About
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 is no current source that offers a detailed discussion of the development of this form of American social dance. We hope this site helps to fill that need.
Featured Items
Princess Elizabeth square dancing - 1951
This photograph of then Princess Elizabeth square dancing took place during a visit to Canada in 1951. The press coverage helped spur the rapid growth of square dancing in that… ...more
Golden State Round Up 1964
Grand march at the Golden State Round Up, Oakland, CA, 1964. Each row is 4 squares, and there are about 50 rows That's 200 squares, or 1600 dancers. The event featured live music, with an 11… ...more
Schlitz beer ad, 1950
Full page ad for Schlitz beer that appeared in Newsweek magazine, August 21, 1950, attesting to the popularity of square dance in popular culture. Modern Western square dancers were not… ...more
Charley Thomas selling records
Founder of ...more
Doonesbury - square dance
...in which Zonker, a character in Garry Trudeau's comic strip Doonesbury, presents a common view of one social activity... This "Doonesbury Flashback" appeared March 20, 2012, a reprint… ...more
Soco Gap Dancers
Photograph of the Soco Gap Dancers, North Carolina ...more
Old Folks' Frolic
This is a photograph from a news story in the St. Petersburg (Florida) Times of April 7, 1942. Caption: "These lively square dancers and other oldsters performing yesterday brought a… ...more
Cheyenne Mountain Dancers in DC (thumbnail)
This is a smaller version of the photograph. If you want a significantly larger file that can show faces clearly, click here. Identifications of the dancers are with the larger photo. ...more
Featured Exhibit
Lloyd Shaw
Dr. Lloyd "Pappy" Shaw was one of the most influential figures in square dance history. Educator (high school teacher, principal, and superintendent of schools), researcher, author, caller, teacher of callers, and promoter of square dance—through the travels of his young Cheyenne Mountain Dancers, his Cowboy Dancesbook, and his subsequent callers' classes, Shaw sparked a nationwide revival of interest in square dance. In the years immediately after World War II, square dancing boomed as a
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