Colin Hume presents descriptions and commentary on all of the 200+ square dances in Northern Junket, a magazine published by Ralph Page from 1949 to 1985.
Square Dance History with David Millstone
Experience the rich history and regional variety of square dancing in this in-depth, three part video series.
With photographs, audio, and video, we’ll travel:
- from 17th century France to Civil War ballrooms
- from New England Grange halls to Texas cowboy balls
- and from Newfoundland to New Mexico
to explore and discuss how this dance form became a staple of American popular culture.
Anti-Racism and the Folk Revival
This article focuses on racism within our traditions, in particular relating to the work of Cecil Sharp and his contemporaries, and on how our history informs our present and should influence our future.
From Ezra Fisher
Shared Weight: Dance Musicians Discussion List
This mailing list welcomes dance musicians and those interested in dance music for any form of traditional social dance. This includes contra, English country, traditional squares (e.g., Appalachian, New England, Quebecois, Cape Breton, etc), community/family/barn, ceili, bal folk, and more. Dance musicians ask/answer questions, discuss issues that come up for them, and share helpful resources. This is a great way to talk to dance musicians from throughout North America and beyond. Join the discussion!
Should Square Music be ‘Square?’
This blog post discusses when (and if) tunes played for square dances should follow the 32-bar AABB format.
From the Dance Caller’s Journal
In this resource, Thomas describes what is needed from musicians for a one-off barn dance. This is a great resource for musicians who are only getting together once for a dance event.
From Thomas Green
Some of the key considerations when playing for old time dances (various dance styles over the evening).
From Vivian and Phil Williams
Antony’s collection includes over 21,000 dances from a wide range of traditions.
From Antony Heywood
This database includes many different styles of dance searchable by dance title, author, publication, and recording. It does not include the actual dance instructions or accompanying music notation.
Hugh Stewart
Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend Syllabi 1998-2017
This is a very extensive collection of traditional dances from New England as called at each annual dance weekend. A significant portion of the program celebrates the tradition’s roots and includes choreography for traditional contras and quadrilles, triple minor dances, singing squares, and couple dances as part of the program.
From RPDLW and UNH
Thanks to the Massachusetts Cultural Council for their generous support.