Appendix A: Formations
This appendix is still undergoing review and approval. The reader is referred to the Square Dance Formations document available in the Program Documents section of http://www.callerlab.org/.
2-Dancer Formations
FACING DANCERS:
Facing dancers, unless otherwise specified, may be any combination of men and women.
COUPLES:
Couples, unless otherwise specified, may be any combination of men and women.
4-Dancer Formations
8-Dancer Formations
Appendix B: Descriptive Terminology
The following terms are used in defining calls and are useful in square dancing in general.
Adjacent
Two dancers are adjacent if they are side-by-side with no intervening space or other dancers, generally used for a Couple or a Mini-Wave.
Couples
- Normal Couple: A Couple with a Man on the left and a Woman on the right
- Sashayed Couple: A Couple with a Woman on the left and a Man on the right
- Same-Sex Couple: A Couple with two Women or two Men
Note: Couple is a formation defined in “Formation Pictograms”, page 1.
Face Left / Right / In / Out
- Face Left: Each individual turns 90 degrees, in place, turning to the left.
- Face Right: Each individual turns 90 degrees, in place, turning to the right.
- Face In: Each individual turns 90 degrees, in place, turning toward the center of the set.
- Face Out: Each individual turns 90 degrees, in place, turning away from the center of the set.
Home
Home is where dancers stand when they initially square their set before starting to dance.
Left
When used as a prefix to a call, Left generally instructs dancers to interchange all lefts and rights throughout the call. See “Additional Details: Commands: Extensions like Reverse Wheel Around”.
Opposite
1. When squared up at home, a dancer’s Diagonal Opposite is the dancer across the square of the same gender. For example, the Side Women are Diagonal Opposites. In symmetric choreography (see Choreographic Guidelines, page 25), Diagonal Opposites will always be across the square from each other.
2. From a man’s perspective when squared up at home, the woman across the square can be called his Opposite Lady. Along with Partner, Corner, and Right-Hand Lady, these describe the four women as viewed from a man’s perspective. (Historically, square dancing terms were directed more towards the men.)
Promenade Direction
- Promenade Direction: Counterclockwise
- Wrong Way Promenade Direction: Clockwise
Pull By
- Right Pull By: From Facing Dancers, dancers take right hands as if they were going to shake hands, exert a momentary, gentle pull to initiate forward motion, and perform a Pass Thru action. As the dancers pass each other, the handhold is released and the dancers continue the next dance action or adjust to end back-to-back. The handhold should be just firm enough to establish connection, allowing either dancer to disengage at will. The Ocean Wave Rule applies to this action.
- Left Pull By: Same as Right Pull By but starting with left hands and passing left shoulders.
- Pull By (e.g., “Box The Gnat; Pull By”): From Facing Dancers only with right (or left) hands already joined: Right (or Left) Pull By.
Rear Back
From dancers who have hands joined, usually in a Mini-Wave: dancers back up slightly or lean back slightly, ending in facing dancers with hands joined. Often used to help with the Ocean Wave Rule, e.g., “Heads Lead Right; Swing Thru; Rear Back; Right And Left Grand”.
Reverse
A prefix to a call that generally instructs dancers to interchange the directions of clockwise and counterclockwise (and also right and left) throughout the call. See Additional Details: Commands: Extensions like Reverse Wheel Around.
Right-Hand Lady
From a man’s perspective when squared up at home, the woman diagonally to his right (i.e., the one he would be facing after Lead Right) can be called his Right-Hand Lady. Along with Partner, Corner, and Opposite Lady, these describe the four women as viewed from a man’s perspective. (Historically, square dancing terms were directed more towards the men.)
Set or Square
The group of eight people who are dancing together.
Step Thru
From a Mini-Wave, adjacent dancers step forward, and slightly sideways, to end back-to-back with each other.
Turn 1/4 / 1/2 / 3/4 / Full Turn By The Left / Right
From a Mini-Wave, dancers walk forward around each other the specified fraction of a circle. The handhold depends on the call and is generally specified in its styling section.
Those who can
A prefix to a call that refers to dancers who are in a proper position to perform the call; other dancers do nothing. Example: “Those who can, Pass Thru” means that only those dancers who are face-to-face (or in a Right-Hand Mini-Wave) will do the call.
Working as a unit
This phrase asks a group of dancers to act and move as if they were one dancer.
Appendix C: Other Publications
This appendix is still undergoing review and approval.
