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

Browse Items (14 total)

  • Tags: Cape Breton
Website

Inverness County Dance Project - Cape Breton

The Inverness Country Dance Project was created in 1986, a detailed ethnographic look at the music and dance traditions of Cape Breton. Now housed at the Beaton Institute, a "cultural heritage… View item
Moving Image

Fiddlers' Festival dance - Cape Breton

We're not sure where this event took place. The musicians here are Brian MacDonald and Hilda Chiasson.This is one of a large collection of videos posted on Facebook by the Cape Breton Music Media… View item
Website

Cape Breton - Inverness Country Dance Traditions

This is a collection of 59 audio and video files collected in 1986 by Barbara Leblanc and Laura Sedowsky for the Canadian Museum of History to document local music and dance traditions. Files include… View item
Moving Image

Dance - Scotsville Fire Hall, Cape Breton

Documentation of a dance in Scotsville, a small community in Inverness County, Cape Breton. The second half of the video is from a different venue, and includes music and step dancing. View item
Moving Image

Mabou Hall Square Set - Cape Breton

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Website

And They Danced - Cape Breton dance

This documentary (47 minutes) is a rich portrait of stepdancing and square dance traditions in Cape Breton Island, particularly in Inverness County. View item
Document

Cape Breton Dance Halls

This undergraduate thesis looks at the dance halls of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Traditional music and dance plays an important role in the life of the communities there, and the dance halls function… View item
Document

Cape Breton Caller Interviews

Jørn Borggreen is author ofRight to the Helm, a detailed study of Cape Breton square sets as observed in 14 communities. The book, now in its 4th edition, provides documentation of the figures for… 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
Moving Image

Cape Breton - Inverness Set

Cape Breton square dance: this is the Inverness set, recorded in Brook Village, Nova Scotia. The video contains three figures. View item
Moving Image

Cape Breton - Iona-Washabuck set

Cape Breton square dance: Three figures of the Iona-Washabuck set, recorded at Boisdale, Nova Scotia. The Iona set is the same as the Washabuck set (hence the conjoined name), and is closely related… View item