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

Browse Items (1941 total)

Document

Bill McAdoo - notes on the recordings

These are Bob Dalsemer's notes about the Bill McAdoo field recordings in the Related Item. In addition to transcriptions of McAdoo's calls, Dalsemer notes variations in the dances, describes… View item
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Bill Martin - Oregon Public Broadcast TV

Note: Oregon Art Beat no longer streams this recording, but the video will play on our site.Broadcast in 2003, this public television documentary profiles caller Bill Martin and the old-time southern… View item
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Bill Litchman 3 - Dorothy Shaw

Lloyd Shaw is the name that is widely recognized as an important figure in square dance history; here, caller Bill Litchman describes the crucial role played by Dorothy Shaw, his wife, and says that… View item
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Bill Litchman 2b - Lloyd Shaw, part 2

Bill Litchman continues his discussion about educator Lloyd "Pappy" Shaw and the important role he played in square dance. Here, he focuses on the impact that Shaw's Cheyenne Mountain… View item
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Bill Litchman 2a - Lloyd Shaw, part 1

An interview with caller Bill Litchman about educator Lloyd "Pappy" Shaw and the important role he played in square dance. Many see Shaw as a defining figure in the transition from… View item
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Bill Litchman 1 - Traditional Western Squares

Caller Bill Litchman discusses characteristic features of traditional western square dances, incorporating his memory of Colorado dances that he encountered starting in the 1950s.For a more detailed… View item
Document

Bill Litchman - Rocky Mountain Square Dancing

This overview of square dance history focuses on two major groups of square dance. One group (northern, Eastern, Maritime, etc.) relies on quadrille-style figures, with couples interacting across the… View item
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Bill Litchman - oral history

This is an interview conducted with Bill Litchman as part of the research into preparing a 2018 exhibit on "Square Dancing in the American West" at the University of Denver. Litchman discusses his own… View item
Document

Bill Johnston - Annen Polka Quadrille

Description of the figures for this dance, created by Bill Johnston and shown on video. View item
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Bill Castner - Fiesta de la Cuadrilla

Flyer from the Fiesta de la Cuadrilla featuring California caller Bill Castner View item