Fractions other than 3/4 are allowed with Cast Off. The rule is the same as for Cast Off 3/4, but the dancers move 1/4 or 1/2 instead of going the full 3/4.

Starting formation - any wave or line. Each half of the line or wave works as a unit and moves forward around a pivot point three quarters (270°). If the adjoining dancers are facing the same direction, the end dancer becomes the pivot while the other dancer moves in a semi-circle around the pivot. If the adjoining dancers are facing in opposite directions, the pivot point is the handhold between them and they move equally around that pivot point.

STYLING: If joined dancers are in opposite facing directions, the handhold should be hands-up position as in swing thru. If joined dancers are in the same facing direction, handholds are as in couples handhold position. TIMING: 6 steps.

Starting formation - whenever there is a couple with their backs to the center of the set facing or standing behind another couple (e.g. eight chain thru, completed double pass thru). The outside dancers step apart as the center dancers step forward and between them to form a line.

STYLING: The active couple should use couple handhold and, if stepping in between couples facing the same direction, join hands in a line of four. If the active couple steps in between a couple facing in the opposite direction, use hands-up position with the end dancers. TIMING: 2 steps.

The general action of a Cloverleaf has the active dancers walking in a 3/4 circle, staying in their own quadrant of the set. A cloverleaf ramp at a highway intersection or the edge of one leaf of a four-leaf clover gives a good visual picture of the dance path.

Starting formation: Completed Double Pass Thru

Cloverleaf

Everyone Cloverleaf

Dance action: The lead dancers separate and move away from each other in a three quarter (270 degrees) circle.

When each lead dancer approaches another lead dancer from the other side of the square, they both reach with outside hands, blending into a couple handhold as they continue into the center of the square to become a couple facing in.

Each trailing dancer follows the dancer in front, and ends directly behind that same dancer.

Ending formation: Double Pass Thru

Timing: 8

Styling: Arms are held in natural dance position, skirt work optional. It is important to move slightly forward before turning away. Trailing dancers should follow footsteps of the lead dancers and not cut the corners. As dancers meet each other, they use couples handholds.

As a pleasing variation, some dancers use a sweeping gesture during the call, letting go of the starting handhold and offering the same hand for the final handhold, without dropping the arm in between.

Starting formation: Anywhere two couples are facing out of the set (e.g., Trade By)

Boys are a couple looking out of the set: Boys Cloverleaf

Squared set: Heads Turn Thru and Cloverleaf

Squared set: Heads Square Thru; Pass Thru; Cloverleaf while the centers Square Thru

Squared set: Sides Pass Thru and Cloverleaf; Heads Square Thru 2 and Cloverleaf; New centers Square Thru 3

Double Pass Thru; Ends Cloverleaf; others Partner Trade; You're Home

Dance action: The designated dancers must be facing out of the set. If they are in the center of the set, they first step forward. Next they separate and move away from each other in a three quarter (270 degrees) circle. When they meet another dancer from the other side of the square, they become a couple facing in. If no one else is in front of them, they can finish in the center, just as the leads normally would for Everyone Cloverleaf.

When the inactive dancers are a couple facing in, they will move into the center.

Ending formation: Various. The active dancers will be Couples facing in.

Timing: Active dancers: 6 (or, if they move into the middle, 8); Inactive dancers: 0 (if they start as centers) or 2 (if they start as ends).

Styling: Arms are held in natural dance position, skirt work optional. As dancers meet each other, they use a couple handhold.

Comment: The next call is often directed to the inactive dancers and can commence while the active dancers are still dancing their Cloverleaf.

Starting formation - facing couples or facing tandems. From facing couples, the right hand dancer steps forward and to the left to become the lead dancer in a tandem. Lead dancers join right hands and pull by. Moving to the other trailing dancer, each extends a left hand and touches to a left hand mini wave and turns one quarter (90°). New center dancers join right hands and form a left hand ocean wave.

STYLING: Lead dancers initially pulling by in the center should use handshake hold as in right and left grand. When forming mini waves with trailing dancers, dancers must adjust to the right, using hands-up position and same styling as in swing thru. TIMING: SS, heads or sides to the wave, 6; all 4 couples to the wave, 8.

Starting formation - eight chain thru. Facing dancers join right hands and pull by (this completes an eight chain one). The center facing dancers join left hands and pull by while the outside dancers do a courtesy turn (this completes an eight chain two). Repeat these actions in sequence to achieve eight chain three, eight chain four, etc. Eight chain thru is the same as eight chain eight. Even numbers (2, 4, 6, 8) end in an eight chain thru formation. Odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7) end in a trade by formation.

STYLING: Use same styling as in courtesy turn and right and left grand. Emphasis should be placed on the courtesy turn in that portion of the basic so that dancers can maintain an eight chain thru formation and not be allowed to drift into a right and left grand type of movement. TIMING - 8 hands, 20 steps; 4 hands, 10 steps

Face In: Means "turn 1/4 in place, turning toward the center of the set".

Face Out: Means "turn 1/4 in place, turning away from the center of the set".

Starting formation - any two dancer formation in which the directed dancer has a shoulder directly adjacent to the other dancer. GENERAL RULE: Directed dancers step forward and move in a small semicircle to end facing toward an adjacent dancer or position. The adjacent inactive dancer may be facing in any direction and does not move. If not specified, centers fold toward ends and vice versa. (a) BOYS FOLD, (b) GIRLS FOLD, (c) ENDS FOLD, (d) CENTERS FOLD: Directed active dancers fold toward the inactive dancers using the general rule. (e) CROSS FOLD: Starting formation - line, two-faced line, or wave. The directed (active) dancers who must either both be centers or both be ends, fold toward the farthest inactive dancer by walking in a semi-circle to end facing toward that same dancer. When the active dancers are both facing the same direction, they move forward in a semi-circle, pass each other and fold toward the inactive dancer.

STYLING: Hand position depends on starting formation, i.e, hands up from a wave, couple handhold from a line or circulate. Using appropriate hand position, the inactive dancer should exert slight pressure to adjacent dancer and assist in initiating folding action. TIMING: Fold, 2 steps; cross fold, 4 steps.

Like tag the line, except the dancers stop walking forward when the original center from each side of the line meets the original end from the other side. If started from a four person line, the ending is a right hand box circulate formation; from longer lines the ending is a right hand column formation.

STYLING: Arms in natural dance position, hands ready to assume appropriate position for the next call. A flowing type of movement can be achieved by taking a slight step forward before turning toward the center of the line, thus avoiding the abrupt military type pivot. TIMING: 4 steps

Starting formation: Eight Chain Thru

Command example: Pass To The Center

Dance action: Pass Thru. Those looking out of the square Partner Trade.

Ending formation: Double Pass Thru

Timing: Dancers who finish in the center: 2. Dancers who finish on the ends: 6.

Styling: Same styling as Pass Thru and Partner Trade.

Comments: The Ocean Wave Rule applies to this call.

On the Pass Thru, some dancers should be coming into the center and other dancers should be heading towards the outside. This call is not proper from Facing Lines.

This call is not proper from Left-Hand Ocean Waves. See Pass Thru (#10).

Starting formation - ocean wave only. The ends of the wave cross fold as the centers of the wave fold in behind the ends and follow them around, then face in to end as two facing couples.

STYLING: All dancers, arms in natural dance position, hands ready to adjust for next call as quickly as possible. TIMING: 4 steps.

Starting formation - box circulate or quarter tag. From box circulate, dancers facing in step straight forward to join adjacent forearms, turn half (180°) and step forward to end in the position vacated by the dancer who was facing out. Meanwhile, each dancer facing out runs into the position vacated by the dancer who is doing the forearm turn. When done from right hand boxes, the dancers facing in turn by the right and the dancers facing out run right. When done from left hand boxes, the dancers facing in turn by the left and the dancers facing out run left. Finishes in a box circulate formation. From quarter tag, dancers step ahead, join forearms (right if center wave was right handed or left if center wave was left handed), turn half (180°) and step straight forward. Those returning to the center step to a wave (using same hands as original wave); the others finish as a couple facing out. Ending formation is a 3/4 tag.

STYLING: Similar to that of turn thru and fold. TIMING: 6 steps.

A hinge is a half of a trade. Any two adjacent couples or dancers who can trade can also hinge. (a) COUPLES HINGE: Starting formation - line or two-faced line. Working as a unit, each couple does half of a couples trade to end in a two-faced line at right angles to the original line. (b) SINGLE HINGE: Starting formation - mini wave. Dancers do half of a trade with each other to end in a mini wave at right angles to the original mini wave.

STYLING: Couples use couple handhold and styling similar to wheel and deal. Single hinge use hands up position. TIMING: Couples hinge, 3 steps; single hinge, 2 steps.

Starting formation: Facing Dancers

Command example: Slide Thru

Dance action: In a single smooth motion, Pass Thru and Men Face Right, Women Face Left.

Ending formation: If two men, Right-Hand Mini-Wave; if two women, Left-Hand Mini-Wave; otherwise, a Couple.

Timing: 4

Styling: Arms in natural dance position with skirt work optional for the women. Hands should be rejoined in the appropriate position (Couple or Hands Up handhold) for the next call.

The turn can be blended with the Pass Thru to finish with a sliding or dodging motion.

Comment: The Ocean Wave Rule applies to this call.

Starting formation - parallel waves. Each end and the adjacent center dancer turn one half (180°). The new centers of each ocean wave turn three quarters (270°) to make a new ocean wave across the set. The two centers of this wave turn one half (180°) to reform the wave across the set. The two outside pairs of dancers of the center wave now turn three quarters (270°) to join the waiting ends and form parallel ocean waves. The Facing Couples Rule applies to this call.

STYLING: Hands up as in swing thru. It is important that the waiting ends remain in static position with hands ready to assume appropriate position for the next call. TIMING - 16 steps

Starting formation: Ocean Wave

Spin The Top

Spin The Top; Spin It Again (i.e., go twice)

Spin Your Top

Spin Your Top, Do A Right and Left Thru

Dance action: End and adjacent center Turn 1/2. Centers Turn 3/4 while the ends move forward in a quarter circle around the formation to become ends of the final Ocean Wave.

Ending formation: Ocean Wave perpendicular to starting formation

Timing: 8

Styling: Use same styling as in Swing Thru.

Comments: The Facing Couples Rule applies to this call.

The combination "Spin The Top, Right and Left Thru" must be delivered so that dancers adjust their hands as necessary for the Right and Left Thru instead of first finishing the Spin The Top in a hands-up Ocean Wave.

When Spin The Top is used from an Ocean Wave of 3 dancers, the caller must specify who starts (e.g., Right Spin The Top, Starting With The Right Spin The Top, Boys Start Spin The Top). The designated dancers Turn 1/2. The non-designated dancer and the new center dancer Turn 3/4 while the other dancer moves up around the outside of the formation to end in a new Ocean Wave of 3 dancers. This usage is uncommon.

From a Left-Hand Ocean Wave, the phrase "Left Spin The Top" is acceptable. "Left" is a helping word (see "Part 4: Additional Detail: Commands: Extra words").

From a Right-Hand Ocean Wave, the phrases "Left Spin The Top" and "Centers Start, Spin The Top" are improper.

Starting formation - any line with an even number of dancers. FULL: Each dancer turns to face the center of the line. Taking a short side step to the left, each dancer walks forward passing right shoulders with oncoming dancers until he has walked past all of the dancers from the other half of the line. The call may be followed by any one of the directions In, Out, Right or Left. When this happens, dancers turn in place one quarter (90°) in the direction indicated.

STYLING: Arms in natural dance position, hands ready to assume appropriate position for the next call. A flowing type of movement can be achieved by taking a slight step forward before turning toward the center of the line, thus avoiding the abrupt military type pivot. TIMING: 6 steps

Starting formation: Facing Dancers

Turn Thru

Swing Thru; Turn Thru

Girls Turn Thru

Squared set: Heads Turn Thru; Separate, Around 1 To A Line

Heads Square Thru 4; Spin The Top; Turn Thru; Courtesy Turn

Dance action: In one smooth motion, dancers Step To A Wave (but use forearm styling), Right Arm Turn 1/2, and Step Thru.

Ending formation: Back-To-Back Dancers

Timing: 4

Styling: Similar to Allemande Left. Use normal forearm position. Men's free hand in natural dance position. Woman's skirt work desirable for free hand.

Comments: The Ocean Wave Rule applies to this call.

Turn Thru is always a 180 degree turn. From an Alamo Ring, if the desired action is to get everyone to their corners, the proper call would be an Arm Turn, not a Turn Thru.

Starting formation - box circulate or facing couples. From box circulate formation, each dancer facing into the box walks forward to take the place of the dancer who was directly in front of him. Meanwhile, each dancer facing out of the box steps sideways (dodges) into the position vacated by the "walker" who was formerly beside him. Dancers end side by side, both facing out. If walk and dodge is called from facing couples, the caller must designate who is to walk and who is to dodge (e.g., "men walk, ladies dodge"). Ending is a box circulate formation.

STYLING: Arms in natural dance position. Skirt work for the ladies is optional. Hands should be ready to assume appropriate position for the next call. TIMING: 4 steps.