The Barn Dance was originated in Scotland in the 1860's. The barn dance was also known as the "Pas de Quartre" which basically was a generic term for American folk dancing in rural communities or the "poor people's ballroom" of the times. It has been said to have first reared its head at the Gaiety Theater when Meyer Lutz composed the tune "Pas de Quatre."

    These parties were usually thrown after the raising of a barn or would be given as a birthday party, homecoming, or wedding etc. These dances were to merge with Square Dancing in the United States.

    Barn dances were very popular up until about 1899 as farmers and common folk would usually not be invited to the fancier balls of the upper class. In the 1930s, Radio stations such as the WLS National Barn Dance Radio Show, broadcasted many Country and Western songs as well as featuring many Country Artists of the day which would add the main link to combine Country music, Barn dancing and Square dances together.

    Barn dances consisted of Waltzes, Virginia Reels, Corn Husking Dances, Jigs, Buck, Schottische dancing etc. Henry Ford the Automaker was very fond of these and Square dances.
mORE TO cOME... See Square Dance for more info

Birth Place

Creation Date

Creator

Dance Type

Scotland

1860s

n/a

Square

Posters, Lobby Cards etc.

Sheet Music Covers

Music Titles

Arkansas Swing

1894 - Sugar Cane Barn Dance

1908 - Four Little Sugar Plums

Hollywood Barn Dance

1899 - Happy Go Lucky

Arkansas Traveler

Square Dance Jubilee

1901 - Silver Slipper Barn Dance

Bake them hoecakes brown

Square Dance Katy

1902 - Kerry Mills Barn Dance

Barn Dance

1904 - Eliza Simpkins

Boatsman

1910 - Empire State Barn Dance

Cluck Old Hen

1957 - Harvest Dance

Country Bumpkin

Celebrated Barn Dance

Hoe Down

Dancing In The Barn

Lancash Barn Dance

Harvest Hop

Oklahoma Hills

Shoefly

Old Red Barn, the

Way Down East

Possum on the Rail

Riverside Hoedown

Wolverton Mt.

Night Clubs

Theaters

Locations

Black Horse Tavern - 1736 (N.Y)

Annapolis

California

Charleston, SC

Merry Mount-MA.

Williamsburg. VA.

Instructional / Exercise

Television

Ballets / Stage

1894 - Highland Fling

1953 - Old AM. Barn Dance

Pas de Quatre

1898 - Clog Dancing

1937 - Barn Dance (Ballet)

1898 - Irish Jig

1898 - Scotch Reel

1898 - Sailor's Hornpipe

Radio

Publications

1929 - Barn Dance

WLS National Barn Dance

7/15/1945 - Life Magazine

$1938 - The Old Barn Dance

$1939 - Destry Rides Again [DVD]

1940 - Village Barn Dance

$1940 - Westerner, the [DVD]

$1941 - Babes on Broadway

1941 - Barn Dance Frolics
(Soundie, Frank Novaks group)

1943 - National Barn Dance

$1945 - Sheriff of Cimarron

1947 - Hollywood Barn Dance

1949 - ABC Barn Dance

$1950 - Summer Stock

$1950 - Wagonmaster

1953 - Old American Barn Dance

Other Related Dances of the time...

Arkansas Traveller

Corn Husking Dances

Jig (Gigg)

Sadie Hawkins Dance

Basse Dances

Country Danse

La Volta

Schottische

Buck Dance

Country Western

Lancers

Strathspeys

Carmagnole, la

English Dance

Landler

Two Step

Clog

Folk Dance

Old Paul Jones

Virginia Reels

Cotillion

Harvest Dance

One Step

Waltz

Contredanse

Husking Dance

Pas de quartre

Dancers, Choreographers etc.

Political

Books, Magazine Articles on the dance...

Title

Author

Date Published

Publisher

Dance Digest Magazine

n/a

10/1938

n/a

Barn Dance Magazine

Radio TV Mirror

8/1952

Musicians

Bands

Singers

Poets / Writers

Misc. Research Words that may be related ... to help your searches

Other...

The dance steps were varied and a Barn dance was really a mixture of dances, altho different today, it can be more commonly known or lumped together with square and Country dances.