Definitions of Square Dance Calls and Concepts
 
Definitions of Square Dance Calls and Concepts
 
 
A Block FORMATION consists of two overlapping Boxes of 4. Typically, one of the corners of one Box is positioned at the very center of the other Box, and vice-versa. Dancers in each Box work together in a disconnected setup, independent of the dancers in the other Box.

Block FORMATION

 
 
Who works with whom in a Block.

Notes:

Calls done within your Block must require 4 or fewer dancers to do the call, and must start and end in a 2 x 2. Shape changing calls are not allowed.

 
before
(In Your) Block Swap Around
 after

At C1, the caller often gets the dancers into Blocks from Parallel Waves by saying: 'Leads Press Ahead (& Trade), check Blocks'. Then, after executing a series of calls in Blocks, the caller may get back to normal Lines by saying 'Outsides Press Ahead to make Lines'. This terminology is problematic in that technically there are no Outside 4 dancers in a Block; there are 2 Very Outsides (the Ends of the diagonal) or 6 Outside dancers. A Block is a four-dancer Box, having no Centers and no Ends. Being partially overlapped by another four-dancer Box, Interlocked Blocks gives the illusion of being an eight-dancer formation. In the Blocks shown below, all dancers except and could be considered Outside dancers (in particular, dancers, , , and are all equally distant from the Center of the Set).

 
 
Here, dancers, , , and
can Press Ahead to Lines
 
 
Here, dancers, , , and
can Press Ahead to Lines

To determine who should Press Ahead to make Lines, there are two things to know:

  1. You must be facing the center of the set. If you are not facing the center of the set, you can not move toward it, therefore you are not active for the Press Ahead.
  2. You must not cross the center line. If your Press Ahead would put you past the center line, you are not active for the Press Ahead.

When doing calls within Blocks, traffic patterns vary. For simple calls that do not require interaction with more than one other dancer at a time, execute each part of the call within the footprints of your individual Block (e.g., Square Thru, Touch 1/4). On more complicated calls (e.g., In Your Block Square Chain Thru), start the execution of the call to the footprints of your individual Block, and when it becomes necessary to interact with more than one dancer at a time, the dancers closest to the center of the set should cross the center line to join the other dancers in their Block to complete the call on each side. Once the call is completed, re-establish the Block footprints by having the appropriate dancers move to re-create the original slant of the diagonal (i.e., NW-SE or SW-NE) and the other dancers move to appropriate Block footprints. Note: Some dancers need not move at all to re-establish footprints (typically, only four or six dancers need to move)!

Doing a complicated call from Blocks:

 
   
Start the given call
working to footprints...
 When the call becomes complicated,
blend into a formation that
removes the Interlocked aspect.
 Upon completion of the call,
re-establish the
Block footprints.

In Your Block Square Chain Thru

 
before
In Your Block Square Chain Thru
 
     
after
Right Pull By & 1/4 In
 after
Step To A L-H Wave
(removing the Interlocked aspect)
 after
Left Swing Thru &
Left Turn Thru
  after
re-restablishing Block footprints
(done)

The following is a partial list of calls that might be done from Blocks at C1. These calls start and end in a 2 x 2.

anything & Cross Pair Off Split Square Thru (n)
1/4 In|Out|Right|Left Partner Tag Square Chain The Top
Box The Gnat Pass In Square Chain Thru
Box Transfer Pass Out Square Thru (n)
Chase Right | Left Pass Thru Star Thru
Circle By fract By anything Reverse Cross & Turn Swap Around
Circulate Reverse Flutter Wheel Touch 1/4
Counter Rotate fraction Reverse Swap Around Turn Thru
Cross & Turn Right & Left Thru Vertical Tag Back
Cross Trail Thru Rollaway With A Half Sashay Walk & Dodge
Double Star Thru Scoot Back Wheel Fan Thru
Flutter Wheel Shakedown Wheel Thru
Brace Thru Slide Thru Zag-Zig
Half Sashay Split Dixie Style To A Wave Zig-Zag
Left Wheel Thru Split Square Chain The Top Zing
  Split Square Chain Thru Zoom

Note: When the given call is a call that normally requires 8 dancers (e.g., Circulate or Counter Rotate), do the 4-dancer version of that call.

Other types of Blocks:

 
 
Inner & Outer Blocks;
also known as Concentric Blocks
 also known as
Interlocked Boxes

See also Stagger CONCEPT [C2].

https://www.ceder.net/def/block.php -- Copyright © 2024 Vic Ceder.  All Rights Reserved.
full URL