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

Browse Items (1941 total)

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Squareback Reel - Tony Parkes

Tony Parkes calls this composition by Roger Whynot at the Dare To Be Square weekend held November 18-20, 2011, at the John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC. The tune is "Red Apple… View item
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Swing Two Ladies (includes walkthrough) - Tony Parkes

Tony Parkes leads the walkthrough and calls the dance at the Dare To Be Square weekend held November 18-20, 2011, at the John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC. Musicians are Steve Hickman and… View item
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New England Squares workshop sampler

This is a sampler of the dances presented by Tony Parkes in his workshop on New England Squares, November 19, 2011. Each dance is presented in more detail, including many with walkthroughs, in other… View item
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Crooked Stovepipe - Tony Parkes

This dance was taught by Tony Parkes as part of his workshop session on New England Square Dances, recorded November 19, 2011, at the Dare To Be Square Weekend, John C. Campbell Folk School,… View item
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Parisian Star - Tony Parkes

Tony Parkes taught this dance during his workshop session on New England Square Dances, recorded November 19, 2011, at the Dare To Be Square Weekend, John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC.… View item
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Darling Nellie Gray - Tony Parkes

This clip shows two versions of the dance, the traditional version called by Ralph Page as his usual ending dance and a variation by Maine caller Rod Linnell called "Atomic Nellie Gray." A… View item
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The Route - Tony Parkes

The caller is Tony Parkes; musicians are Yankee Ingenuity (Jack O'Connor, mandolin; Mary Lea, fiddle; Cal Howard, bass; Peter Barnes, piano), joined by Steve Hickman, fiddle and harmonica. Filmed… View item
Website

Schroeder's Playboys

Schroeder's Playboys - An Appreciationby Tony Parkes, August 2012If I could be transported back to the 1950s and had my choice of any one square dance band to hear and/or dance to live, it might well… View item
Document

Box the Gnat - a short history

Box the Gnat - a short historyby Tony ParkesNobody seems to know when "box the gnat" took on the standardized meaning it has today inrecreational square and contra dancing. In Instant Hash (1962),… View item
Document

Singing Calls - a short history

History of Singing Squaresby Tony ParkesThe earliest description of a singing square I've found so far (in fairly shallow digging) appears in the first edition (1925) of Good Morning, prepared by Mr.… View item
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Gents and Corners - Tony Parkes

Danced during a Retrospective session at the Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend, January 15, 2011. The caller is Tony Parkes; musicians are Randy Miller, fiddle; Peter Siegel, mandolin; and Bob… View item
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Dick Leger figure - Tony Parkes

Tony Parkes calls a quadrille-style figure that he learned from the calling of Dick Leger. Leger did it as a singing call to the tune of "Wolverton Mountain," a country song made famous by… View item