Square dance

Lore & Background

The origins of square dances can be traced back to steps and figures used in traditional folk dances and social dances from many countries. One of the earliest influences may have been the Morris dance, an English dance for six men involving a line formation and energetic steps. This dance is closely related to another ancestor of square dancing, English country dance, which included a variety of dances for groups of couples arranged in circles, lines, or squares. Three of the dances, such as 'Dull Sir John', specifically use the term square dance in the phrase, 'A Square Dance for eight thus'. In the early 1800s, English country dances merged with French dances to form the quadrille, a dance for four couples in a square. These dances further evolved in America, where they arrived with European settlers. After the American Revolution, the quadrille became especially popular. Quadrilles were originally danced from memorized steps and sequences, but as African American slaves played music for the dances, they began calling out the steps. This practice became common by the early 1900s and gave rise to the modern caller. Between 1940 and 1960, modern western square dance evolved from the western style of traditional square dance that had formed in the United States. Traditional western square dancing was promoted beginning in the 1930s by Lloyd Shaw, who solicited definitions from callers across the country in order to preserve that dance form and make it available to other teachers. The American folk music revival in New York City in the 1950s was rooted in the resurgent interest in square dancing and folk dancing there in the 1940s, which gave musicians such as Pete Seeger popular exposure. Starting in the 1970s, many U.S. states adopted square dance as their state dance, the result of a campaign by square dancers to make it the national dance. Modern western square dance is taught in around 30 countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, China, Japan, and Russia. Because of standardization by Callerlab, anyone with the proper training can dance modern western square dancing in many countries around the world.

Reader's Guide

Square dance holds significance as a social and folk dance tradition that has spread globally, with roots in English, French, and other European dances. Its development in North America, particularly through the influence of European settlers and the later addition of the caller—a practice that emerged from African American musicians calling out steps—shaped a distinct American form. The dance's association with the romanticized American cowboy in the 20th century helped cement its cultural identity, leading 31 U.S. states to designate it as their official state dance. The legacy of square dance includes two main North American types: traditional square dance, with regional styles such as Northeast/New England, Southeast/Appalachian, and Western, and modern western square dance, which became standardized internationally through Callerlab. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, related forms include Playford dances, regional folk dances, ceili, Irish set dances, and Scottish country dances. Square dance continues to be practiced worldwide, with clubs and events organized by various groups, and its music ranges from traditional tunes to modern styles. The dance's adaptability and preservation efforts have ensured its survival into the 21st century, with revival groups often presenting it alongside contra dances or freestyle couple dancing.

Did You Know?

• African American slaves, playing music for quadrilles, began calling out the steps, a practice that became common by the early 1900s and gave rise to the modern caller.
• Modern western square dance is taught in around 30 countries, and calls are always in English, allowing international participation.

Roots in European Social Dancing

Square dance traces its lineage to a long chain of European social and folk traditions. Among the earliest influences was the Morris dance, an energetic English form performed by six men in a line. Closely related was English country dance, which featured groups of couples arranged in circles, lines, or squares. Three of those, including one called "Dull Sir John," even used the exact phrase "A Square Dance for eight thus." These early squares already employed concepts still recognizable today, such as head couples performing a figure and side couples echoing it. By the early 1800s, English country dances had merged with French traditions to produce the quadrille, a four-couple square formation that would become a direct ancestor of the modern form.

The Birth of the Caller and Musical Identity

Originally, square dancers relied on memorized sequences of steps, performing routines without any verbal guidance. That changed dramatically when African American musicians, who played the music for these social gatherings, began shouting out the steps to the dancers. This practice, which became widespread by the early 1900s, gave rise to the modern caller—a figure who cues dancers through a sequence of moves to the beat and, in some traditions, the phrasing of the music. Today, most American square dance forms depend on this prompted structure, while other variations around the world still favor memorized choreography with no caller at all. The music itself spans a wide spectrum: some traditions stick to traditional tunes, while others embrace more contemporary styles. In the United States, the dance is strongly linked to the romanticized image of the 20th-century American cowboy, a cultural association that helped cement its identity as a distinctly American art form.

A Global Family of Formations and Styles

The dance family stretches across continents and cultures. In the United States and Canada, the main types include traditional square dance—subdivided into Northeast/New England, Southeast/Appalachian, and Western regional styles—and modern western square dance, which has achieved worldwide recognition. In England, Ireland, and Scotland, related forms carry different names: Playford dances, regional folk dances, ceili, Irish set dances, and Scottish country dances. In many countries and regions, repeated preservation and performance have elevated square dances to the status of folk dance. The standard four-couple square can also flex, sometimes accommodating more or fewer dancers or arranging them in a different shape entirely, showing that the form is far more fluid than its name suggests.

Preservation, Revival, and Cultural Advocacy

The survival and spread of square dance owe much to deliberate preservation efforts. In the 1930s, Lloyd Shaw began promoting traditional western square dancing by soliciting definitions from callers across the United States, aiming to document the form and make it accessible to other teachers. Between 1940 and 1960, modern western square dance evolved out of that western traditional style. The 1940s also saw a resurgent interest in square and folk dancing in New York City, which became the soil from which the 1950s American folk music revival grew, giving musicians like Pete Seeger a platform for popular exposure. Starting in the 1970s, a campaign by square dancers to establish the dance as the national dance of the United States led to 31 states adopting it as their official state dance. Today, dances are organized by clubs, bands, individuals, and similar organizations, and attire ranges from strict dress codes to no requirements at all, reflecting the form's continued adaptability.