Square dance Square dance A square dance is a dance for four couples (eight dancers in total) arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, facing the middle of the square. Square dances were first documented in 16th-century England but were also quite common in France and throughout Europe. They came to North America with the European settlers and have undergone considerable development there. In some countries and regions, through preservation and repetition, square dances have attained the status of a folk dance. The Western American square dance may be the most widely known form worldwide, possibly due to its
Modern western square dance crossover of dancers from one square to another. Modern western square dancing is danced to a variety of music types, everything from pop to traditional country to Broadway musical to contemporary country music, even rock, Motown, techno, and hip-hop. The music is usually played from recordings; the tempo is also more uniform than in traditional dancing, as the "perfect" modern western square dance tempo is 120–128 bpm. At this speed dancers take one step per beat of the music. Modern western square dance is an international movement that has moved into the 21st century, welcoming new generations of dancers, and