Comments

Two dancers may Trade only when they are facing the same or opposite directions. Additionally, each dancer must be directly to the right or left of the other, but they do not need to be adjacent.

Trade, when used without designating dancers, means Everyone Trade.

Callers sometimes use helping words with this call. For example, from normal Facing Lines, “Pass Thru, Girls Trade down the line” alerts the women that they are not adjacent. Another example is “Trade by the Right” (or Left), which indicates that each pair of dancers who Trade are in a Right-Hand (or Left-Hand) Mini-Wave. In certain cases, helping words are necessary to designate pairs (e.g., from an Alamo Ring, Trade by the Right) or designate dancers (e.g., from an Inverted Line, Those Who Can Trade by the Left). Callers should be aware that sometimes (principally outside English-speaking countries) dancers may mistake “Trade by the Right” for the call Trade By (#49). In such a situation, “Trade with the right hand” may be more successful.

For this call, when there are exactly four dancers who are directly right or left of one another, e.g., Heads Pass the Ocean, Extend, Everyone Trade, then the dance action is completed separately by each outside dancer with the nearby inside dancer. Similarly, if six or eight dancers Trade who are directly right or left of one another, then pairs of dancers Trade, where the pairs are determined working from the outside toward the center. For example, consider Heads Lead Right, Pass the Ocean, Girls Trade, Boys Trade. In each Trade, dancers are paired on each side. Helping words can also make this clear, e.g., “Each Side, Boys Trade”. Also see “General: Ways of Naming Dancers: Centers / Ends”.

Comments

It is common to use Partner Trade rather than Trade for a Couple, but both have the same effect. Using Partner Trade helps dancers anticipate passing right shoulders.

Partner Trade is improper when the dancers are not adjacent.

In 2017, the Mainstream Committee voted to restrict Partner Trade to start from a Couple only.

Comments

Two Couples may Trade only when they are facing the same or opposite directions. Additionally, each Couple must be directly to the right or left of the other, but they do not need to be adjacent. If there are four Couples that are directly right or left of one another, then the dance action is completed separately by each outside Couple with the nearby inside Couple.

Callers may use helping words, e.g. “Couples Trade by the right”. See the comments for 35.a. Trade.