History of the Square Dance Halls

Square dancing is a traditional folk dance that allows four dance partners to move and sway together while exchanging partners. There are different types of square dances that have evolved over the ages and most are practiced at square dance halls.

History of Square Dance

Square dancing has been a big part of American folk culture since Henry Ford and his wife Betty decided to make it happen in 1903. They thought everyone could do the dance easily because of its quick steps and twirling. He decided to teach the dance after purchasing a large ballroom inside of the Wayward Inn. The dancing program was widespread all across the United States and people soon started to make it popular through the 1920s and 50s.

The Square Dance Halls

After buying the ballroom in the Wayward Inn, Henry Ford wanted to have a dance hall right next to his own home. In 1937, Lovett Hall was built right inside of the Edison Institute close by Ford’s home. The hard wood floors were made out of springboard dedicated to dancing. Ford thought that by expanding into different dance halls, people could learn the value of courtesy, social improvement, and dancing rhythm through square dance. The old fashioned dance soon became a phenomenon in many ballrooms before the Twist came around in the early 1960s. Most square dance halls are now used for young children during summer camp to learn the same values that Henry Ford had taught.