Square Dancing Basic Calls – Brief descriptions
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Circle Left / Circle Right – Palms up for men, down for ladies.
Forward and Back – 4 counts forward, 4 counts back.
Dosado – Facing dancer, pass right shoulders, slide right, backup passing left shoulders to face.
Swing – Right hips together turning CW, wait on right foot.
Couples Promenade - Rights above lefts, palms up for gents, fingers pointing forward.
Allemande Left / Arm Turns – Forearms, turning ½, release step forward.
Right & Left Grand – start with rights, alternate 5 hands around the square.
Weave the Ring – Same as Right & Left Grand but using no hands.
Left Hand Star / Right Hand Star – Hands pointing upward shoulder high, pack saddle for men.
Courtesy Turn – As couples, girls move forward turning left as boys back up while offering left hand in front, palms up, girls palm down. Couple ends facing the opposite wall.
Ladies Chain – Facing couples, girls give a right, pull by. Men offer left hand palms up and Courtesy Turn.
Pass Thru – Pass right shoulder, no change in facing direction.
Wheel Around – As couples, holding hands, boy backs up, lady moves forward to face opposite wall. From a promenade, designated couple wheels around to face the couple behind, establishing a line of facing couples.
Star Thru – Facing, man’s right, ladies left hand, make an arch as the lady goes under the arch, lady turn ¼ left while men turn ¼ right to end side by side, boy on left, girl on right.
Slide Thru – Same as Star Thru but with no hands.
Rollaway – Girls rolls left in front of the boy a full turn to the other side - side by side.
Half Sashay – Person on right steps forward and slides left to the other side as the person on left slides behind to the right to join hands as a couple.
Ladies In, the Men Sashay – From a circle, ladies step forward as the man slides to the left behind the lady as she steps back to form a circle.
California Twirl – Couples arch, lady ducks under man’s arm to face opposite wall. The man loops right to face the opposite wall as a couple.
Partner Trade – California Twirl with no hands. Face partner passes right shoulder and face in. Ends facing opposite wall.
Bend the Line – As couples, holding inside hands, face the adjacent couple.
U-Turn Back - Turn around in place towards partner to face in the opposite direction.
Backtrack – From star promenade, outside dancer rolls out to promenade to opposite direction.
Dive Thru – Centers arch, outsides duck thru, as archers step forward and California Twirl.
Square Thru – Facing couples, each dancer will give a right and pull by, face in and give a left and pull by. Alternating hands by the number called. No turn on last hand pull by.
Grand Square – Sides face, back away 4 counts & face in, Heads move forward 4 counts & face in. Continue 16 counts, then reverse for another 16 counts to home.
Lead Right / Lead Left – As a couple, lead right/left to face the couple on right / left.
Veer Left / Veer Right – Facing couples both slide right/left to a two-faced line. From a two-faced line, couples slide right/left back-to-back.
Circulate (Couples, Boys, Girls, Ends, Centers) - Move forward to the next position.
Trade (Partners / Couples / Named Dancer) – Always face the opposite the wall. Partners face, pass right shoulders, face in. Couples - change places.
Chain Down the Line – Ladies trade and boys courtesy turns her to face as couples.
Right & Left Thru – Facing couples rights pull by, men offer left hand, palms up and leads his partner as a couple to face the opposite wall in a courtesy turn.
Flutterwheel – Facing couples, dancer on the right use right forearms, bring the opposite back.
Reverse Flutterwheel – Facing couples, dancer on left use left forearms, bringing the opposite lady back.
Sweep a Quarter – As a couple, circle ¼ in direction of flow
Circle to a Line, traditional – From a box of four, circle left ½. The outside couple releases the left hands, veer left to become the left end of a line. The inside couple continue circling making an arch for a California Twirl to become the other end of facing lines.
Circle to a Line, modified – From a box of four, couples veer left, then veer right back-to-back, centers veer right again as out-facers wheel as a couple to form facing lines.
Split 2 – Center dancers go between facing dancers; step forward as other couple slide together.
Separate around one to a Line – Outside dancers turn away to become ends of a line.
Wheel & Deal – Lines facing out; couple on right wheels in first, left couple wheels in behind. From 2-faced line, working as couples, wheel around to face same couple.
Double Pass Thru – Four couples facing in, all pass thru twice.
First Couple go Left or Right, Next Couple go Right or Left – From a completed double pass thru, 1st couple wheels right/left, 2nd couple wheels left/right to form facing lines.
Ocean Wave / Step to a Wave – Couples step forward to form a right-handed ocean wave.
Alamo Style / Balance – Ocean waves in a circle of eight.
Trade (Named Dancers, Right/Left Hand) – Two dancers exchange places by walking forward in a semicircle, passing right shoulders if they are facing the same direction. When holding hands, turn ½ by the right or left.
Swing Thru – In right-handed ocean waves, ends turn ½ by the right and centers turn ½ by the left. Facing couples[T1] step to an ocean wave and Swing Thru.
Run – Move forward around adjacent dancer to face opposite direction. Non-runner slides over.
Cross Run – Move in a semi-circle to vacated spot of farther non-runner. Non-runner slide over.
Pass the Ocean – Facing couples, RH dancers touch left and hinge ¼ one quarter. LH dancer goes to the end of an ocean wave.
Extend – From an ocean wave, drop hands and step to a step to a new ocean wave. If not possible to step to a wave, step forward to face out as a couple.
Zoom – From a double pass thru formation, lead couple separates and rolls behind trailers.
Centers In – Completed double pass thru, trailing dancers’ step in between leaders.
Cast Off 3/4 – As a couple or partners, dancers move forward counting tree walls. As couples, end dancer acts as a pivot. As a couple, move ¾ to face in to a line of four.
Ferris Wheel – Couples facing in step forward to a two-face line, all wheel and deal to center.
Trade By – Couples back-to-back. Centers pass thru as out facers partner trade.
Box the Gnat – Right hands joined, lady turns left under an arch, ends facing opposite wall, hands joined.
Hinge (Single / Couples) – hands joined - ½ a trade.
Touch 1/4 – Touch right hands and turn ¼.
Circulate (All 8 / Single File) – Everyone circulates simultaneously moving to next position.
Tag the Line – Face to the center of the line, pass right shoulders all the way though. Can be followed by: In, Out, Right or Left and dancers then turn in place ¼ in the direction indicated.
Half Tag – Face to the center of the line, leaders pass right shoulders and step to an ocean wave.
Circulate (Split / Box) – Circulate to the next position in the formation.
Fold – Step forward and turn 180 degrees to face the adjacent dancer.
Cross Fold – Step forward and fold toward the farthest inactive dancer.
Scoot Back – From waves, those facing step forward, turn ½ to return facing out. Out facers flip to vacated spot.
Recycle – Ends Cross Folds. Center dancer Folds behind the adjacent dancer and follows to finish side-by-side as Facing Couples.