creek, NY, close to the Vermont border, was also an… View itemDocument
Polonaise - Grand March
This is a detailed look at the history of the Polonaise, known in the US as the Grand March. Thee name "polonaise" speaks to Polish roots. The author cites a 1685 description of the dance,… View itemWebsite
Grand March
Many square dance events start with a Grand March. The author provides general guidelines, followed by a detailed series of figures,. View itemMoving Image
Canadian Olde Tyme Square Dance Callers' Association 50th Anniversary Dance
This video presents the full two-hour recording of the Canadian Old Tyme Square Dance Callers’ Association Spring Dance, held on April 17, 2004, at Westway United Church in Etobicoke, Ontario.… View itemDocument
"Kitchen Junket"
This evocative portrait of a New England kitchen junket ran over the first four issues of Ralph Page's Northern Junket magazine. Page draws on his own memories to paint a detailed picture of the… View itemDocument
Jim Hopkins Remembers The Neighbourhood Dance Parties Of The 1940s
Detailed recollections of dancing in central Ontario in the 1940s, including neighborhood house parties, dancing at larger halls, and teaching square dance in schools. In other regions, these house… View itemDocument
The Good Old Days - Jack Powelson
Jack Powelson wrote: "This was to have been Chapter 1 of a History of American Folk Dancing, but the other chapters were never written."Larry Edelman writes: "I met Jack Powelson sometime in the fall… View itemDocument