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There are several ways to identify dancers in a square.

(a) PARTNER / CORNER. From a squared set with normally arranged couples, each man's PARTNER is the dancer on his right, and each man's CORNER is the dancer to his left. Each woman's PARTNER is the dancer on her left, and each woman's CORNER is the dancer to her right. From a circle of alternating men and women facing in, the man's PARTNER is the adjacent dancer to his right and the man's CORNER is the adjacent dancer to his left. The woman's PARTNER is to her left and the woman's CORNER is to her right.

(b) HEADS / SIDES. From a squared set, the heads are the two couples facing towards or away from the caller (or the wall the caller is on in very wide halls) and the sides are the other two couples. From other formations, dancers retain their HEAD or SIDE identity (i.e. HEADS means Original HEADS). When a woman promenades to a position other than that where she started, she acquires the identity of that position. This is common in singing calls but is also true in patter.

When the head man is promenading with the side lady, the following commands are all acceptable and have the same meaning: "HEADS Wheel Around", "HEAD MAN with the lady you've got, Wheel Around", or "HEAD MAN and the girl with you, Wheel Around".

(c) COUPLE #1, #2, #3, #4. From a squared set, the couple with its back to the caller's wall is COUPLE #1. The couple to their right (counter-clockwise when viewed from above) is Couple #2, and so on. Typical usage would include "Couples 1 and 3 make a right hand star". The phrase "COUPLES 1 AND 3" means the same thing as "HEADS".

(d) BOYS / GIRLS. The BOYS are those dancers who initially squared up as the left-side dancers of each couple. The GIRLS are those dancers who initially squared up as the right-side dancers of each couple. The terms MEN, GENTS, GENTLEMEN, and GUYS are synonymous with BOYS. The terms WOMEN, LADIES, and GALS are synonymous with GIRLS.

(e) CENTERS / ENDS. In any line or column of 4 dancers, the two dancers in the center are called the CENTERS and the two dancers on the end are called the ENDS. The identification of CENTERS or ENDS is independent of facing direction.

CIRCLE FAMILY

Starting formation - two or more dancers. (a) CIRCLE LEFT, (b) CIRCLE RIGHT. Dancers join hands to form a circle, face slightly left or right as directed and move forward around the circle the distance directed. When left or right is not specified for circle, it is a circle to the left.

FORWARD AND BACK

Starting formation - single dancer. Each dancer steps forward three steps and pauses while bringing the free foot forward and touching it to the floor without transferring weight. Each steps back three steps beginning with the free foot and pauses while touching the free foot beside the weight-bearing foot. From facing lines of four or similar situations where eight counts are not appropriate, each dancer steps forward and pauses while bringing the other foot forward and touching it to the floor without transferring weight. Each steps back on the free foot and pauses while touching the other foot beside it.

DOSADO

Starting formation - facing dancers. Dancers advance and pass right shoulders. Without turning, each dancer moves to the right passing in back of the other dancer. Then moving backwards, each passes left shoulders returning to starting position.

SWING

Starting formation - facing dancers (man and lady). Dancers step forward ending right side to right side and move around each other turning in a clockwise direction four or more counts. Dancers break out of the swing. The lady continues turning to her right until facing the same direction as the man, they form a couple.

COUPLES PROMENADE

Starting formation - promenade. As a unit the couple walks forward around the circle counterclockwise. Unless otherwise specified, they promenade until reaching the man's home position. At the end of the promenade the couple turns, as a unit, to face the center of the set. If promenading to the man's home position, the couple always goes at least one quarter around the square. If need be, they continue past the man's home position for another full time around.

ALLEMANDE FAMILY

Starting formation - any position where dancers can conveniently turn 90 degrees or less to face their corner.

(a) ALLEMANDE LEFT: Dancers face their corners and turn by the left forearm. Releasing armholds and stepping forward, each dancer ends facing his partner.

ARM TURNS

(c) RIGHT ARM TURN: Like left arm turn except dancers turn with the right forearm.

RIGHT AND LEFT GRAND

If necessary, dancers turn 90 degrees or less to face opposite sex (men counter-clockwise, ladies clockwise) join right hands, if not already joined, and pull by. Each moves ahead, around the circle, and gives the left hand to the next, a right to the next and a left to the next until each dancer meets the person with whom he started. Starting formation - square or circle or any position where dancers may conveniently turn 90 degrees or less (if necessary) to face opposite sex, men facing counterclockwise, ladies clockwise

WEAVE THE RING

A right and left grand without touching hands.

Starting formation - square or circle or any position where dancers may conveniently turn 90 degrees or less (if necessary) to face opposite sex, men facing counterclockwise, ladies clockwise.

STAR FAMILY

Starting formation - facing dancers, facing couples, square, circle. (a) LEFT HAND STAR, (b) RIGHT HAND STAR. The directed dancers step forward and extend designated hands to form a left or right hand star. Dancers turn the star by walking forward in a circle around the center of the star. Turning distance of the star may be specified in fractions of one quarter, one half, three quarters, or a complete revolution.

LADIES IN, MEN SASHAY

Starting formation - circle or line with alternating men and ladies. With all dancers facing in, the ladies step forward and pause, while the men move to the left behind and past one lady. Ladies step back and rejoin hands with the men. If the circle is moving to the right, the men sashay to the right.

COURTESY TURN

Starting formation - couple, facing dancers. (Limited at Mainstream to couples with man on left, woman on right.) The man (left hand dancer) takes the lady's (right hand dancer) left hand (palm down) in his left (palm up) and places his right hand in the small of the lady's back. Working as a unit, the couple turns around with the left hand dancer backing up and right hand dancer walking forward. Unless otherwise specified, the couple faces the center of the set or the center of the formation in which it is working.

TWO LADIES CHAIN

Starting formation - facing couples (man on left, lady on right). The ladies step forward, extend right hands to each other and pull by. Each man steps forward and to the right, turning left to face the same direction as the lady beside him. The lady extends a left hand to the man for a courtesy turn. Couples end facing each other.

FOUR LADIES CHAIN

Starting formation - square or circle of 8 dancers. Similar to two ladies chain except that all four ladies step to the center and form a right hand star. They turn the star halfway around to their opposite men. All courtesy turn to face the center of the set.

NOTE: TWO (or FOUR) LADIES CHAIN THREE QUARTERS: Starting formation - facing couples, a square or circle of 8 dancers. The directed ladies step to the center, form a right hand star and turn the star three quarters. All courtesy turn to face the center of the set.

ROLLAWAY

Starting formation - couple. The directed dancer, or if not specified the dancer on the right, rolls across a full turn (360 degrees) in front of the dancer on the left, as he sidesteps to the right - to exchange places. From a circle, unless otherwise directed, the ladies roll left across in front of the men.

RIGHT AND LEFT THRU

Starting formation - facing couples. Dancers step forward, join right hands with the dancer directly ahead and pull by. Each couple then does a courtesy turn to face the other couple.

CALIFORNIA TWIRL

Starting formation - couple (man and lady). Partners join hands (man's right with lady's left) and raise them to form an arch. The lady walks forward and under their joined hands making a one half (180 degrees) left-face turn while the man walks around the lady in a clockwise direction one half (180 degrees). Dancers have exchanged places and are both facing in the opposite direction from which they started.

© Copyright 1994, 2001, 2002, 2004 by CALLERLAB, The International Association of Square Dance Callers. Permission to reprint, republish, and create derivative works without royalty is hereby granted, provided this notice appears.