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 accepting international influences more clubs and associations are encouraging a variety of dress, from casual jeans and T-shirt, to "square dance attire," to prairie skirts, and all styles of dressy and casual clothes. It is very common, particularly at event dances, for dancers to wear a club badge showing their club and personal name. The square functions as a "dance team" for the duration of a "square dance tip", a group of dances usually separated from the next tip by a pause during which the dancers regroup into new squares. A square dance tip is usually composed of a combination