Let’s review a few common terms used in these definitions and/or on the CD.
- The home position is the position in which each sequence begins and ends. It’s simply facing couples – similar to the "heads" or "sides" position in a regular eight-dancer square.
| Note: the terms "heads" and "sides" are not used in this CD. There’s no need for them - remember, there's only four people. |
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At any particular point in time, your partner is the person standing alongside you on your half of the square.
Partners should always join inside hands, even if that partner is facing the opposite direction. Note that a dancer’s partner may change on each call.
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A wave (or ocean wave) is a line of 4 people with alternating facing directions. A right-hand wave has partners holding right hands on each half of the wave, while a left-hand wave has partners holding left hands on each half of the wave. Notice that each half of a wave is a mini-wave, and that a wave combines two mini-waves.
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In general, a Pull-By is just like a Pass Thru, except on a Pull-By, you use hands.
Specifically, you work with the person you're facing. On a right Pull-By,
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Extend your right hands to each other.
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Pull-By passing right shoulders, and drop hands as you pass.
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Finish in each other's original spot.
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Do NOT change facing direction during this call.
On a Left Pull-By, do exactly the same as a right Pull-By, except that you should extend to left hands and pass left shoulders.
Here's a suggestion for dancing the calls with defined "parts". We strongly recommend new dancers do each part, pause to recognize its completion, then proceed with the next part.
As an example, Square Thru 2 has three parts:
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Right Pull-By
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Quarter In
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Left Pull-By
Dancers can maximize their success by initially dancing Square Thru 2 in the following manner:
Finally, grab inside hands with your partner at the conclusion of the call.
Gradually, this pause can be shortened until it's eliminated, but don't rush it.
| Quarter In or Quarter Out |
Step 1 |
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The call starts with a couple or a mini-wave and ends with those people facing each other or back-to-back.
The call is done in place; that is, you don’t move from the spot you started. However, you change your facing direction by 90 degrees. On the call Quarter In, you should turn 90 degrees to face your original partner. Conversely, on Quarter Out, you should turn 90 degrees away from your original partner, to end back-to-back with that original partner.
Remember, at the conclusion of the call, each dancer will have a new partner (to his/her side), and these new partners should hold hands.
| Partner Trade |
Step 1 |
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- sometimes simply called Trade.
Partner Trade starts with a couple or a mini-wave and ends with the same setup as you started, but with each dancer facing the exact opposite direction he/she started.
In this Call, you should trade places with your partner, and you should change facing direction by 180 degrees as you perform the call. You should end standing in your original partner's spot, but you should be facing the opposite direction you started. For example, if you started facing north, you'll end facing south.
If both dancers started a Partner Trade facing the same direction, they should pass right shoulders as they dancer the call.
Note: Partner Trade can be called either with partners facing the same direction (a couple), or facing opposite directions (a mini-wave). (In Step 1, Partner Trade is called only from a couple, but it will be called from both positions in subsequent Steps.)
| Pass Thru |
Step 1 |
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The call starts with two people facing each other, and it ends with them back-to-back.
Pass right shoulders with the person you’re facing. You’ll end up in his/her spot – without changing facing direction.
| Square Thru X |
Step 1 |
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The call starts from facing couples and ends with couples back-to-back. There will always be a number (X) given with the call.
Square Thru X is danced as a series of pull-by’s and Quarter In’s. There is no Quarter In on the last hand. (A pull-by is simply a Pass Thru using hands.) Alternate hands used for the pull-by’s – starting with the right hands.
For example, Square Thru 3 is:
| 1. |
right pull-by |
| 2. |
Quarter in |
| 3. |
left pull-by |
| 4. |
Quarter in |
| 5. |
right pull-by |
Note: The call starts with right hands, the pull-by’s alternate hands, and there’s no Quarter In after the last pull-by.
A Left Square Thru X starts with a left pull-by – but you should still alternate hands on successive pull-by’s.
| Touch 1/4 |
Step 2 |
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(pronounced: Touch a Quarter)
Touch 1/4 starts with two people facing each other, and it ends with them in a right-hand mini-wave.
Each person should work only with the person he/she is facing.
Do 1/2 of a Pass Thru. That is, start a Pass Thru, but stop at the half-way point so you're standing alongside each other, right-shoulder to right-shoulder. Now walk forward in a 90 degree arc around the point where the two of you are holding hands.
Left Touch ¼ is the same except you should start a Left Pass Thru, but stop at the half-way point so you're standing alongside each other, left-shoulder to left-shoulder. Now walk forward in a 90 degree arc around the point where the two of you are holding hands.
| Scoot Back |
Step 2 |
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The call starts and ends in a mini-wave box.
The dancers facing out do their part of a Partner Trade. The dancers facing in should move forward slightly to meet each other, inside-shoulder to inside-shoulder. These two Trade, then they move slightly forward to end in a mini-wave with their original partners.
| U Turn Back |
Step 2 |
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The call starts as a couple and ends as a couple, or it starts in a mini-wave and ends in a mini-wave.
Each dancer should turn around (180 degrees) by initially turning toward his/her partner.
| Pass the Ocean |
Step 3 |
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The call starts with facing couples and ends in a right-hand wave.
Pass Thru, Quarter In, then do 1/2 of a Pass Thru so you're standing alongside each other, right-shoulder to right-shoulder.
| Swing Thru |
Step 3 |
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The call starts either in a wave or facing couples. It always ends in a wave.
From a wave: Everyone who has his/her right hand joined with another person's right hand, do a Partner Trade with that person. Then those who have left hands joined, Partner Trade with that person.
From facing couples: First, with the person you're facing, do 1/2 of a Pass Thru so you're standing alongside each other, right-shoulder to right-shoulder. Then do a Swing Thru as defined in the previous paragraph.
Note: Swing Thru starts with a Partner Trade, always using right hands. This initial Partner Trade can be within each mini-wave (if started from a right-hand wave), or it can be the centers who start it (if started from a left-hand wave) because in a left-hand wave, the centers are the ones holding right hands.
Remember, this call always starts with the right hand.
| Explode |
Step 3 |
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The call starts in a wave and ends with facing couples.
There are two parts to the call.
Part 1: Step ahead to momentarily stand back-to-back with your original partner from the mini-wave. (Another way to think of Part 1 is to do the last half of a Pass Thru.)
Part 2: Quarter In.
| Hinge |
Step 3 |
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The call starts and ends in a mini-wave - (In Mini-Squares, Hinge is not called from a couple, only from a mini-wave.)
Hinge is 1/2 of a Partner Trade.
Another way to think of the call Hinge is to simply do the last part of Touch 1/4. That is, you're already standing shoulder-to-shoulder with your partner. Now walk forward in a 90 degree arc around the point where the two of you are holding hands.
| Left Swing Thru |
Step 4 |
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The call starts in a wave or facing couples. It always ends in a wave.
From a wave: Everyone who has his/her left hand joined with another person's left hand, Partner Trade with that person. Then those who have right hands joined, Partner Trade with that person.
From facing couples: First, with the person you're facing, do 1/2 of a Left Pass Thru so you're standing alongside each other, left-shoulder to left-shoulder. Then do a Left Swing Thru as defined in the previous paragraph.
Note: Left Swing Thru starts with a Partner Trade, always using left hands. This initial Partner Trade can be within each mini-wave (if started from a left-hand wave), or it can be the centers who start it (if started from a right-hand wave) because in a right-hand wave, the centers are the ones holding left hands.
Remember, this call always starts with the left hand.
| Cast Off 3/4 |
Step 4 |
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(Sometimes called Cast Off 3)
The call starts and ends in a mini-wave (as it’s used in this CD).
Trade once and a half. That is, Trade, then Hinge - but combine them together so it seems like one smooth-flowing move.
Don't underestimate the difficulty of this call.
| Fan the Top |
Step 4 |
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The call starts in a wave or facing couples. It always ends in a wave.
From a wave: Centers Cast Off ¾ with each other while the ends move along in a 90-degree arc. The call ends in a wave with each dancer holding hands with his/her original partner. At the conclusion of the call, the original wave will have rotated 90 degrees.
From facing couples: Initially, as you do in Swing Thru, step to a right-hand wave, then proceed as defined in the previous paragraph.
Square Thru Variations:
Square Thru on the Xth hand, anycall |
Step 4 |
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The call starts with facing couples, and ends in various setups. The call will always contain a number (X) and a particular call (anycall).
Begin a Square Thru, but on the xth hand indicated, stop half-way through that pull-by to form a wave. Then execute the given call.
For example, on the call "Square Thru – on the 3rd hand, Swing Thru", you should do the following:
| 1. |
right pull-by |
| 2. |
Quarter in |
| 3. |
left pull-by |
| 4. |
Quarter in |
| 5. |
½ right pull-by, and stop to momentarily form a right-hand wave |
| 6. |
Swing Thru |
Note that sometimes you’ll be stopping in a right-hand wave, and sometimes in a left-hand wave, depending on the call. Also, the call can be given in the following manner: "Left Square Thru – on the xth hand, anycall". In this case, you’d start the first pull-by with the left hand, just as you would dance a Left Square Thru x.
| Follow Your Neighbor |
Step 5 |
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The call starts in a mini-wave box and ends in a wave.
It’s similar to Scoot Back, but everybody goes "90 degrees more". Those facing in move slightly forward and Cast Off ¾ with each other. Those facing out Scoot Back, but turn 90 degrees more, then move slightly forward to form a mini-wave with your original partner.
(An alternative way to think of this call is for everyone to move slightly forward, then all Cast Off ¾ - the people who started facing out will do the Cast with a phantom dancer.)
| Spread |
Step 5 |
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The call starts and ends in a wave.
It’s a suffix call, meaning it always follows another call. Fan the Top and Spread is an example.
Dancers in each mini-wave slide nose-to-nose with each other – without changing facing direction.
Note that a beginning right-hand mini-wave ends in a left-hand mini-wave, and vice versa. Try to dance this call smoothly as you finish the preceding call; that is, make it seem like Spread is the last part of the preceding call.
| Leads Run |
Step 5 |
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The call starts in a box and ends with facing couples.
"Leads" is a square dancing designation for those dancers looking out of a box. On the call Leads Run, these lead dancers will do their part of a Partner Trade while the ones looking into the box (the "Trailers") will slide into their partner’s position without changing facing direction.
Notice that in a mini-wave box there are two leads and two trailers. If the call is started in a box with everyone facing out (that is, couples back-to-back), then of course everyone is a lead, and everyone would do the lead’s part – in this case, the call is equivalent to a Partner Trade.
| Spin the Top |
Step 6 |
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The call starts either in a wave or facing couples. It always ends in a wave.
From a wave: Trade, then Fan the Top.
From facing couples: Initially, as in Swing Thru or Fan the Top, step to a right-hand wave, then proceed as defined above.
| Step and Fold |
Step 6 |
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The call starts in a wave and ends in a mini-wave box.
The centers of the wave step ahead slightly while the ends fold. This "fold" is like a Partner Trade in that the ends will turn 180 degrees toward their partners, but they move slightly forward as they do it, to end looking at their original partners’ backs.
In the original wave, you’ll notice that each end and the far center are facing the same direction. At the conclusion of the call, they will be holding hands as partners. The original centers will not have changed facing direction, but the original ends will have turned around as they dance the call.
Another hint for this call: If the call starts in a right-hand wave, it will end in a left-hand mini-wave box, and vice versa.