Lesson 1
| Call | Definition | Taminations | NSS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circle Left / Circle Right | Typical starting formation - circle of eightDancers join hands and move around the circle in the indicated direction. If no direction is given, dancers circle left. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Forward and Back | Typical starting formation - facing couplesDancers step forward 1 to 3 steps, pause, and back up 1 to 3 steps. Ends in facing couples. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Dosado | Typical starting formation - facing dancersWalking a smooth circular path, dancers walk forward, passing right shoulders, slide sideways to the right, walk backwards, passing left shoulders, and slide slightly to the left to return to their starting position. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Swing (Your Partner) | Typical starting formation - man and lady facingDancers step up into ballroom position. The man's right hand is on the lady's upper back, near her shoulder blade, and his left hand holds the lady's right hand. The lady's left hand rests on the man's right shoulder. Dancers stand slightly offset from each other and move forward around each other by pushing forward with their outside (left) feet, and walking in a very small circle with their inner (right) feet. To break out of a swing, the couple release their handhold and the lady rolls to end next to the man on his right, facing promenade direction. Alternatively, to twirl, the man and lady raise their joined hands and drop their grips, while the lady turns under their joined hands toward the right. Ends in a couple facing promenade direction. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Couples Promenade (Full, 1/2, 3/4) | Typical starting formation - squared set or dancers facing their partnersDancers turn as necessary to face counterclockwise and adjust to be a couple with the man toward the center of the square and the lady on the outside. Dancers join left hands together and right hands together with the lady's left arm over the man's right. Dancers walk forward around the square until they reach their home position where they turn to face in. Ends in a squared set. If a fraction is given, designated dancers promenade around the square that fraction, and then face in on squared set positions, while the others step forward into the middle to get out of the way and then back up. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Single File Promenade | Typical starting formation - columns or single file promenadeDancers walk forward single file in promenade direction. On Single File Promenade Home dancers stop when they get home and face in. Ends in single file promenade or squared set. | Taminations | |
| Four Men/Ladies Promenade | Typical starting formation - squared setDesignated dancers step forward into the middle, face promenade direction (right), and walk in a circle around the center. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Wrong Way Promenade | Reverse Promenade is the same as Promenade, but dancers face clockwise with the lady toward the center. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Allemande Left | Typical starting formation - squared set or dancers facing their corners.Dancers face their corners if necessary, turn their corners by the left forearm until they are facing their partners, and step forward to face their partners. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Right and Left Grand | Typical starting formation - dancers facing their partnersDancers face their partner if necessary (men face promenade direction, ladies face reverse promenade direction), right pull by with their partner, left pull by with the next, right pull by with the next, and left pull by with the next. Ends in a circle with dancers facing their partners. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Weave the Ring | Typical starting formation - dancers facing their partnersDancers face their partners, and walk in a circle, passing right shoulders with the first dancer, left with the next, right with the next, and left with the next. This is equivalent to right and left grand without touching hands. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Wrong Way Grand | Typical starting formation - dancers facing their partnersSame as Right and Left Grand, but with men walking clockwise and ladies walking counterclockwise. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Left-Hand Star / Right-Hand Star | Typical starting formation - facing couplesDancers place the designated hands into the center of the box to form a star. They walk forward turning the star as far as directed. The ending facing direction is dependent on the next call. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Courtesy Turn | Typical starting formation - a Couple (at Basic and Mainstream, a Normal Couple only), or a man and a woman who are facingA couple works as a unit and turns around with the left-side dancer backing up and right-side dancer walking forward. The turning point is halfway between the dancers. Facing dancers blend into a Normal Couple as they perform this action. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Two Ladies Chain (Regular & 3/4) | Typical starting formation - facing couplesLadies right pull by with each other, and all courtesy turn. Ends in facing couples. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Four Ladies Chain (Regular & 3/4) | Typical starting formation - squared setLadies make a right-hand star and turn the star 1/2, and all courtesy turn. Ends in facing couples. Four Ladies Chain 3/4 is the same, except ladies turn the star 3/4. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Pass Thru | Typical starting formation - facing dancersDancers walk past each other passing right shoulders. Ends in dancers back to back. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| U-Turn Back | Typical starting formation - dancerDancers turn around 180� in the direction they were just turning, if any. If they were not just turning, dancers turn toward their partners if they have one, or else toward the center of the square, or in either direction if they are facing directly toward or away from the center of the square. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| California Twirl | Typical starting formation - couple with man on the left and lady on the rightDancers raise their joined hands, and the lady walks under turning 180� to the left while the man walks around the lady turning 180� to the right. Ends in a couple facing the opposite direction. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Half Sashay | Typical starting formation - coupleThe right-hand dancer sidesteps to the left passing in front of the left-hand dancer who sidesteps to the right, passing behind. Ends in a couple facing the same direction but with dancers on opposite sides. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Ladies In, Men Sashay | Typical starting formation - circle of eightDancers drop hands, and the ladies step straight forward into the middle. The men continue circling in the direction they were circling until they have passed one lady, the ladies back up to rejoin the circle, and all continue circling. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Arm Turns | Typical starting formation - Facing Dancers, Mini-WaveDancers join indicated forearms and walk forward around each other. The amount of turn can be specified as a fraction (e.g., Half (180 degrees), 3/4 (270 degrees), Full (360 degrees) or implicitly by the next call (e.g., Turn Partner By the Left; 4 Ladies Chain). | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |
| Do Paso | Typical starting formation - squared setDancers face their partners, left arm turn with their partners until they are facing their corners, right arm turn with their corners until they are facing back towards their partner, and left arm turn with their partner, blending into a courtesy turn to end facing in as a couple. Ends in squared set. | Taminations | NorthShoreSquares |