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

Browse Items (359 total)

  • Collection: Northern squares
Sound

Lady Round the Lady - George Wade

Played by George Wade and his Cornhuskers. The tune is Lord Saltoun's Reel. You'll note that the introduction to Wade dance recordings is longer than many others. View item
Moving Image

Lazy H - Tony Parkes

Tony Parkes is calling Ed Gilmore's classic dance, the Lazy H. As the dance progresses, Tony adds variations so that instead of couples doing a right and left through around a standing line of four,… View item
Document

Let's Square Dance! - instruction booklet - Richard Kraus

This a sample instruction booklet from Album 3 in the "Let's Square Dance!" series, aimed at ages 12-14, Grades 7-8. View item
Moving Image

Listen to the Mockingbird - Bob Livingston

Bob Livingston calls at the Killingly, CT, dance, a regular series he has been doing since 1988, although he reports that there have been dances there "forever." The musicians are… View item
Moving Image

Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane - George Hodgson

The song was written by William Shakespeare Hays in 1875, and George Hodgson is the caller for the singing square, recorded January 16, 2004, at the Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend, Durham, NH. The… View item
Sound

Looby Loo (clip) - Piute Pete

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Sound

Louisiana Swing (clip) - Ralph Sweet

Singing square: this clip contains once through the figure and the break, which contains a Grand Square. Recorded at the February 2, 2004, at the Guiding Star Grange, Greenfield, MA, on the occasion… View item
Document

Mal Hayden - Seacoast Demonstration - analysis of dances and tunes

This is a detailed look at the dances, figures, and tunes used in the Seacoast Demonstration called by Mal Hayden. View item
Sound

Mal Hayden - Seacoast Demonstration, 1960

This is Mal Hayden, a New Hampshire caller who straddled the space between traditional and early modern square dance calling. Information about him can be found at the Related Item.Drawing on various… View item
Moving Image

Maple Sugar - Don Messer and His Islanders

No calls, just a choreographed routine from Messer's popular television show. The dances on the Don Messer show were choreographed by Gunter Buchta; he created two new dances each week for the show.… View item
Moving Image

Maple Sugar Gal - Tod Whittemore

Singing square, called by Tod Whittemore at the 24th annual Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend in Durham, NH.The musicians are Bob McQuillen, piano; Randy Miller, fiddle; Peter Siegel, mandolin. The late… View item
Sound

Maple Sugar Gal (clip) - Rod Linnell

This clip includes once through the figure, once through the chorus (which comes after each figure), and the closing break, which mirrors the start of the dance.The dance is described in detail in… View item