Square Dancing Made Difficult
This page is organized by specific calls listed in the order that Callerlab recommends that they be taught. Following each call is a list of variations of it. To locate a specific call use the browser to search for the call preceded by 3 asterisks, e.g. to find Coordinate search for ***Coordinate. Most browsers running on a Mac use Command-F to bring up a search box. On a PC the command is Ctrl-F.
John Sybalsky, a professor of Geography at the University of Alburquerque has written an interesting paper on the cognitive demands that square dancing imposes on the dancers. See What Makes Square Dancing Hard
Extended Applications
- Mixed Sex (e.g. Scoot Back with scooters of different gender)
- Half-Sashayed
- Left or Reverse
- Fractions (1/2, 1 & 1/2, Twice, etc.). When fractions are used with a call, the call is said to be fractionated)
- Somebody only (e.g., Boys Zoom)
- Facing couples rule (e.g., Fan The Top from Facing Couples)
- Ocean wave rule (e.g. Right and Left Thru from an ocean wave
- Unusual formation (e.g., Fan The Top from a Diamond)
- Different formation (e.g., Chase Right from Trade By; Flutter Wheel from 8 Chain Thru; Diamond calls from Point-to-Point Diamonds)
- Those Who Can, Those Facing, If You Want To
In what follows beau refers to the left hand dancer of a couple, belle refers to the right hand dancer.
Club 50 variations
- ***Dosado
- ***Promenade
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***Allemande Left
- In practice, an Allemande Left is sometimes simply an Arm Turn by the left (plus a Step Thru as the dancers head towards their next dancer interaction), e.g. Allemande Left same sex is sometimes called. However, the Caller Lab definition strongly indicates that it is to be done with your corner:
Starting formations
Any formation where dancers can conveniently turn 90 degrees or less to face their corner.
Dance action
If necessary, dancers individually turn in place up to 90 degrees, so that the men are facing wrong way promenade direction and the women are facing promenade direction. Left Arm Turn at least halfway around (180 degrees) until the men are facing promenade direction and the women are facing wrong way promenade direction. Step Thru.
Ending formation
Right and Left Grand Circle with everyone facing their partner.
Teaching Tips
Dancers learn where their corner is by gradually being exposed to a wider variety of Allemande Lefts as they gain experience.
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To an Alamo Ring, boys Run Right, boys Run Left, girls Run Right, girls Run Left. sequence diagram
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Called the following from an eight chain thru formation
Right and Left Grand
When you meet your partner alamo style ...
Swing Thru
Girls run right
Girls run left
Girls do a back flip and a half twist at home and bow to your partner
This requires that the last left Pull By of the Right and Left Grand be replaced by a turn similar to what is done in Allemande Left to an Alamo Ring. In both cases the men are moving counterclockwise and the women are moving clockwise and they use their left hand to turn. sequence diagram
- Wrong way Allemande Left: sequence diagram
- Triple Allemande (an old-timey call)
Allemande Left (1)
Girls move into a right-hand star
Corners Allemande Left (2) when they meet
Boys move into a right-hand star
Corners Allemande Left (3) when they meet
Promenade home
- Walk dancers thru a parasol allemande: sequence diagram
- ***Pull By
- Ocean Wave Rule applies
- Named dancers diagonally pull by taminations. This is the A1 cross call
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***Right and Left Grand
- Wrong-way (still start with right hands but proceed clockwise), e.g.
turn your partner right
go back to the corner
do a wrong way left and right grand
- Mixed up (some men going clockwise and some going counterclockwise): sequence diagram
- A Wrong Way Right and Left Grand from a half-sashayed square will have the boys pulling their partners by first (with the right hand).
- Ocean Wave rule applies
- From a static square call "Sides face" and then called Right and Left Grand instead of Grand Square
- Right and left grand often precedes the return to a static square. However some callers return to a static square without using right and left grand, weave or promenade, e.g., sequence diagram or sequence diagram
- Called Right and Left Grand from lines facing in. You have to turn to face your partner to begin otherwise you won't see her.
- Daisy Chain: From a grand right and left position: (This movement is a grand right and left moving up two persons then doing a wrong way grand position.) Pull by right hands, take left hands with the next and arm turn half way, go back one, right arm turn 1/2 with this dancer and pull by, grand left and right two dancers, with this dancer arm turn 1/2, go back one dancer, left arm turn 1/2. Usually the above movement is repeated four times (go forward two dancers and back one dancer).
- Red Hot:
Face your partner
Turn her by the left to an Allemande Thar (boys will be touching right hands)
Shoot the Star (make sure the Trade is complete, i.e., don't Hinge)
To the right hand lady (vis-a-vis home position), Turn her by the right
Go back to your partner, turn her by the left a full turn around to your corner
Turn your corner by the right
Back to the partner
Partner by the left
Do an Allemande Thar (can now repeat)
- Men and women arrive home at different times: sequence diagram
- When men had their opposite ladies as partners, right and left grand was called which seemed wrong. However, the caller rectified that by saying "on the third hand" promenade your partner home. It will be the original partner because the men started out with their original opposite ladies. sequence diagram.
- Half of a right and left grand equals right pull by, left pull by
- From a static square Jerry called a sequence that referred at various times to the partner, right-hand lady and corner:
rollaway "now your new partner is besides you boys,
start with the right hand"
right and left grand
swing your right hand lady
promenade her
heads wheel around
square thru 4
right to the partner, pull her by
allemande left to the corner
home you go, get along home
sequence diagram
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***Weave the Ring
- Reverse (still start passing right shoulders but proceed clockwise)
- Mixed up (some men going clockwise and some going counterclockwise)
- Ocean Wave rule applies
- ***Chain down the line
- Chain 3/4 from diamonds
- From a star promenade. Ladies turn star 1/2, men courtesy turn them. Ends in square with everybody facing in.
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***Two Ladies Chain (men chain, ladies courtesy turn them)
- ***Four Ladies Chain (men chain, ladies courtesy turn them)
- ***Pass Thru
- Left
- Ocean wave rule
- Create lines of three by having the head men take both their corner and their partner and go forward and back. The three-dancer lines are on a 45 degree diagonal. Pass Thru called on these diagonal lines
- After a Pass Thru in a static square, the dancers that pass thru should end up butt to butt not as replacements for the dancers they pass thru with: sequence diagram.
- As couples
- As many times as you can: sequence diagram
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- ***Wheel Around
- ***Star Thru
- Reverse (Men use left hands, women still go under arch)
- Ocean wave rule does not apply since wrong hands are being held in the wave
- Star Thru from a normal eight chain thru formation results in lines facing in. From a half-sashayed eight chain thru formation the dancers end in lines facing out. sequence diagram
- ***Slide Thru
- Can be done with same sex, see taminations
- From ocean waves
- Do it two or more times
- And roll: taminations. Ends in eight chain thru formation
- Roll twice afterwards
- Nine consecutive Slide Thrus sequence diagram
- Slide Thru 3 times but only do it twice, we'll save one for later. ... Eventually he said it is later and everybody did the last Slide Thru. This is particularily challenging if there is more than on thing saved for later. The brain has to be focusing on the calls while remembering the call(s) that will be done later
- As couples: taminations. Need same gender couples.
- Slide Thru 9 times: taminations. Tom talked a mainstream class through this.
- ***Half Sashay
- ***Rollaway
Reverse, men get rolled away
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***Ladies center Men sashay
- Reverse, men center, ladies sashay
- Jerry got dancers into a lines facing in formation and gave each couple the option of doing a half-sashay. This meant that it was very likely that some couples would not be normal. He then got everybody normal: sequence diagram
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***Bend the Line
- Called four times times in rapid succession, between pass thrus: sequence diagram
- And roll: taminations. Ends in completed double pass thru formation.
- a Bend the Line and a Cast Off 3/4 result in the same formation: sequence diagram.. Cast Off 3/4 is the scenic route.
- Forms a square starting from offset two-faced lines: sequence diagram
- Can be called from intersecting two-faced lines to form a square: sequence diagram
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***U-Turn Back
- Body flow can cause both dancers to turn in same direction rather than towards one another. This affects the roll command if it is given.
- Only designated dancers U-turn back
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Called U-turn once and a half followed by Wrong Way Right and Left Grand. Body flow meant the the half U-turn was away from the partner. sequence diagram
- And roll: taminations. Ends is trade by formation.
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***Dive Thru
- ***Square Thru
- ***Grand Square
http://puzzlecrowd.com/sqdance/grand_square_heads_quarter_tag_girls_roll.html
- Sides Face call not followed by Grand Square. It was merely to get dancers into the home position.
- Four men did a Grand Square while the ladies watched: sequence diagram.
- ***Lead Right
- ***Veer Left/Right
- ***Couples Circulate
- ***California twirl
- While Promenading, couple # 4, make and arch and California Twirl, everybody else Dive Thru that arch and Promenade your partner back home.
- Wrong way Promenade, don't stop, side couples California Twirl, lines forward and back. This is essentially the same as having the sides Wheel Around since the sides will end up in the same position except the path they take to that position is different (compare California Twirl and Wheel Around). But if Roll is the next call they are different.
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***Trade
- Fractionated, e.g. once and a half from static square to form a wrong-way thar: sequence diagram
- Triple Trade from tidal wave
- Triple Trade from 3/4 tag formation
- Triple Trade from point to point diamonds
- 1/2 partner trade is the same as a partner hinge
- Remake (an A2 call)
- Trade 1/2 twice. From mini-waves this is equivalent to a trade. However if dancers are facing the same way it is not equivalent to a trade: sequence diagram
- Partner trade and roll: taminations. Ends with traders facing one another
- Partner trade once and a half immediately followed by boys doing a mixed trade: sequence diagram
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***Couples Trade
- From lines facing out
- Fractionated, e.g. once and a half from static square to form a wrong-way thar: sequence diagram
- ***Right and Left Thru
- ***Flutter Wheel
- ***Circle to a Line
- Fractionated, e.g. Circle 3/4 to a line. No need to break out because you will end up in a line.
- Reverse circle to a line: sequence diagram. Note that in this example men would have to walk under an arch formed by a woman if Simple Style were employed. If the man is much taller than the woman this might be awkward so Callerlab Style or Modern Style might be more comfortable.
- In Plus dancing Single Circle to a Line is usually called far more frequently than Circle to a Line. The result is that some dancers reflexively do the single circle version instead
- ***Separate
- Head couples separate and star thru: sequence diagram
- Head couples separate and all Star Thru
- Outside couples separate and touch a quarter: sequence diagram
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Separate and walk around 3 (not including walkers). sequence diagram.
- Separate and walk around 3 (including other walkers)
- Separate, men walk around 1, women walk around 3
- Heads separate, beaus go around 1, belles go around 2, to a line
- Heads separate and everybody single circle to a wave: sequence diagram
- ***Double Pass Thru
- Ocean wave rule: From quarter tag formation
- Fractionated. Called 3/4 Double Pass Thru for dancers in a double pass thru formation. This ended in a 3/4 tag formation.
- Double pass thru after all 8 Crossfire from intersecting two-faced lines sequence diagram
- Double Pass with nobody: sequence diagram
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***First Left/Next Right
- Only first couple go left, forming offset two-faced lines
- ***Step to a Wave
- Facing couples rule means that often this call will not be explicitly made
- Yellow Rock to a wave
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***Dosado to a Wave
- ***Run
- Boy Run, girls don't move: sequence diagram
- From t-bones girls run
- And roll. The sliders do not roll: taminations
- The runners don't run "around" anybody; they do a 180 towards a location.
- As couples: taminations
- Men run once and a half and Roll to get into position to swing the slider.
- Head men (2 of those) "weaved" through a wave: Head men Run Right, head men Run left, head men Run right.
- Men as a couple run around girl couples and roll (dancers roll individually).
- Half of a double run equals a run
- Centers run and roll: taminations. Ends in t-boned lines
- ***Cross Run
- Everybody Cross run sequence diagram
- As couples run: taminations
- Warned the boys to be ready for an upcoming call. When it came it was called in a wave with the boys in the center. The call was boys run ... around each other! Of course the first reflex was for the boys to run around the ends. They were warned!
- ***Swing Thru
- Swing Thru 3/4: sequence diagram. Ends in diamonds
- 3/4 (right) swing thru from left-hand waves ends in left-hand waves: sequence diagram
- Swing Thru 3/4 twice: sequence diagram. Ends in ocean waves
- Swing Thru once and quarter: sequence diagram. Ends in ocean waves
- Swing Thru once and quarter from left-hand waves: sequence diagram. Note that the centers do the 1/4 turn so it ends in facing diamonds with right-hand centers.
- Swing Thru once and a half: sequence diagram. Ends in ocean waves
- Swing Thru once and 3/4: sequence diagram. Ends in diamonds
- Swing Thru from a left-hand wave (centers trade first)
- Left Swing Thru from a right-hand wave (centers trade first)
- All four couples swing thru from static square
- In wave of 6: sequence diagram
- Swing thru once and a quarter in a wave of 6 sequence diagram
- Swing thru called in a tidal wave is not a grand swing thru. The two waves act independently
- taminations. Everybody Rolls if Roll is called at the start of the Swing Thru. Otherwise only the center dancers Roll.
- As couples: taminations
- Any hand: taminations
- From a static square heads swing thru, turn thru and courtesy turn. Heads end in same position as if head ladies chained thru. Sides should back up a bit to give the heads room to do the swing thru. sequence diagram
- Half of a double swing thru equals a swing thru
- And roll: taminations. Ends in double pass thru formation.
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***Pass the Ocean
- Ocean wave rule applies
- Called multiple times in a row, centers don't let go and turn a quarter each time, ends move up a quarter each time.
- Mixed sex, girls are not always in the middle
- Same as split circulate once and a half from facing lines
- If head Pass the Ocean the women are in a Z-formation and they can Peel Off
- Sides long pass the ocean. sequence diagram
- Called from a ring: sequence diagram
- ***Extend
- From double pass thru formation
- From 3/4 tag formation
- From a 1/4 tag formation, if only boys extend, then offset connected boxes are formed.
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Extending from a left-hand wave creates a left-hand wave. Some ways to form left-hand waves include
- From a right-hand wave, Follow Your Neighbor (with no Spread)
- From facing lines, Dixie Style to an Ocean Wave
- From facing couples, Reverse Single Circle to a Wave
- From a eight chain thru formation, Left Touch a Quarter
- From a right-hand wave, Trade the Wave
- From an eight-chain thru formation, Left Dosado 1 1/2
- U-Turn Back from a right-hand ocean wave
- Cross Run in a right-hand ocean wave
- Left 1/2 Tag the Line
- Left 3/4 Tag the Line
- From a right-hand wave, Recycle and Roll
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As couples taminations
***Zoom
- Fractionated: e.g. Zoom 3/4
- Only designated dancers Zoom, e.g., Centers Zoom from columns
- From Completed double pass thru formation
- From Columns
- From T-bones
- From Diamonds
- Girls zoom, while boys ping pong circulate: sequence diagram
- Single dancers zoom with phantom: sequence diagram
- Single dancers zoom (not as part of a tandem), e.g.,
Leaders in a completed double pass thru formation 3/4 Zoom (e.g., if you are facing North you will end facing East), the others Partner Trade. This ended in the home position
- And roll. Only the lead dancer rolls. Does a 360 + 90 degree turn.
- Tandem on a diagonal, e.g. in a 1/4 tag formation, beaus and ends of wave zoom.
- 3/4 zoom from back-to-back couples. They are all leaders so everybody turns back: sequence diagram
***Centers In
***Cast Off 3/4
- Fractionated, e.g. Cast Off 1/2
- From Alamo wave
- From Thar
- As couples: taminations. Note that this is an A1 call.
- Remake (an A2 call)
- Only girls cast off 3/4 forming t-boned couples: sequence diagram
- When you extend to start a Cast Off 3/4 (as in peel the top or follow your neighbor) do not count the Extend as one of the turns.
- Jerry likes to emphasize going with the flow. But he gave two examples where reversing the flow is not a serious disruption of the dance. The first is Weave the Ring where the dancers alternate between going clockwise and counterclockwise. The second was calling Cast Off 3/4 instead of Bend the Line after a Trade: sequence diagram.
- And roll: taminations. Finishes in a completed double pass thru formation.
***Ferris Wheel
- From t-boned couples
- a. Finish a ferris wheel from connected offset boxes sequence diagram
- b. Finish a ferris wheel from disconnected offset boxes sequence diagram
- c. Finish a ferris wheel from diagonal boxes sequence diagram
- d. Finish a ferris wheel after leading left/right from lines facing out sequence diagram
- Followed by a roll and wheel and deal: sequence diagram
Jerry: When I did that Wheel Around after the Ferris Wheel and Roll you boys were a little bit alarmed about that. Remember the principles of Roll: finish the call, don't leave that real estate, turn another quarter in the same direction the body was flowing. The reason you had trouble was because the boys stood there by themselves, there was somebody beside you that you could have joined hands with and then you could have taken the body flow and gone ahead and done your wheel around.
- Ferris wheel that ends in t-boned couples:
sequence diagram
***Wheel and Deal
***Trade By
***Box the Gnat
- If done using left hands it is called Swat the Flea.
- Swat the Flea and Roll: sequence diagram. Ends in eight chain thru formation.
- Ocean wave rule
***Hinge
***Hinge:Couples
***Touch 1/4
***Circulate
***Tag the Line
***Half Tag
- Called from right-hand wave taminations
- Called several times in quick succession but does not dance well: sequence diagram
- Left shoulder half tag from left-hand two-faced lines
- Two half tag the lines do not equal a tag the line
- Line of 8, half tag the line called from a tidal line. Ends in right-hand columns
- From right-hand two-faced lines with boys and girls together, had the boys 1/2 tag and the girls wheel and deal: sequence diagram
- From right-hand two-faced lines with boys and girls together, had the boys 1/2 tag and the girls wheel and deal: sequence diagram
- Started with t-boned couples arranged in boy and girl couples and had everybody 1/2 tag and face in: sequence diagram
***Fold
- From ocean waves, all 8 fold which put dancers close to a position to Swing which was called next.
- Ends fold and roll: taminations. Only the folders roll. Ends in t-boned lines.
***Cross Fold
- Called as "Men do their part of a Recycle"
- Adjacent men cross fold: sequence diagram
***Scoot Back
- From Left-hand waves
- From Right-hand columns
- From Left-hand columns
- From Quarter Tag
- From Left-hand quarter tag
- Fractionated: 1/2, leaders 1/2 run, trailers extend and hinge. Forms a right-hand two-faced line
- Two half scoot backs do not equal a scoot back
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If the caller calls centers Scoot Back. the ends don't move. If the caller then calls everybody Scoot Back, everybody moves. Note that if the caller alternates calls to center Scoot Back and everybody Scoot Back, the center dancers do a left Scoot Back for the first call and a right Scoot Back for the second call.
- From right hand waves, girls circulate, boys scoot back (the places that the girls would normally circulate to have been vacated by the boys when they did the scoot back). This is a C1 call named scatter scoot
- Roll: taminations. The scooters do not roll because they are moving straight ahead at the end. Ends in t-boned lines.
- As couples: taminations
- With invisible dancers: sequence diagram
- All 8 scootback: taminations
- Leaders dodge instead of roll: taminations
- Boy to boy scootback where boys are not adjacent
***Recycle
- Right-hand tidal wave
- From offset connected boxes sequence diagram
- Sweep a quarter to form offset lines
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After recycling from right-handed waves, dancers are in an eight chain thru formation facing their partners. It is not uncommon to call Right and Left Grand from this formation. Jerry began to do so with the raised voice that he often uses for that call. But then at the last second he said "Thru" instead of Grand which also works from that formation. He called Right and Left Grand next.
- Recycle from left-hand waves flows counterclockwise. If single circle to a wave called next it must be a reverse single circle to a wave
- From a wrong-way thar: sequence diagram
- Around center box: sequence diagram
- Girls at end of a tidal wave (with boys in the center) do a recycle across the boys: sequence diagram
- Talked dancers through Cycle and wheel (note that this is an A1 call)
- Stretch taminations. Needed to be walked thru because it is a C1 concept
- And roll: taminations. Ends in left-hand waves
- And roll (from left-hand waves): taminations. Ends in right-hand waves
Mainstream variations
- ***Cloverleaf
- After heads Pass Thru
- And roll: taminations. Note that only the trailers roll. Ends in t-boned lines
- From a static square with all dancers facing out (after having done a Turn Thru), everybody Cloverleaf being sure to pass right shoulders.
- Cloverleaf while the others Box the Gnat. This is Clover and (Anything) which is an A1 call.
- ***Dixie Style to an Ocean Wave
- ***Do Paso
- ***Eight Chain Thru
- ***Pass to the Center
- ***Walk Around the Corner
- ***Seesaw
- ***Spin Chain Thru
- ***Spin the Top
- Facing couples rule, e.g., from eight chain thru formation
- Facing couples rule, e.g., from lines facing in
- Spread called at end
- Centers Spin the Top in a tidal wave to form wrong-way thar:sequence diagram
- Called 4 times in a row
- Sides Spin the Top twice from a static square. Need to step to a wave first.
- If spin the top starts with facing couples, the caller must say left Spin the Top if he wants them to do a left spin the top. This will cue the couples move into a left hand wave.
- Called Spin the Top from a Tidal Wave (Grand Spin the Top) resulting in a column of three couples with the remaining two dancers attached to end couples in the column: sequence diagram
- From 6 person wave with diamond in the very center: sequence diagram
- And roll: taminations. Ends in double pass thru formation
- ***Turn Thru
- ***Walk and Dodge
- From right-hand columns
- From t-boned boxes (1 leader)
- From t-boned boxes (2 leaders): sequence diagram
- Boys walk, girls dodge from eight chain thru
- Three by one walk and dodge from3 and 1 lines
- Inside boy walk, outside boy dodge: sequence diagram
- From lines facing out
- Centers walk and dodge in lines facing out (same as a half sashay)
- Centers walk and dodge in lines facing in (same as pass thru)
- Fractionated: 1/2, e.g. from right-hand waves sequence diagram
- Walk and Dodge 1/2 and finish it after resulting center wave swings thru. Walkers end up in the wave in center where they swing thru and then complete the walk and dodge by stepping forward. Dodgers finish their dodge.
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Called a boys Walk, girls Dodge from lines facing out. It would seem that this is illegal since CallerLab definition says that the starting formations are Box Circulate and Facing Couples. However, the CallerLab definition holds only if genders are not specified. If genders are specified, then a Walk means to move forward and a Dodge means to slide over. This is essentially a step and slide which is an A1 call.
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There are flow considerations when calling Walk and Dodge. From the definition:
Be careful when using this call as some calls don't flow well or feel good after a Walk and Dodge (e.g., "Walk and Dodge, Bend the Line" or "Walk and Dodge, Wheel and Deal" are not good body flow for half of the dancers). sequence diagram
- As couples: taminations
- From columns, circulate once and a half, center six walk and dodge. From each dancer's point of view it is just like Walk and Dodge from a box circulate.
- From columns, 6 walk, 2 dodge. (2 leaders walk instead of dodge)
- Boys to boys walk and dodge (boys are not adjacent) sequence diagram
- Head girl walk, side girl dodge: need to remember if you were a side or a head. Note there are two head girls and two side girls.
- ***Allemande Thar
- ***Wrong Way Thar
- ***Shoot the Star
- ***Slip the Clutch
Plus variations
- ***Acey Deucey
- From completed double pass thru
- From trade by
- From 3/4 tag
- From diamonds
- From interlocked diamonds
- Fractionated, e.g. once and a half from right-hand waves. Note that the boys form a big diamond, the two lonely boys and the very centers of the wave of six form a small diamond and the ends of the center wave of four and the two lonely boys form a medium diamond. Diamond circulate can be called for all these diamonds.
- Fractionated: centers go once and a half, forms diamonds
- Acey deucey and spread is smoother if the dancers anticipate the spread if they do it before they get into the wave.
- In summary, acey deucey can be called from many different formations because of the universality of the trade and circulate moves. A circulate can be done by any arrangment of the end dancers and a trade can be done by any arrangement of the center dancers.
- ***Teacup Chain
- ***Ping Pong Circulate
- From left-hand 1/4 tag formation. Note that ends of the wave always pass other dancers with their left shoulders and that center wave is always a left-handed wave.
- Boys only from 1/4 tag (example of dancers on the outside path)
- Girls only from 1/4 tag (example of dancers on the inside path)
- From I-formation sequence diagram
- All 4 couples Ping Pong Circulate. When starting from a static square, the couples get into a Wrong-Way Thar like that of all 4 couples Swing Thru. When starting from a Wrong-Way Thar, dancers facing same way step straight forward out of the Wrong-Way Thar and Trade.
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Split Ping Pong Circulate: sequence diagram
- ping pong circulate 1/2. Ends in waves
- ***Load the Boat
- ***Extend
- ***Peel Off (once you find the tandem you are in most of them are straightforward with the exception of these)
- From right-hand columns. Note that trailers could turn toward center and end in correct position. However if roll was called next they would end facing the wrong direction.
- From t-bones
- From static mini waves
- Peel Off and Roll from completed double pass thru. Emphasized that dancers need to restablish handhold to compress the square. Also emphasized that if you start the roll before you finish the call then dancers probably will not end up in the correct position. For example, looking at the above Taminations link, if dancers 1 and 3 were not adjacent when they began the roll, they probably would end up as a couple, not a tandem. Ends in double pass thru formation.
- Jerry defined Cross Peel Off as a regular Peel Off preceded by a Half Sashay. As in a regular Peel Off, the leaders will become ends and the trailers will become centers.
After a Tag the Line: sequence diagram.
From two-faced lines: sequence diagram.
- Cross peel off from completed double pass thru: sequence diagram
- A Peel Off involves a leader and a trailer who are separated by some distance. After the Peel Off they should end up on the imaginery line that is halfway between them. The leader has to roll and step to that line and the trailer has to step to that line and roll.
- Jerry emphasized that after doing a Tag the Line or a Double Pass Thru, it is important to compensate for the shift you needed to make to accomplish the call. Otherwise you will not have nicely formed lines and call like Peel Off may be difficult to execute correctly.
- ***Linear Cycle
- ***Coordinate
- From 3 and 1 lines
- From t-bones: sequence diagram
- Mixed sex, men are in positions 1 & 3 and end up in the middle
- No trading
- Centers of resulting waves cast off 3/4 instead of trade to form diamonds
- Girls don't trade when they meet, hinge instead which will end with boys as points of a diamond with the girls in a wave in the center
- Called a Wrong-way Promenade after a coordinate. sequence diagram
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From facing lines: sequence diagram
- ***(Anything) and Spread
- ***Spin Chain the Gears
- ***Track 2
- ***(Anything) and Roll
The execution of a roll requires two pieces of information: the direction of flow at the beginning and whose hand to grab at the end. Regarding the hand grab, there are three possibilities, grab hand of person on your right, grab hand of person on your left and don't grab any hand. The latter happens in these cases which involve t-bones
Chase Right and Roll
Scoot Back and Roll
- ***Follow Your Neighbor
- From left-hand waves
- From quarter tag
- From right-handed t-bone
- From left-handed t-bone
- And spread from quarter tag
- Trailers follow your neighbor and spread as leaders box circulate once and a half from right-hand waves. Note that this is the C3A call "Follow to a diamond"
- Starting with a 1/4 tag formation, called Follow Your Neighbor four times in rapid succession. Each one was different: sequence diagram
- An ambiguous call: "Follow Your Neighbor and Spread twice". Was that
Follow Your Neighbor and Spread, Follow Your Neighbor and Spread or
Follow Your Neighbor and Spread, Spead (which is equivalent to a Follow Your Neighbor without a Spread.
- As couples: taminations
- From lines facing in, boys do their part of a Follow Your Neighbor, girls dodge and extend to form right-hand diamonds: sequence diagram
- ***Fan the Top
- From diamonds. Creates a point-to-point diamond, sometimes called a marquis diamond.
- Left from eight chain thru. This is tricky because the dancers that cast off after the wave is established cast off by the right not the left!
- All 8 fan the top. Like All 8 spin the top except initial trade is not done
- Women normally do the cast off 3/4. Men can be casters also
- Fan the top on diamonds switches back and forth between a right (left) hand diamond and a point to point diamond: sequence diagram
- Followed immediately by a spin the top
- ***Explode the Wave
- ***Explode and (Anything)
- And partner trade
- And roll
- And crossfire
- The definition of Explode is 'Everyone releases handholds, steps forward and turns a quarter in (90 degrees) to face the adjacent dancer.'. If dancers hold hands after the Explode it will make it obvious that they are in facing lines. Therefore anything that can be done from facing lines can be the Anything, e.g., Pass the Ocean. And since facing lines can step to a tidal wave (Facing Couples Rule), anything that can be done from a wave can also be the Anything, e.g. Swing Thru.
- If the caller does not call the (Anything) right away, dancers should form lines facing in and anticipate the next call.
- ***Relay the Deucey
- Fractionated: if centers freeze before doing last Cast Off 3/4 and ends finish the call, diamonds will be formed.
- And face in: sequence diagram
- If starting from a left-hand wave, the caller does not have to say left relay the deucey because the definition says that "each end and the adjacent center dancer turn one-half (180 degrees)" which is hand agnostic.
- ***Peel the Top
- ***Diamond Circulate
- ***Single Circle to a Wave
- ***Trade the Wave
- ***Flip the Diamond
- ***Grand Swing Thru
- Facing couples (lines actually) applies
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From static square, sides face, grand swing thru. Sides need to step to outer mini waves and the heads need to step to the center wave. Then do the grand square thru
- ***Crossfire
- ***All 8 Spin the Top
- ***Cut the Diamond
- ***Chase Right
- From trade by
- From right-hand t-bones
- From left-hand t-bones
- From mixed t-bones
- Inside out chase right (made up call by Jerry): sequence diagram
- Chase right and roll taminations. Chasers do not roll.
- Half chase Right and Roll: sequence diagram. Finishes in eight-chain thru formation.
- Leaders chase right while trailers circulate: sequence diagram
- A wave is formed by the chasers during the call. The dancers in the wave are asked to swing thru and then extend to finish the call. sequence diagram.
- When boys meet they scoot back. The boys will do the scoot back from the aforementioned temporary wave that is formed during the chase right. The scoot back is possible because of the Ocean Wave Rule.
- When boys meet they start a Follow a Neighbor, girls turn a quarter more from where they finished the chase right.
- Girls chase right in staggered lines: sequence diagram
- From lines facing out, girls in middle chase right, boys at ends don't move even though they could do a chase right.
- Girls Chase Right thru a Diamond made up of boys.
- As couples: taminations
- From lines facing out, boys do their part of a Chase Right while girls Scoot Back: sequence diagram
- Two chase rights. The second one is just a circulate twice
- ***Dixie Grand
- ***3/4 Tag the line
Jerry set things up so that after calling 3/4 tag the line, when the dancer swung the returned to home position: sequence diagram
- ***Spin Chain and Exchange the Gears
- Turn star full turn (boys lead the exchange)
- Turn star half turn (boys lead the exchange)
- Freeze when exchanging dancers form a column and do a coordinate. See Taminations and drag the thumb to about 5.5.
- Add "last man jump ship". If you go here, the last men (which he called the cabooses) are dancers 4 and 8. When they pass each other they trade to exchange sides.
- The exchange part of Spin Chain and Exchange the Gears is actually the Challenge call Walk Out to a Wave
- If roll called everybody rolls except the cabooses
- From a tidal wave: sequence diagram
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Jerry workshopped a double exchange where the 'snake' doesn't stop in the wave but keeps going to return to the end it started from and form a wave there. The dancers pass left shoulders on the return trip.
- Notice that when dancers are exchanging the gears, they form a slanted column before they form the final waves. This inspired calling "finish a spin chain and exchange the gears" from right-hand columns. That was just another name for the C1 call Walk out to a wave
Advanced
- Motivate starting from a double pass thru formation. The circulate forms parallel ocean waves, then the ends circulate 1/2 and the centers cast off 3/4 getting the dancers in position to finish the Motivate
- Single file promenade 1/4 reminiscent of box counter rotate in a left hand box, end up facing next wall in a counterclockwise direction.
- Calling centers switch to a wave from right-hand diamonds creates a right-hand hourglass.
T-bones
See taminations and Vic Ceder
- (Walk and Dodge and Load the Boat) sequence diagram
- (Swing Thru Once and Quarter) sequence diagram
- T-bone transformations: sequence diagram
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Version 1: From a static square to lines facing in the hard way
Head left touch a quarter
Boys touch a quarter
Center box circulate
Boys trade
Boys roll
Centers walk and dodge
touch a quarter
centers trade
boys run
sequence diagram
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Version 2: From a static square to lines facing in the hard way
Head left touch a quarter
Boys touch a quarter
Center box circulate
Boys trade
Boys roll
Girls run
Girls roll
Boys face in
sequence diagram
- Leaders circulate 1/4: sequence diagram
Square Dancing Formations
Often at a dance, the dancers in a square linger after a tip to retry some call they got wrong. Ideally the caller will come over and help them. But if the caller is not available, then they will have to get into the formation that caused the problem on their own. This list shows how to quickly get into 35 different formations starting with a static square.
Square Dancing Concepts
There are 36 Concepts listed in Taminations. They are listed below. They are a rich source of material for an EA caller. In fact, Jerry or Tom have walked us through instances of 13 of the 36 at some point in the last year. These are marked in red in the list.
Any Hand Concept demonstrated with Swing Thru. Jerry taught this recently.
Same Sex Concept. I am calling this a concept because it modifies the definition of Allemande Left to allow same sex dancers to do it.
As Couples demonstrated with Chase Right
All 4 Couples Concept demonstrated with Chase Right
All 8 Concept demonstrated with Swing Thru
Concentric Concept demonstrated with Concentric Chase Right
Butterfly Concept demonstrated with Chase Right
O Concept demonstrated with Chase Right
Siamese Concept demonstrated with Diamond Circulate
Stretch Concept demonstrated with Chase Right. Note this is Jerry's Inside Out Chase Right that he has had us do a couple of times
Tandem Concept demonstrated using Bend the Line
Triple Box Concept demonstrated with Flutterwheel. Note the 4 boxes are the box with dancer 1&8 and two phantoms (at the end), the center box of dancers 2,3,7, 6 and the box with dancers 4&5 plus two phantoms (at the end). That is a total of 12 dancers: 8 people and 4 phantoms.
Triple Wave Concept demonstrated with Swing Thru. There are 3 waves shown. One with dancers 4&3 and two phantoms, one with dancers 1,2,6,5 and one with dancers 7&8 and two phantoms
Crazy Concept demonstrated with Flutterwheel. Jerry has done this several times on Thursday.
Cross Concentric Concept demonstrated with Recycle
Diagonal Box Concept demonstrated with Scoot Back. Jerry has definitely done this with us.
Disconnected Concept demonstrated with Swing Thru. Jerry had done this with us many times
Funny Concept demonstrated with Slide Thru 9 times. Tom has done this with us.
Offset Concept demonstrated with Circulate
Once Removed Concept demonstrated with Chase Right. Jerry has definitely done this with us.
Parallelogram Concept demonstrated with Walk and Dodge. We have definitely done Parallelogram Right and Left Through
Reverse Crazy Concept demonstrated with Reverse Flutterwheel. Possibly done by Jerry.
Solid Concept demonstrated with Touch a Quarter
Stagger Concept demonstrated with Double Pass Thru
Stretched (Formation) Concept demonstrated with Wheel and Deal
Finally Concept demonstrated with Swing Thru
Initially Concept demonstrated with Spin the Top
Twosome Concept demonstrated with Trade
Centers Concept demonstrated with Load the Boat. Tom has definitely called this.
Diagonal Box Concept demonstrated with Circulate
Echo Concept demonstrated with As Couples Half Tag
Fan Concept demonstrated with Spin the Top
Mirror Concept demonstrated with Right and Left Thru
Reflected Concept demonstrated with Tag the Line
Reverse Order Concept demonstrated with Right and Left Thru. Jerry has done this.
Split Phantom Boxes Concept demonstrated with Acey Deucey
Two Faced demonstrated with Spin the Top
Z Concept demonstrated with Chase Right
Miscellaneous
- Hearing instructions for the first time, no matter how good they are is like following gps instructions on a crowded road you have never been on.
- What men have to be aware of if they dance the woman's role in a normal couple.
- When the caller says women, girls, gals or ladies he/she is talking to you
- A woman's partner is on her left
- A woman's corner is on her right
- A woman has a left-hand man
- A woman faces into the center after an allemande left to an alamo ring.
- A woman inherits the head/side status of her current partner
- A woman progresses counter clockwise to different square positions during a singing call
- A woman is usually the "pusher" in an Allemande Thar
- In circles with alternating men and women, a woman's palms are down
- Promenade: a woman promenades on the outside with her palms down
- Swing: a woman that does not want to swing wears a "Do Not Swing Me" badge. Pretend that you have one on.
- Left and Right Grand/Weave the Ring: a woman goes clockwise
- Star Thru: a woman makes an arch using her left hand, goes under it and turns to her left
- California Twirl: a woman turns left as she goes under the arch
- Courtesy Turn: a woman offers her left hand to the man
- Dive Thru: a woman involved in the center arch has to conclude the call by going under the arch while turning left
- Circle to a Line: the woman replaces the unwinding action with a forward and left-turning twirl, walking under an arch made with the adjacent dancer
- Circle to a Line: Head woman does not let go of hand of side man
- Wheel Around: a woman goes forward
- Half Sashay: a woman goes in front
- Box the Gnat: a woman turns left as she goes under the arch
- Women in the Men Sashay: a woman goes forward and back, the men have to adjust
- Ladies chain: a woman uses her right hand to turn and extends her left hand to be courtesy turned
- Dixie Style to an Ocean Wave: a woman pulls by with her right hand and quarter turns the man by the left
- Flutterwheel: a woman uses her right hand to turn the opposite woman and her left hand to bring the man back
- Chain Down the Line: a woman trades in the center and extends her left hand to the man to be courtesy turned.
- Reverse: do what you normally do
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To Stir the bucket
Ladies Chain 3/4
Men circle (left) 3/4
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Working with lines at 45 degrees sequence diagram.
- Quarter out. Note that this is an A1 call.
- Dancers move thru very unusual formations: sequence diagram.
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The following calls had four dancers circling while the other four dancers performed a series of moves which ended with an Allemande Left with the circling dancers
Promenade
Heads put lady in the lead single file
Heads keep going, don't stop
Sides wheel to the middle to form facing couples and do the following:
| Move | Ending Formation |
|---|
| Star Thru | Facing couples |
| Right and Left Thru | Facing couples |
| Veer Left | Two-faced line |
| Crossfire | Box Circulate |
Look for corner (heads are rotating counterclockwise)
and do an Allemande Left (need to know your corner!)
Right and Left Grand
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The following sequence required dancers to know whether they were heads or sides for almost every call. All dancers participated in only two calls. The dancers were in right-hand two faced lines at the end.
Heads Right and Left Thru
Heads Pass the Ocean
Ping Pong Circulate
Ping Pong Circulate
Side men Roll
Heads Recycle
Head men Face In
Girls Peel Off
Boys Bend the Line
sequence diagram
- Sometimes club 50 calls are called very rapidly: sequence diagram
- Example of clockwise flow being carried across three calls.
From right-hand two-faced lines
Ferris Wheel
Roll
Reverse Wheel Around
sequence diagram
- After rearranging a static square, asked original heads to do something.
- Nice feeling of flow with a Reverse Flutterwheel following a Reverse Wheel Around
- From a static square Jerry stacked the following calls (i.e. called them in rapid succession, faster than the dancers could perform each call)
Sides Swing Thru
Spin the Top
Slide Thru to end up in their original positions
sequence diagram
- From a static square, Jerry called heads Left Square Thru followed by Left Spin Chain and Exchange the Gears. A Left Square Thru was called because it is preferable for dancers to alternate hands. If you look at heads Left Square Thru 4 you will see that it uses the right hand for the last pull by (note that a heads Right Square Thru uses the left hand for the last pull by). Therefore the next call should start with the left hand doing something which Left Spin Chain and Exchange the Gears does. This has nothing to do with flow because a Square Thru ends with a pull by which sends the dancers in a straight line that flows neither clockwise or counterclockwise.
- Heads Lead right (dancers end in a eight chain thru formation)
Everybody Lead right (dancers end in lines facing out)
Of course many dancers veered instead because that is the call that usually follows a Lead. Listen before you leap! sequence diagram
- Yellow rock your right-hand lady: sequence diagram
- Sides form left-hand star and turn 3/4 until you meet corner: sequence diagram
- Trick call: turned an alamo ring counterclockwise by having boys circle left and girls circle right:sequence diagram
- Only the sides face and do a Grand Square while the heads do the following
Square Thru 4 (10)
Cloverleaf (8)
Come into the middle and Pass Thru (2)
Cloverleaf again (8)
Come into the middle (2)
Square Thru 3 (8)
Swing your corner
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Some square dance pointers from Jerry to keep in mind
Have fun
Master the basics
Listen
Keep the square tight and connected
Avoid confusing other dancers with talking or stray arm movements
Flow to the beat
Blend flourishes correctly into the call
Remember who your corner is
Remember who you are (belle, beau, head, side)
Be precise in turning and walking
Know left from right
Be gentle
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Starting with a wrong way thar with men in the center and having men run around the women creates a formation that can either be viewed as intersecting two-faced lines or intersecting diamonds. Here it is interpreted as intersecting diamonds: sequence diagram
- Tricky sequence
Ends Run
Ends Trade (these are the previous centers)
sequence diagram
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Most plus calls are made up one or more of these types of calls
Circulate
Trade
Run
Cast off 3/4
Hinge
(Fold)
- Everybody face your partner twice. Your partner changes after the first face your partner and you get your orginal partner back after the second face: sequence diagram
- Technique for dancers to get into squares if the number of dancers is not a multiple of 8. If you are an extra couple go stand behind some couple in a square and replace that couple when dancers return to home position. The replaced couple then moves behind the couple to the right and waits.
- Heads step forward and face your corner, Split the outside two, around one and come down the middle. The heads are the active couples at this point so only heads will do the following: Pass Thru, Separate, go around and stand behind somebody. At this point the dancers are in a double pass thru formation with sides facing in the middle. The call Right and Left Thru will be done by the sides since they are the only dancers that can do it and they will assume active dancer status.
- Fisherman's luck
- Starting from a half-sashayed static square
4 boys Chain (boys use right hands for the star)
girls Courtesy Turn the boys (boys should extend left hand and put right hand behind back)
4 boys Flutter Wheel (since they are half-sashayed, boys have their right hand free which is a requirement for a regular Flutter Wheel)
4 girls Reverse Flutter Wheel (since they are half-sashayed, girls have their left hand free which is a requirement for a Reverse Flutter Wheel)
- Call sequence that contains first boy go left, second boy go right: sequence diagram
- Two 360 degree turns in a row from recycle and zoom: sequence diagram
- If caller says "Now", turn 360 and continue what you were doing.
- Tag 3/4, Girls cloverleaf, boys spin the top: sequence diagram
- A possible way to fix a broken square: sequence diagram
- Each square picked a captain who told the square to do either a Relay the Deucey or Spin Chain the Gears. Then the captain has them do the other.
- Super sweep where heads sweep 3/4 clockwise and sides sweep 1/2 counterclockwise: sequence diagram
- Sweep it home where only the sides have to sweep a quarter: sequence diagram
- Butterfly formation: sequence diagram
- Working with independent blocks: sequence diagram
four ladies chain
half sashay
separate
right and left grand
sequence diagram- Gimmicks compiled by Clark Baker (http://puzzlecrowd.com/sqdance/gimmicks.html)
- Challenge Square Dancing: Myths and Responses
- The Challenge Square Dancing Handbook by Clark Baker
- From right-hand normal columns, boys only veer left and finish a ferris wheel. Remember that part of Veer Left is a step forward.
- Lines of 4 Split Circulate 1-1/2 is not the same as Pass the Ocean if a Roll is called. See sequence diagram
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Start with static square.
Left Allemande like an Allemande Thar
Shoot the Star and go forward two new girls.
Slip the Clutch and Pass three to your corner.
Allemande Left and Promenade home
sequence diagram
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