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

Browse Items (1941 total)

Moving Image

First Two Gents Cross Over - Adam Boyce

Traditional singing square dance, recorded in West Newbury, VT, on July 24, 2010. The caller and fiddler is Adam Boyce, accompanied by piano player Donna Weston. Adam has the women crossing over after… View item
Document

Finding List of Southeastern Square Dance Figures

Author J. Olcutt Sanders embarked on a serious effort to track down examples in other regions of square dance figures found in the Southeastern United States. He devised a shorthand method of… View item
Document

Fiddling to Henry Ford - Literary Digest, 1926

Henry Ford attracted considerable attention when he showcased the dance fiddling of Mellie Dunham, from Maine. This lengthy contemporary account describes that relationship in detail. "Mr.… View item
Document

Fiddlin' and Square Dancing Are Back

Newspaper article (1971) written by caller Betty Casey, describing the start of the Green Grass Cloggers.Percussive clogging in choreographed routines had been made popular at the Mountain Dance and… View item
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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
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Fiddle Faddle - Jim Mayo

Jim Mayo, caller; dance composed by Jim York, recorded at the Dare To Be Square dance weekend held at the John C. Campbell Folk School, in Brasstown, NC: November 18-20, 2011 View item
Sound

Festival Quadrille (clip) - 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
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Fenton "Jonesy" Jones calling square dance

Fenton "Jonesy" Jones made numerous appearances as a square dance caller in Hollywood movies. This is one example; if a viewer can identify the source, we'll update that information in this site and… View item
Still Image

Fenton "Jonesy" Jones - photos

This collection of photos of Fenton "Jonesy" Jones includes several from movies in which he appeared. #3 - publicity photo #4 - calling in the 1940s #5 - calling in 1949 #6 - with… View item
Sound

Fenton "Jonesy" Jones - interview

This lengthy interview (nearly three hours) with Fenton Jones was conducted by Bob Dalsemer and Drew Tronvig in Los Angeles in 1985. Dalsemer recalls: "In November, 1985 I toured the West Coast… View item
Document

Fenton "Jonesy" Jones - Sets in Order, February 1961

Cover drawing and appreciation of the caller View item
Document

Feature Square Dancer - Nebraska, 1956

These are excerpts from two early issues (Vol. 1, #1 and #4, both 1956) of the Feature Square Dancer, a newspaper published by Bill Shilling, brother of Colorado caller Marvin Shilling. To see similar… View item