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
Square dance such as New England or Appalachian, into their programs. Where traditional square dancing exists as a community social dance (sometimes in the form of a Barn dance or a Ceilidh) people often dress up a bit, though their clothing is not square-dance-specific. While the standard formation for a square dance is four couples in a square, there are many variations on the theme. Here are some examples: Modern choreography also includes dances which morph from one form to another. There are contra dances and four couple longways sets which turn into a square dance part of the way through the