Square Dance Day
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Overview
Annually observed on November 29th, Square Dance Day celebrates the traditional American folk dance where four couples, forming a square, execute synchronized movements guided by a 'caller.' This day recognizes the dance's rich history, its role in fostering community spirit, and the joy of this unique cultural art form that blends music, movement, and social interaction.
Origin and story
A defining feature of square dancing is the 'caller,' who sings or chants commands, guiding dancers through figures and movements in real-time, often without the need for pre-memorized routines.
Square dancing holds official recognition in over 30 U.S. states, designated as their state folk dance or state dance; Wyoming was the first to adopt it in 1955.
Quick facts
- DateNovember 29
- TypeCultural / community observance
- Great forFriends, Families, Classrooms, Teams
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Ways to celebrate
Square dancing's 20th-century American revival has a genuinely uncomfortable backstory: in the 1920s, Henry Ford — who also published antisemitic writings blaming Jewish musicians for jazz's popularity — funded fiddle contests, radio programs, and a dance instruction manual to push old-fashioned square dancing as a wholesome alternative to jazz. The dance itself, though, has much deeper and more varied roots than Ford's campaign suggests, with historians tracing elements of its calling tradition back to enslaved communities.
Actually learn the moves
- Find a local square dance group or beginner class and learn a few basic calls — do-si-do, allemande, promenade — with a live or recorded caller.
Read the fuller, more complicated history
Helpful resources: The Chicago Sun-Times examines Ford's role in the dance's 20th-century promotion in "Henry Ford, America's hateful square dance instructor."
Trace its older roots
- Look into the call-and-response tradition behind square dance calling, which historians link partly to enslaved communities who used it as a way to teach steps without a formal instructor.
Did you know?
Ford was so invested in the square dance revival that he required some of his own employees to attend the dances he organized, treating the old-fashioned social dance as a deliberate cultural counterweight to jazz.
Fun facts
- A defining feature of square dancing is the 'caller,' who sings or chants commands, guiding dancers through figures and movements in real-time, often without the need for pre-memorized routines.
- Square dancing holds official recognition in over 30 U.S. states, designated as their state folk dance or state dance; Wyoming was the first to adopt it in 1955.
- The origins of square dancing can be traced to various European folk dances, including French quadrilles and English country dances, which evolved into its distinct American form.
Sources and attribution
External links may lead to third-party websites.
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FAQ
- When is Square Dance Day?
- It is observed on November 29 each year.
- What is Square Dance Day?
- Annually observed on November 29th, Square Dance Day celebrates the traditional American folk dance where four couples, forming a square, execute synchronized movements guided by a 'caller.' This day recognizes the dance's rich history, its role in fostering community spirit, and the joy of this unique cultural art form that blends music, movement, and social interaction.
- How do people celebrate Square Dance Day?
- Learn basic square dance calls at a local class, and read up on the dance's complicated 20th-century history, including Henry Ford's antisemitic campaign to promote it as an alternative to jazz.
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