Definitions of Square Dance Calls and Concepts
C4 Definitions (Text Only) - English
Ceder Chest book. | This page is still being constructed. Not all calls have associated definitions. | |
A 12-Matrix is a 1 x 12, 2 x 6, or 3 x 4 array of dancers and phantoms. Do the given call working with all of the positions in the matrix.
Do the anything call but replace the final Centers Cast Off 3/4 with a Centers Cast Off 1/4 as the others U-Turn Back.
From Parallel Waves.
Tandem Step Thru; do the anything call.
The anything call is usually a Peel Off movement (Peel Off, Trail Off, Peel & Trail, etc.) or Cloverleaf movement (Cloverleaf, Cross Cloverleaf).
A n By 1 Diamond consists of two lines of n (2 or 3) and two single dancers, forming a diamond formation. See diagrams below.
Insert the given call at the given point.
For example, From Parallel Waves: Oddly Add A Spread: Hot Foot Spin: Fan The Top & Spread; Very Centers Trade; Spin The Top & Spread. Also Oddly Add A Roll, etc...
Center 6 Trade; Outsides Step Thru, Ends Bend and Pass In as Center 4 Trade then Center 2 Trade.
Ends in a 1/4 Tag or 1/4 Line.
Using the dancer nearest the given direction as the pivot point, Cast Off the given fraction toward the given direction. The pivot dancer starts and ends on the same floor spot. There is neither a default direction nor a default fraction for this call.
Centers Short & Sweet and Counter Rotate 1/4 as Outsides 1/2 Circulate & Hinge.
This is a 2-part call.
From Facing Couples. This call must be preceded by a call which can be followed by a Sweep 1/4.
Those closest to the flow direction Sweep 1/4 as the others Dodge and Any Shoulder Wheel Thru.
Ends in a Mini-Wave Box.
From Facing Couples.
Circle Left 1/2 (or the given fraction); Veer Left.
Ends in a R-H Two-Faced Line. This is a 2-part call.
Centers Hinge as Points do your part Lockit (Isolate); all Drop In.
Ends in a Mini-Wave Box.
Usually ends in a Double Pass Thru formation.
Dancers in the inside Phantom Columns do two Phantom Columns Circulates as dancers in the outside Phantom Columns do either two "O" Circulates or two Butterfly Circulates (depending upon whether they are in a Phantom "O" or a Phantom Butterfly).
Non-T-Bone starting formations usually end in Generalized Columns.
Ends Cross Cloverleaf as the Centers Face In and Cross Trail Thru.
Generalized Columns end in an Eight Chain Thru. This is a 2-part call for the Centers.
Trailers (Box) Crossover Circulate as Leaders Dodge.
Ends in a 2 x 2.
Curlique; Leaders Run as Trailers Cross Extend (to L-H), Trade, and 1/2 Press Back.
Ends in Facing Couples.
From Facing dancers of opposite sex (or a R-H Mini-Wave).
Using Right hands, the lady places the back of her hand into the man's raised palm: Touch; man does his part Right Arm Turn 1/4 as lady Left-face 3/4 Turn to end in the man's original starting position.
Ends in a R-H Mini-Wave.
A Diagonal Column | Line | Wave is a Distorted Column | Line | Wave in which the facing directions of the dancers are off by 45° relative to the Column | Line | Wave (i.e., if everybody individually turned 45° to the Right or Left, then they would be in the named formation). For example, from a Butterfly formation, there are two Diagonal Columns or two Diagonal Lines | Waves.
Do the anything call but use all four dancers in your Diamond when executing all movements on the outside. The traffic pattern usually contains Diamond Circulates.
Ends in Twin Diamonds.
Any 2-dancer call and some 4-dancer calls may be used with this concept.
Ends in a L-H Wave. This is a 2-part call.
From Facing Couples or a Single Double Pass Thru.
If starting from Facing Couples, do 1/2 of a Half Sashay;
Centers Right Pull By; all Left Touch (Dixie 1/2 Tag);
Extend (Dixie 3/4 Tag);
Extend again (a full Dixie Tag).
Ends in a Single Completed Double Pass Thru.
Non-designated dancers do their part of the given call, "dragging" (or pulling) the designated dancers along with them.
Centers U-Turn Back (toward each other) as Ends do their part of Fan the Top.
Usually ends in a Diamond or a Line.
Within the given call, replace each 1/4 turn with a 3/4 turn and vice-versa.
Swapping 1/4 turns with 3/4 turns only occurs for portions of the call in which dancers doing the 1/4 or 3/4 turn are holding hands throughout that portion of the call.
Hence, only the following movements are modified:
From a Tidal Wave or Facing Lines.
Ends in a 3 x 4 matrix. This is a 2-part call.
From a Generalized Tidal Line.
The #2 dancers (adjacent to Very Ends) Run as the others Grand (Working As Ends) Cross Run. Ends in a Tidal Line.
Grand Working direction anything is a precise way to state how to do the Grand version of a 4-dancer call. In the past, the Grand version of each call often had to be memorized, since there were slight differences that no single rule would cover.
Outsides Dodge toward Reverse Promenade direction
(Stable Turn To A Line)
as Centers (Step To A Wave if starting from Facing Couples), Very Centers
Ends in Parallel Lines.
An Interlocked Parallelogram is a Distorted 2 x 2 that can be formed from a normal 2 x 2 after two non-adjacent dancers move a distance of one matrix position directly away from a line bisecting the 2 x 2.
From a 2 x 4, there are two Interlocked Parallelograms.
From a 4 x 4 Matrix, visualized as 4 adjacent Columns | Lines | Waves.
Those in each Outside Column | Line | Wave work with those in the far Center Column | Line | Wave in a (Disconnected) 2 x 4 Matrix.
From a Line of 3 or more.
Designated dancer Run past n dancers and Roll as the dancers being Run past do a Partner Tag one position toward the designated dancer's original starting position.
From Facing Lines, a R-H Tidal Wave, or other applicable formations.
Ends in Facing Lines. This is a 3-part call.
From Twin Diamonds.
A Magic Diamond is a Distorted Diamond in which the Centers of one Diamond work with the points of the other Diamond.
From Parallel Lines | Waves.
A Magic Line | Wave is a Distorted Line | Wave in which the Ends of one Line work with the Centers of the other Line.
From an Eight Chain Thru, Facing Lines, or other applicable formations.
Square Thru until the original Centers become Ends of Back-To-Back Lines and until the original Outsides become Centers of Facing Lines; New Centers (working in the middle) do the anything call or complete the Square Thru n (continuing with alternating hands).
From Parallel Waves.
Ends in Parallel Waves. This is a 3-part call.
From Tandem dancers, Facing dancers, or Back-to-Back dancers.
Leaders Right Zing (1/4 Right and Run) as Trailers Circulate and turn 1/4 toward the given direction or do the anything call.
Pitch direction ends in a Couple or a Mini-Wave.
From various formations.
Do the any Tagging call (or any variation of a Tagging call) to the 1/2 Tag position; Arm Turn 3/4; and complete the any Tagging call.
From Back-to-Back Couples.
From a Line.
Designated dancer Ripple the first given number; new dancer occupying designated dancer's original starting position Ripple the next given number; repeat part 2 for each additional given number.
From Parallel Waves.
Leaders 1/2 Split Circulate, Circulate twice, and do the last half of a Split Circulate as Trailers Extend, Hinge, Box Circulate twice, Hinge, and Extend.
Ends in Parallel Waves.
From Parallel Lines.
Face Out; In Tandem U-Turn Back (toward the center of the set).
Ends in a Double Pass Thru formation.
Usually from a Galaxy.
A Short Six consists of six dancers whose facing directions form a short, squat (wide) oval shape. A Short Six can also be defined as a 2 x 2 and the lateral adjacent dancers. The two dancers who do not form part of the wide oval are not involved. A Short Six (also sometimes called a Mini-"O") is usually considered to be Distorted Columns of 3.
A Tall Six consists of six dancers whose facing directions form a tall, slender oval shape. A Tall Six can also be defined as a 2 x 2 and the vertically adjacent dancers. The two dancers who do not form part of the tall oval are not involved.
From applicable 2-dancer formations.
Designated dancer Phantom Run (one position away from non-designated dancer) as non-designated dancer moves into designated dancer's vacated position without changing his|her facing direction.
In the Single version of a call, each dancer
executes the movement that would normally be done by a set of two dancers
within the normal version of the call. Hence, for a call to have a Single version,
it must be possible to group all dancers into sets of two, in which the dancers
in each set are always facing the same direction thoughout the
given call. The dancers in each set are usually dancing their portion of the call
You can think of Single as replacing each set of two dancers with a single dancer located exactly half-way between the two dancers. This single dancer then executes the given call always staying on a path located exactly half-way between where the two dancers would be in the normal version of the call.
Designated dancer Truck as the adjacent dancer moves into designated dancer's vacated position without changing their facing direction.
From Columns.
Transfer And Cast Off 3/4; Chain Reaction.
Ends in Parallel Waves.
A Triangular Box consists of a Diagonal Line of 3 and a dancer in a corner position of the 3 x 3 Matrix defined by the Diagonal Line. Work with these dancers in a Distorted Box. Triangular Boxes are most commonly used from Interlocked Blocks [C1].
From Facing Couples.
Wheel Fan Thru blending into a Half Sashay (with the dancer who does the 1/4 Out sidestepping in front of the dancer who does the Arm Turn 3/4).
Ends in Back-to-Back Couples.
Replace the first Arm Turn 1/2 of the given call with an Arm Turn 3/4.
"Z"-Columns | Lines | Waves consist of two "Z"s placed side-by-side to form distorted Columns | Lines | Waves. Work in the distorted 2 x 4 to do the given call.
Zippered {formation} is another term for Staggered {formation} except that it is restricted to formations consisting of 'zippers'.
