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

Browse Items (44 total)

  • Subject is exactly "Southern Appalachian - general"
Still Image

Bennie "Cuje" Bertram

from the website of the Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historical Park "I was born August 24, 1894, in Fentress County on the Three Forks of the Wolf. Alvin York was our next door neighbor. His daddy was a… View item
Sound

Bob Dean - dances from Pocahontas County, WV

Bob Dean was invited to be on staff for the 1980 program at American Dance & Music Week at Pinewoods Camp, a week sponsored by Country Dance and Song Society. This half hour recording by Ed Durham… View item
Document

The Saturday Square Dance and Fish Fry in Dogtown

Cultural historian and old-time fiddler Linda L. Henry has done extensive research into the history of black string band music and dance in Warren County, Tennessee, halfway between Nashville and… View item
Website

The Life and Times of Joe Thompson

This 27 minute documentary about North Carolina fiddler Joe Thompson is a look at music and dance in African-American communities, not just in the 20th century but reaching back in time. Thompson and… View item
Document

Square Dance source list

Bill Martin was an active promoter of square dancing, inspiring musicians and callers to revive older squares and to establish new series. His Bubba Guitar website was a hub of terrific resources,… View item
Website

Larry Edelman Collection - 78 rpm recordings

This large collection (1,358 items) of 78 rpm records is comprised mostly of square dance calling and music, and couples dancing music. It is an extensive assortment of recordings, all of which have… View item
Moving Image

Square Dance - panel discussion

The consultants for the Square Dance History Project look at different aspects of square dance history. Participants include David Millstone, Tony Parkes, Phil Jamison, Bob Dalsemer, Jim Mayo, Larry… View item
Document

Gym Classes in Square Dancing

This article describes the author's experiences teaching square dancing at Vanderbilt University. In addition to describing how the program developed, Prof. Chadwick concludes on an uplifting… View item
Website

Susan Spalding Appalachian Traditional Dance Video Collection, 1988-2002

This collection consists of video recordings of interviews and community dance activities in eastern Kentucky, southwest Virginia, and east Tennessee recorded at various times, 1988-2002. The… View item
Website

The Slave Roots of Square Dancing

This is an easily-read summary of a scholarly article by Phil Jamison on the African-American roots of southern Appalachian dance and, in particular, the pivotal role played by African-American… View item
Document

Cecil Sharp at Pine Mountain Settlement School

Cecil Sharp first encountered southern Appalachian dancing at the Pine Mountain Settlement School in Kentucky on August 31, 1917. (See here for Sharp's notes that day in his diary.) The event became… View item
Website

Eastern Kentucky Folk Dancing Oral History Project

This is a collection of recorded interviews that document the development of traditional square and related dance activity in southeastern Kentucky. The interviews were with mostly elderly residents… View item