Square Dance Nebraska - Ideas

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

This Glossary of Terms is from Callerlab a number of years ago and should be updated by now. It is only here out of interest. To see the current Glossary of Terms by Callerlab be sure to check out their web page at: http://www.callerlab.org

ACROSS THE SET: In facing lines, couples will right and left thru across the set or ladies will chain from one line to the other (across the set). In square formation, action will occur between two opposite couples, i.e., head ladies chain across the set or in four ladies chain across the set, each of the four ladies will move from her partner to the opposite man.

ACTIVE COUPLE(S): Those designated by the caller to take action

ALAMO TRADES: Following the rule of "Trade", it is possible to apply this movement to the dancers in an Alamo style wave. The command is given to and executed by adjacent dancers with joined hands. For example, on the call heads trade, each head man would trade with the lady on his right by turning by the right halfway around.

ALONG THE LINE: In facing lines, dancers will execute the call with the others in the same line.

AROUND ONE (TWO, etc.): Indicates that the active person or persons will move out and around one (or more) non-active person(s) as directed.

BREAK: To release hands, to let go.

BREAK TO A LINE: See circle to a line.

CORNER: (static square) For the men, your corner is the person to your left; for the ladies, your corner is the person on your right.

DAISY CHAIN: An interrupted right and left grand movement. This is the name given to a series of movements that are usually called directionally in today's square dancing. Dancers move forward two people in the direction of a right and left grand. They turn this person with a left forearm halfway around, pull by and, moving the reverse direction, turn the person they meet with a right forearm halfway around. Again, they move forward two with a left and right and then turn that person with a right, halfway around. This pattern of forward two and back one continuous until each dancer meets his partner or until directed by the next call.

DON'T STOP - DON'T SLOW DOWN: Directions to keep promenading even if home is reached.

DOWN THE LINE: See along the line.

END LADIES CHAIN: In facing lines, the two ladies at the end of each line will chain diagonally from one line to the other.

FACE IN - FACE OUT: Calls for a 90 degree change of direction.

FACE THE SIDES (FACE THE HEADS): Directs person to turn back on partner and face outside couple.

FACE THOSE TWO: Designated personal will face those with whom they have just been working.

FACE TO THE MIDDLE: A call usually directed to active couples to change their present facing direction to make a quarter turn toward the center of the formation. When in an even numbered line, dancers should turn a quarter to face the center of that line.

FACE YOUR OWN: Designates a quarter turn to face partner.

FOUR LADIES (GENTS) PROMENADE: Those indicated by the call will promenade single file to the right (counter-clockwise) either inside or outside the square as indicated. The distance to be covered (halfway, all the way, etc) would be directed by the call. Those not active at the time will either move into the center while the others are promenading outside, or they will move away from the center while the others promenade inside.

FULL TURN AROUND: This movement is basically descriptive of an arm turn or courtesy turn that is greater than halfway and is completely dependent upon a good following descriptive call to direct the dancers' next movement.

HEADS: In static square; The head couples are numbers 1 & 3. Couple #1 has their back to the caller, couple #3 face the caller.

HOME: For each man, his starting position in the square; for each lady, the home position of the man with whom she is at the time of the call.

INDIAN STYLE: Same as single file.

IN-FACERS: Those facing the center of the square or formation

LADIES CENTER BACK TO BACK: The ladies indicated by the call either head toward the center or are turned to stand back to back, bunched into the center.

LADIES CENTER BACK TO THE BAR: Directs the ladies to move into the center of the square three steps, stopping on four, then moving back to the starting position or "bar" (which rhymes with "star") using a turn under type move. This is a preliminary movement and is frequently followed by a four men star.

LEADERS: The number one person in any tandem position

MAKE AN ARCH: Two people raise joined hands. This can be a single arch if two people are standing side by side, or a double arch if they are facing and can use both hands.

ON TO THE NEXT: After executing a movement with a couple (or single dancer) the active person or couple will leave that position and move on to the next person in the direction they were going.

OPPOSITE: Your opposite is the person across the set.

OUT-FACERS: Those facing away from the center of the square or formation.

PARTNER: For the men, the lady immediately on your right, also called your taw; for the ladies, the man immediately on your left, also called your paw.

PATTER (Fill-in Patter): The caller's rhyming filler material used as timekeepers not necessarily important to the execution of or directions needed for a movement.

AND A QUARTER MORE: A term signifying that dancers, after completing the previous call, continue the movement another 90 degrees in the same direction. The command may be directed either to individual dancers or to couples. (Square thru and a quarter more would be five hands, etc.)

REVERSE: The call to change a right hand star to a left, and clockwise moving circle to a counterclockwise moving circle, etc.

RIGHT HAND LADY: Lady ahead or counterclockwise from where the gent stands at the time of a given call.

ROLL BACK: If in couples, roll away from partner. If in single file, roll away from center.

ROLL PROMENADE: When a couple promenade is called just before the completion of a do paso or any figure normally ending with a courtesy turn, the dancers will do a wheel around or "roll promenade" in promenade position rather than awkwardly switching from courtesy turn position.

SET: The same as a square (i.e., a squared set).

SIDES: Are always couples two and four.

STEP FORWARD (STEP THRU): The term indicates that when dancers are in aline of four or in an ocean wave, all release handhold and those designated will take one step forward, passing the adjacent dancer to await the next call.

STRAIGHT AHEAD: Directional instruction to pull by or move straight ahead without turning. In an allemande thar setup, for example, the call straight ahead would be similar to a slip the clutch.

THOSE WHO CAN: Refers to those who are so situated that they can execute intelligently the give call. This is to assume that some of the dancers are not in the proper position.

TANDEM: Formation of any two dancers in which there is a leader and a trailer, one behind the other.

TIP: One segment in a square dance evening from the time the squares are formed until they have completed that particular brace and have been released by the caller. Tips vary in different areas. A standard tip in many regions consists of one patter call and one singing call.

TRAILERS: The dancer behind the leader in any tandem formation.

ZERO: A call or series of calls in which the dancers are returned to same formation, arrangement, sequence and partner relationship setup as before the call or series of calls was called.