The Kansas Square Dance Association was founded in 1951 by 13 couples interested in organizing a district square dance association. Over the years the association expanded, and currently the Association is sub-divided into six regional districts across the state of Kansas.

Like many social activity sub-cultures of the past 50 years, square dancing has had to work hard to recruit new members, retain members, and fill administrative offices. The Kansas Square Dance Association has also encouraged members to travel widely to attend the regular dances hosted by other local clubs. Part of this effort was a practice called "banner stealing," which entails "stealing" banners from other local clubs while attending their dances.

The entire life cycle of a local square dance club is documented in the Strato-Jets Square Dance Club series, including its disbandment in 2010. Because the original membership of that club in Topeka, Kansas was made up of U.S. Air Force personnel, the life of the club was uniquely tied to the culture of Forbes Field, which was reduced to an Air National Guard facility in 1973.

Square dance culture stresses physical fitness, mental alertness, courtesy, costume, and couples. Each organizational office is presumed to be filled by a couple, generally married to one another, but not always. In recent years, singles have created their own sub-culture, sometimes with their own themed dances, acknowledging the role of death and divorce in the ending of partnerships.