In 1994, the Utah State Legislature designated the Square Dance to be the state folk dance of Utah (Utah Code). The Utah Code states “…square dancing means the folk dance which is called, cued, or prompted to the dancers, and includes squares, rounds, clogging, contra, line, and heritage dances”.  Senate Majority Leader Lane Beattie (R-Bountiful) introduced the bill. S.B. 306 was signed into law by Governor Mike Leavitt.

Traditional dances that are enjoyed socially and passed down through generations are known as social folk dances. Characterized by their participatory nature, they are common at community and family events like weddings and parties. While folk dances differ significantly across cultures and regions, their shared aim is to celebrate and uphold traditions. 

American square dancing developed from a fusion of European folk dances, including the English Morris dance, French quadrille, and the Scottish reel. These dances were brought to America by European immigrants during the 17th and 18th centuries and gradually evolved into the contemporary square dance. Early dance instructors, callers, and musicians, were frequently Black and enslaved people. Square dances belong to a wide category of dances that include country dances, traditional dances, folk dances, barn dances, ceilidh dances, contra dances, and Playford dances. 

Square dancing is a type of social folk dance performed by four couples with eight dancers in total, arranged in a square formation. Square dancing almost always involves a caller. A caller directs the dancers through a sequence of choreographed steps and movements. Traditional and modern western square dances are the main North American types, with modern western being widely known and danced globally. Traditional square dance is also called old-time square dance or quadrilles. Modern western square dance, also known as contemporary western square dance or modern American square dance, evolved from the western style of traditional square dance. Modern western square dance has been standardized by CallerLab, the International Association of Square Dance Callers. Contra dancing is similar to square dancing. Both are social folk dances with similar roots and many shared moves, but they differ in their formation and how dances are led. Contra dances are performed in lines, while square dances are performed in a square formation. 

The Latter-day Saint pioneers loved to dance and they participated in wholesome entertainment to escape the rigors of the harsh frontier life. Andrew Love Neff, in his book History of Utah 1847-1869, says “The Mormons love dancing… almost every third man is a fiddler, and every one must learn to dance. In the winter of 1854-1855, there were dancing schools in almost every one of the nineteen school houses, and necessarily so much more attention to dancing involved so much less attention to study.” He went on to say “Let it be remembered that only square dances were indulged in, that the gatherings were opened and closed with prayer, and that preachments were often interspersed with dancing, a happy combination of religion with pleasure and enjoyment…”

The early British traveler, Richard Burton, noted that everyone danced including The Prophet, the Apostles, the Bishops which lent a highly cultural value and worth, and of course it did bring young women and young men together in a social setting which might result eventually in marriage.

In the mid 1990s an attempt was made to pass a bill in the U.S. Congress to designate square dancing as the national folk dance. However, the United States has designated only five national symbols, the flag, the Great Seal, the national anthem, the bald eagle, and the American rose. Having failed on a national level, contemporary square dancers have attempted to coordinate efforts across the U.S. to have square dancing declared the state folk dance of all fifty states. As of 2025, twenty-three other states have designated the square dance as their official folk dance.