SQUARE DANCING DEFINITIONS
AND TERMINOLOGY
1&3, 2&4: Alternative designations for heads and sides, respectively.
ANGELS: Dancers at a class that are already at (or above) the current dance level, there to help those who are actually in the class.
APD: All Position Dancing. Dancing either the belle's or beau's position from standard formations of square dance calls.
BANNER: Usually a square or rectangular piece of cloth, with the club's logo
BASIC: One of many dancing levels defined in square dancing.
BEAU: The dancer in the left-hand position, relative to his (or her) partner.
BELLE: The dancer in the right-hand position, relative to his (or her) partner.
BOOK: To schedule a tip in which you are committed to dancing with a particular partner or couple(s
BREAK: The time during a dance given to snacks or finger food and Club announcements.
BREAKDOWN: When too many of the dancers within a square are not in their proper position. If the current song is a singing call, the couples should all return to their original home positions and wait for the rest of the floor to return as well; if it's a patter call, they should form two facing lines and wait for a call
that brings all the lines "up to the middle and back", their signal to join in and resume dancing.
CALL: A word or words said by the Caller to the dancers to indicate the movement to be performed.
CALLER: The leader who directs dancers through a square dance.
CENTURY BOOK; A book with 100 pages, to be signed by a different caller dances attended. When full it is sent to the address inside the book (along with the required fee) to receive a badge and/or a pin, signifying that this dancer has danced to 100 different callers. Rules are in the front of the book.
CHECKERBOARD: To arrange that alternating dance with the head and side designations reversed.
COUPLE: Two people who are side by side and are partners.
CUER: Directing round dancers during a round dance.
DANCE PROGRAMS: A defined level of square dancing: 1. Basic: The calls that all other calls are derived from; 2. Mainstream: The most-danced level in square dancing; 3. Plus: Mainstream "PLUS" a few more difficult calls; 4. Advanced, split into Al and A2; 5. Challenge Level. The most common level danced in the U.S. is Mainstream, while Plus is very prevalent in many of the major urban areas of the U.S.
DANGLE: Small plastic or metal object which attaches to a badge, using only a single metal ring. This object can symbolize a variety of things, including such items as visitations, callers, special events, etc.
DBD: Dancing By Definition. Individual calls can be broken into their component parts, so that a call can be danced from any position on the floor, including dancing a call from a different starting position.
FESTIVALS: Usually refers to full weekend dances, sponsored by a group of Clubs in an area.
FLOOR LEVEL: The level at which most or all of the tips of a dance are called.
HALF SASHAYED: A couple with a lady standing to the left of the man
HEADS: The two couples who face the same or opposite wall as the caller
HOEDOWN: Another term used to describe a square dance.
HOME: For each man, his starting position in the square; for each lady, the home position of the man.
HOT HASH: A special tip with no pauses between each of the formations, and is generally considered a challenge. The tempo of the music is also increased, adding to the difficulty.
LIVE BAND DANCE: It's a dance done to live music.
PATTER CALL: A single tune, used by a caller as background for a series of calls, with no lyrics accompanying the music. Couples will be moved in a variety of formations, but brought back to their home position before the next set of calls. This may occur several times during the patter call.
SEQUENCE: A series of calls that begins and ends with the dancers at home.
SEX-SPECIFIC: A call that is performed differently by men and ladies, regardless of position.
SIDES: The couples who face either wall which is 90 degrees from the caller.
SINGING CALL: A single song where the caller will mix square dance directions with singing. Ladies will rotate between each man in the square during the song, usually in a counter-clockwise direction.
STACKING CALLS: When the Caller calls two, three or even four calls ahead of where the dancer is.
STAR TIP: A tip that is at a more advanced level than the floor level.
SWINGER: A small plastic or metal object which attaches to a club badge, using two or more metal rings. Symbolizes a variety of things, including club board position, nickname, home city, etc.
TANDEM: Two people, one in front of the other as in a double pass-thru position.
TIP: The time you spend dancing in one square without a break, consists of a patter call and a singing call.
VISITATION: A club-organized event where the club "visits" another Club's dance.
WORKSHOP: A formal class, designed for reviewing square dance calls that have already been taugh