||This article needs additional citations for verification. (May
2011)| A square dance is a dance for four couples (eight
dancers) arranged in a square, with one couple on each side,
facing the middle of the square. Square dances were first
documented in 17th century England but were also quite common in
France and throughout Europe. They came to North America with
the European settlers and have undergone considerable
development there. In some countries and regions, through
preservation and repetition, square dances have attained the
status of a folk dance. The Western American square dance may be
the most widely known form worldwide except dances from China
and India, possibly due to its association in the 20th century
with the romanticized image of the American cowboy. Square
dancing is, therefore, strongly associated with the United
States of America. Nineteen US states have designated it as
their official state dance. The various square dance movements
are based on the steps and figures used in tradition