Ontario Square & Round Dance Federation

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Square and Round Dancing Terms

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Marijo@RWC

A list of common terms used in Square and Round Dancing to help you out.

Square and Round Dancing Terms

Allemande Left:

 Corners face and take left forearms. Walk around each other to own position.

Angel:

 An experienced dancer who attends classes to fill out squares and help the caller demonstrate the proper way to perform various moves.

Circle Left:

Dancers designated by caller join hands in a circle and walk to the left.

Circle Right:

Same as Circle Left going to the right.

Corner:

Lady on gentleman’s left. Gentleman on lady’s right.

DBD:

Dance by definition. Callers will test the dancers’ knowledge of calls by performing them from various starting points, or from non standard positions.

Do-Si-do:

Partners, or those designated by the caller, face. Walk around each other passing right-shoulders and then left shoulders back to own position.

Forward and Back:

Three steps forward. High tens and back to position.

Head Couples:

Couples with their back or facing the caller, also known as couples 1 & 3.

Home position:

A dancer’s position in the square dance formation at the beginning of a session.

Honor:

Partners, or those designated by caller, face. Ladies curtsy and gentlemen bow.

Hot Hash:

Another term for a patter call, the caller will announce moves rapidly and without pausing.

Ladies Chain:

Ladies designated by caller walk to each other and take right hands. They pass by, dropping hands and give their left to that lady’s partner in his left hand. The gentleman place their right arm around the lady’s waist and turns her counter-clockwise to face the other couple. Ladies chain back the same way.

Partner:

The lady to the gentleman’s right and the gentleman to the lady’s left.

Spoiler title

The caller uses the music as a background for prompting the dancers’ moves.

Promenade:

Partners, or those designated by the caller, cross hands in a skating position and walker counter-clockwise to position with the right arm over the left.

Rectangle dancing:

Square dancing with six couples instead of four.

Side Couples:

Couples 2 &4.

Singing call:

The caller actually sings parts of the song, intersperse with the moves.

Square your sets:

A call for dancers to return to home position.

Star by the Right:

Couples, or those designated by the caller, walk to each other and join right hands in a star formation and walk in the direction they are facing (clockwise).


Level of Calls

Basic:

The simplest and most straightforward, such as “allemande left”, “right and left grand” and promenade.

Mainstream:

Calls a level above basic.

Plus or Mainstream Plus:

A step above mainstream, involving a series of related moved. They can appear complicated at first but are easy and fun once you learn them.

 

 

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