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

Browse Items (357 total)

  • Collection: Northern squares
Sound

Dive for the Oyster (clip) - Chris Sanderson

Audio clip of Chris Sanderson calling with the Pocopson Valley Boys, popular caller and band from southeastern Pennsylvania. Opening figure: Bow to your partner, Bow to your corner, hands all… View item
Document

Dixie Folk syllabus - 1951

This is the square dance portion of the syllabus from the Dixie Folk and Square Dance Institute held in Georgia in 1951. New Hampshire caller Ralph Page presented a selection of typical New England… View item
Sound

Do-Si-Do and Face the Sides - Ted Sannella

Ted Sannella calls his dance, Do-Si-Do and Face the Sides, in a live recording from c. 1958. In Balance and Swing, Ted explains, "I wrote this dance in February, 1953 for a dance exhibition at the… View item
Moving Image

Do-si-do and Face the Sides - Tony Parkes

Tony Parkes calls Ted Sannella's square dance, Do-si-do and Face the Sides, at the Dare To Be Square weekend held November 18-20, 2011, at the John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC. The tune is… View item
Moving Image

Do-Si-Do and Face the Sides - Tony Parkes

Tony Parkes is the caller in this excerpt of a Ted Sannella composition, "Do-Si-Do and Face the Sides." The dance, at the Kingston, New Hampshire town hall on the evening of November 18,… View item
Sound

Do-Si-Do and Face the Sides (variation) - Ted Sannella

This clip is part of a series of eight square dances called by Ted Sannella at the Chesapeake Spring Dance Weekend, sponsored by the Folklore Society of Greater Washington. (Ted called another four or… View item
Sound

Don Durlacher - Jones Beach

Don Durlacher, son of Ed Durlacher, was a regular summer caller at Jones Beach outside New York City, calling with the Top Hands band that his father had used for many years. At this dance, the… View item
Still Image

Don Durlacher - Jones Beach photo

Photograph of dancing at Jones Beach during the Don Durlacher era. A related interview with Glenn Durlacher (son of Don, grandson of Ed) looks at the Durlachers' involvement with the Jones Beach… View item
Document

Don Messer - souvenir booklet

The Don Messer Jubilee Show toured extensively, bring Down East music, song, and dance to audiences throughout the US and Canada. Messer was well known thanks to his weekly television show broadcast… View item
Sound

Doo Dar - Dudley Laufman

The dance is a singing square set to Camptown Races. This audio file begins with an introduction about Linn Cady, and then additional comments from Dudley Laufman, who was the Farm & Wilderness… View item
Sound

Down East Squares - 1950s, #1

Live recording made by Dudley Laufman (1955-57) at Orange Hall, Brookline, Massachusetts. Released on cassette tape as "Traditional and Ethnic Square Dance Music of New England —… View item
Sound

Down East Squares - 1950s, #2

Live recording made by Dudley Laufman (1955-57) at Orange Hall, Brookline, Massachusetts. Released on cassette tape as "Traditional and Ethnic Square Dance Music of New England —… View item