Mississippi State American Folk Dance

Square Dance

Adopted on July 1, 1995.

The square dance was adopted as the American folk dance of Mississippi, Chapter 303 of the General Laws of Mississippi on July 1, 1995.

Square Dancing is a folk dance that is associated with America although it has European roots.  Each sequence begins and ends in a square formation

Square dancers perform a variety of steps, which are usually told to them by a person known as a square dance "caller." 

Mississippi State American Folk Dance:
Square Dance

Square dance is a folk dance with four couples (eight dancers) arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, beginning with Couple 1 facing away from the music and going counter-clockwise until getting to Couple 4. Couples 1 and 3 are known as the head couples, while Couples 2 and 4 are the side couples. Each dance begins and ends each sequence with "sets-in-order" in the square formation. The dance was first described in 17th century England but was also quite common in France and throughout Europe and bears a marked similarity to Scottish Country Dancing. It has become associated with the United States of America due to its historic development in that country.

Mississippi Law

The law designating the square dance; as the official Mississippi state folk dance is found in the Mississippi Code, Title 3, Chapter 3, Section 3-3-39.

TITLE 3 STATE SOVEREIGNTY, JURISDICTION AND HOLIDAYS.
CHAPTER 3. STATE BOUNDARIES, HOLIDAYS, AND STATE EMBLEMS.
SECTION 39. State dance.

SEC. 3-3-39. State dance.
The dance known as the square dance is hereby designated and adopted as the American folk dance of the State of Mississippi.

SOURCES: Laws, 1995, ch. 303, Sec. 1, eff from and after July 1, 1995