Milford chronicle., 1959-10-23
Square Dance
Time
THE DEVELOPMENT OF
SQUARE DANCING

There are no recorded dates for
the beginning of the Square Dance,
as such, but certainly it began in
the early days of the colonization
of America Square dancing be-
gan, not as a dance due to the re-
ligious restrictions of early Colon
ial days, but as series of play
parties or singing games. Recrea-
tional opportunities were very few
in those times and, when the sett-
lers gathered for their town meet
ings, harvest festivals, house rails
ings, husking bees and other SINH
lar occasions, there was a natural
desire to participate in some social
activity. Once the more serious as
poets of these gatherings had been
terminated, the colonists would re-
lax in a social atmosphere. 1t was
during these periods of relaxation
that the fusing of the folk dances
of the European countries began
and thus the American square
dance had its inception.
Space limitations necessitated the
elimination of many movements of
the old European dances. However,
they retained most of the graceful
steps of their folk dances and these
were gradually blended into rhyth-
mic routines. Since dancing, partic-
ularly that with instrumental ac-
compartment, was considered sin
full, these early dances were called
singing genes. Instead of instru-
mental music, those participating
would provide their own music by
singing the lyrics of the songs des-
cribing the movements. Each game
had its own particular song and
was descriptive of the sentiment
which inspired the game.
Because these early gatherings
were usually in some colonist's
home and no large space was avail
able, those attending were broken
into small groups and assigned to
the various rooms of the home,
each group singing and dancing as
an individual unit. This arrange
ment soon became unsatisfactory,
for one group would invaribly fin
ish before the others and would
create confusion by starting a new
game. To overcome this, the re-
sourceful cOlonists adopted the
methods of the modern master of
ceremonies. One of the group.
having strong, clear voice, was
selected as prompter. He would sta
tion himself in a strategic spot in
the cabin where he might be heard
by all the groups. He led the sing
ing and thus kept each group in
step with the others.
As new groups of settlers arrived
IN America and were assimilated in
already established communities
and, as the frontiers pushed west
ward, the play-party or singing
game was developed further. Each
community, however, varied the
songs and steps to conform to the
dances of their homelands. Close
examination of present day dances
will reveal steps taken from some
of the old European folk dances.
including the reels and quadrilles.
The tunes, lyrics and actions of the
songs and dances, as well as the
titles, also reflected the experiences
OF the pioneers and the familiar OBJ
Jects with which they came in
daily contact.
As noted heretofore, musical in
struments at these parties were the
exception in the. early days, how
ever, this prejudice gradually was
eliminated. When the fiddle. the
banjo and the guitar, with an or
gan for chording, attracted the fam
cy OF the participants, the restrict
ions were lifted. The musicians.
like the prompters, usually were
self-taught old timers who played
their instruments with more yigor
than skill. 1t was during this period
OF the introduction of few musi-
cal instruments that the singing
games took on more of the charac-
teristics of the dance.
Throughout the years people mi
grated from one area to another
and dances and figures that they
took with them were blended with
those from other sections of the
country into additional patterns of
beauty and symmetry. Many sec
tlons of the country have developed
distinctive styles of the square
dance. In addition to the Running
Set of the Appalachian area, we
have the clog step peculiar to the
North Carolina area and the o.
ark Mountains, the slow, smooth
shuttle of the deep south; the fast
tempo of the northern midwast