List of U.S. state dances explained

Many states of the United States have adopted official dances as one of their state symbols. The practice has extended to U.S. territories and Washington, D.C.^[1]

Starting in the 1970s, many states adopted square dance as their state dance, the result of a campaign by square dancers to make it the national dance.^[2]

Table

State, district, or territory	Dance	Year adopted
		1981	^[3]
	Square dance	1991	^[4]
		1988	^[5] ^[6]
	Square dance (Official folk dance)
	Square dance	1992	^[7]
	Square dance	1995	^[8]
	None (Maypole proposed in 2016–2017 legislative session)
District of Columbia	Hand dancing	1999	^[9]
	Square dance	1996	^[10]
		1999	^[11]
	Square dance	1989	^[12]
	Square dance	1990	^[13]
		2006	^[14]
	Square dance	1999	^[15]
	Square dance	1994	^[16]
	Square dance	1990	^[17] ^[18]
	None (Square dance was proposed in 1992 and 1994)			^[19]
	Square dance	1995	^[20]
	Square dance	1995	^[21]
	Square dance	1997	^[22]
	Square dance (Official folk dance)	1983	^[23]
	Clogging (Official folk dance)	2005	^[24]
	Carolina shag (Official popular dance)
	Square dance	1995	^[25]
	Square dance	1988	^[26]
	Square dance	1977	^[27]
South Carolina	Square dance (State American Folk Dance)	1994	^[28]
	Richardson waltz (State waltz)	2000	^[29]
	The Shag	1984	^[30]
	Square dance	1980	^[31]
	Square dance	1994	^[32]
	Square dance	1994	^[33]
	Square dance	2011	^[34]
	Square dance	1979	^[35]
	Polka	1993	^[36]

See also

• Lists of U.S. state insignia
• Flags of the U.S. states

External links

• "The State Folk Dance Conspiracy: Fabricating a National Folk Dance", originally published in Old-Time Herald, v.4(7) pp. 9–12, Spring 1995. The State Folk Dance Conspiracy: Fabricating a National Folk Dance Accessed 8 Dec 2017

Notes and References

1. http://www.netstate.com/states/tables/state_dances.htm Official State Dances
2. News: Sampson . Pamela . Critics Claim Square Dance Conspiracy Confuses Culture with Hobby . 11 October 2021 . . October 22, 1996.
3. Web site: 2001-07-12. Official American Folk Dance of Alabama. 2007-03-18. Alabama Emblems, Symbols and Honors. Alabama Department of Archives & History.
4. Web site: Arkansas American Folk Dance, Square Dance, from NETSTATE.COM. www.netstate.com.
5. Web site: 2007. History and Culture - State Symbols. 2008-03-31. The California State Library. State of California.
6. Web site: California State Dance. 12 July 2021. NETSTATE.COM. NSTATE, LLC.
7. Web site: Symbols & Emblems | Archives. archives.colorado.gov.
8. Web site: Connecticut State Folk Dance, Square Dance, from NETSTATE.COM. www.netstate.com.
9. Web site: Austermuhle. Martin. August 27, 2010. What the Heck Is Hand Dancing?. live. 2021-10-09. DCist. en. 2021-10-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20211011063709/https://dcist.com/story/10/08/27/what-the-heck-is-hand-dancing/.
10. Web site: Georgia State Folk Dance, Square Dancing, from NETSTATE.COM. www.netstate.com.
11. http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol01_Ch0001-0042F/HRS0005/HRS_0005-0021.htm
12. Web site: Idaho State American Folk Dance, Square Dance, from NETSTATE.COM. www.netstate.com.
13. Web site: Illinois official Dance. State Symbols. Illinois State museum.
14. Web site: Kentucky State Symbols . Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives . 2007-03-30 . 2007-07-02 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110128223448/http://kdla.ky.gov/resources/KYSymbols.htm . 2011-01-28 .
15. Web site: Louisiana State American Folk Dance, Square Dance, from NETSTATE.COM. www.netstate.com.
16. Web site: Square Dance, Maryland State Folk Dance. msa.maryland.gov.
17. http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/2-32.htm Folk dance of the Commonwealth
18. Web site: State Symbols . 2007-03-18 . Citizen Information Service . Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
19. Web site: Unofficial, Proposed, or Facetious State Symbols - Minnesota . www.leg.mn.gov.
20. Web site: Official State Dances from NETSTATE.COM. www.netstate.com.
21. Web site: Missouri State American Folk Dance, Square Dance, from NETSTATE.COM. www.netstate.com.
22. Web site: Nebraska State American Folk Dance, Square Dance, from NETSTATE.COM. www.netstate.com.
23. Web site: New Jersey's State Dance. The State of New Jersey . The Official Web Site for The State of New Jersey . June 5, 2013.
24. Web site: Official State Symbols of North Carolina . State of North Carolina . North Carolina State Library . 2008-01-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080206210322/http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/NC/SYMBOLS/SYMBOLS.HTM#dances . 2008-02-06 . dead .
25. Web site: North Dakota State American Folk Dance, Square Dance, from NETSTATE.COM. www.netstate.com.
26. Web site: Oklahoma State Folk Dance, Square Dance, from NETSTATE.COM. www.netstate.com.
27. Web site: Square Dance. 8 October 2014 .
28. Web site: SC Statehouse Students' web page, The State Folk Dance - The Square Dance . https://web.archive.org/web/20080315152640/http://www.scstatehouse.net/studentpage/square.htm . 2008-03-15 . 2008-03-31 . South Carolina General Assembly.
29. Web site: SC Statehouse Students' web page, The State Waltz - The Richardson Waltz . https://web.archive.org/web/20080315152522/http://www.scstatehouse.net/studentpage/waltz.htm . 2008-03-15 . 2008-03-31 . South Carolina General Assembly.
30. Web site: SC Statehouse Students' web page, The State Dance - The Shag . https://web.archive.org/web/20080318235030/http://www.scstatehouse.net/studentpage/shag.htm . 2008-03-18 . 2008-03-31 . South Carolina General Assembly.
31. Web site: Tennessee State Folk Dance, Square Dance, from NETSTATE.COM. www.netstate.com.
32. Web site: Texas Legislature Online - 72(R) History for HCR 153 . . 2013-09-09.
33. http://pioneer.utah.gov/research/utah_symbols/dance.html Utah State Folk Dance - Square Dance
34. Web site: Virginia Emblems And Designations . Virginia State Legislature . https://web.archive.org/web/20121016202857/http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?101%2Bful%2BHB1082%2F . dead . 2012-10-16 . 2011-01-19 .
35. Web site: Symbols of Washington State . Washington State Legislature . https://web.archive.org/web/20070305110012/http://www1.leg.wa.gov/Legislature/StateSymbols/ . 2007-03-05 . 2007-03-05.
36. Web site: Wis. Stat. § 1.10(2). . State of Wisconsin . 2014-08-03.