2025-26 Lessons Blog

Welcome to this year's Lessons Blog! Each week I'll add the new calls introduced at the prior lesson, and also include any announcements of interest to Squaredance students.  I will also try to send out new entries by email, but the web version you have here includes links for animated or video illustration of each call.   

[these links will be added in 1-2 weeks]. The numbers by each call name are assigned by the Association of Callers and Cuers, nationwide.  Classes do not present calls in strict numerical order, so the numbers look random, but they will be useful if you want to look up a call somewhere.  The animations are copied from the Taminations website [link] , which also has a mobile phone App I have sometimes used to do a quick reference check on a call I've forgotten.  The videos are from "videosquaredancelessons.com", but there are many other sources of these.  You could also search YouTube for the call you are wanting to see - I tried searching "box the gnat" and got 8 offerings.  

These links are now one year old, but there can still be some bugs.  Please let me know of broken or incorrect links. (reply to Dave.kalman13@gmail.com)

You can view last year's blog HERE (note that posts are in reverse chronological order).

Announcements:

Upcoming Level Dances: 

Oct 24, 2025 SAMENAS - Stephen Cole  calling and Lisa Weiser, Lines.  Black Cats & Bats Dance, 8-10 pm, JCC

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9/18/25 - Week TWO Calls:  Vance Morrison, instructing

Review week 1 calls, PLUS

WEAVE THE RING: Same as RIGHT AND LEFT GRAND without hands (can tap approaching dancer’s hand in passing). Hint: pass same shoulder as the hand you would be using. 

FOUR LADIES CHAIN 3/4: Same as FOUR LADIES CHAIN, except the turn is 3/4. Advance to the THIRD position before the courtesy turn.  Can be called with other fractions.  (This call can also be used for 2 Ladies, Heads or Sides).

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9/11/25 - Week One Calls:  Stephen Cole, instructing

Home position:  Four couples arranged in a square facing in, aligned with the caller and usually the walls of the dance hall.  Dancers dancing the men's part are on the left in each couple.  

Couple designations:  #1 (Head couple) closest to caller, with backs to caller; #2 (Side couple) to the right of couple #1; #3 (Head couple) to the right of couple #2;  #4 (Side couple) to the right of couple #3.  Couples #1 and 3 face each other, likewise couples #2 and 4.

FORWARD AND BACK (squared sets):  In a squared set for heads or sides, it is 3 steps and touch, then back 3 steps. 

FORWARD AND BACK (facing lines):  Join hands in a line and move forward 1 step, touch and move back 1 step. 

CIRCLE LEFT/RIGHT: Dancers join hands to create a circle and step in the direction specified.   The call, CIRCLE, by itself, means that dancers step to the left.

LADIES IN, MEN SASHAY: In any circle of boy/girl couples with the boy on the left and girl on the right circling left, the girls step forward, the boys step to their left and the girls step back to a new empty place. If the dancers are circling right, it is the opposite. Can also be done from a line. 

DOSADO: Facing dancers move forward and to the left, slide to the right moving back to back, and then back up to end facing each other.

ALLEMANDE LEFT: Dancers face their Corners and (gently) holding left forearms, arm turn until they see their original partner, then let go of their Corner and step forward.  

"ALLEMANDE RIGHT": Technically, this call does not exist on any list.  The "official" wording is simply, TURN PARTNER BY THE RIGHT.  In class, it's easier to say, "TURN PARTNER BY THE RIGHT - IT'S AN ALLEMANDE RIGHT."  This is an ALLEMANDE LEFT action done with the RIGHT FOREARM with the ORIGINAL PARTNER.

ARM TURNS: Turn designated dancer by the indicated arm to next call; let go. The turn is 180 to 360 degrees. ARM TURNS – same as ALLEMANDE LEFT.

PROMENADE: Dancers hold right hands, the man steps forward and to the left (toward the center of the square) and the lady turns to face the same direction as the man.  While holding right hands, both dancers hold left hands UNDER their right hands, and then dance back to the MAN's home position.  

COURTESY TURN: The man takes the lady's left hand in his left hand while the lady places her right hand in the small of her back.  The man places his right hand in the lady's right hand. Working as a couple, they turn toward the left, with the lady walking forward and the man backing up, until they face the center of the formation.

LADIES CHAIN: Ladies gently shake right hands and pull by.  The lady then offers her left hand to the man in front of her and dancers blend into a Courtesy Turn.  Ends with Facing Couples.

FOUR LADIES CHAIN: Ladies make a right-hand star (fingertip-to-fingertip) and turn the star halfway.  The ladies then offer their left hand to the man in front of them and dancers blend into a Courtesy Turn.

LEFT-HAND STAR/RIGHT-HAND STAR: Dancers place the designated hand into the center of their formation.  This is a Star.  Then, dancers maintain the Star and move forward as directed.

RIGHT AND LEFT GRAND: Dancers face their partner if necessary.  The men face promenade direction and ladies face reverse promenade direction. Everyone gently shakes right hands and lightly does a pull by with their partner.  Dancers continue moving forward alternating hands with the dancer in front of them until they meet their original partner. The original partner is dancer number 5.

SIDES FACE GRAND SQUARE: This call takes 32 beats of music to complete.  The Side couples individually turn and directly face their partners.  All dancers will EITHER backup three steps OR go forward three steps.  On the fourth beat, all dancers face IN.  (They turn towards the person next to them.  That person could be nearly adjacent OR six feet away.)  Then, dancers repeat this action moving forward or stepping backward until they return to their home position.  This is beat 16 of the call and is the halfway point.  Here, dancers DO NOT TURN.  Instead, dancers reverse direction and repeat the action of three steps and turning IN (towards Center) until they get home.