The rich story of North American square dance finally has a home in the digital age. Square dancing has been an integral part of American social life for centuries. Traditional square dance was vital for generations of Americans, especially in rural communities; in the post-World War II era, modern square dance similarly enjoyed participants numbering in the millions. Despite its popularity, the history of square dance has not been well documented. Scores of books explain specific figures and calls, but there is no current source that offers a detailed discussion of the development of this form of American social dance. We hope this site helps to fill that need.

Do you know when, where, and how the square dance started?

What was dancing like long ago?

If you wanted or needed to know, how could you find out? Would you take the word of a modern day expert? What if you could go back in time and ask the people who were there? Would you like to experience those early days for yourself? There is a way…

This website is a collection of historical items concerning the American square dance. It is part of a larger project to understand the development of this form of dancing. The sources include novels, poems, songs, magazines, newspapers, etc., in short anything and everything that can shed light on this subject.