National Square Dancing Day
Get ready to do-si-do and promenade with a lively group of friends to the sound of fiddles and calls in this fun social dance tradition.
Celebrate community and tradition by promoting square dancing events, lessons, and heritage experiences to niche hobbyist and local audiences.
- Learn the basics: 'Do-si-do into November with beginner square dance classes'
- Heritage spotlight: 'Why 19 U.S. states made square dancing official'
- Community events: 'Find a square dance gathering near you this November'
- Nostalgia angle: 'Experience Old West tradition with modern square dance communities'
Square Dancing has its roots in traditional English, Irish and Scottish folk dance. Square dances were first documented in 17th-century England. They came to North America right along with the European settlers, where they were modified and improved over the years. The Western American square dance is perhaps the most famous type of square dance worldwide; in fact, the square dance is the official dance of 19 American states.
Square dancing is mainly associated with a romanticized image of the Old West, and cowboys wooing Southern belles during dances organized at saloons to celebrate various occasions. The dance is accompanied by jolly, lively music on guitars, fiddles, accordions and bagpipes.
The dances normally form patterns of lines, circles and, as the name suggests, squares, with couples – male/female, female/female or male/male – taking a turn in every role. In most American forms of square dance, the dancers are prompted through the square dance choreography to the beat of the music.
Sometimes, this so-called “caller” is one of the dancers, but more commonly the “caller” is found on the stage with the band. Interest in square dancing, which had waned during the World Wars, experienced a revival in New York City in the 1950s, during the American folk music revival.