Canadian Olde Tyme Square Dance Association

Basics, Movements and Calls

A Square Dance 'Set' of dancers is made up of four couples who stand on the sides of an imaginary eight foot square.
The Lady stands on her partner's right.
The First Couple have their backs to the caller.
The Second Couple are on the callers' right, the Third couple is facing the caller, and the Fourth couple is on the callers' left.
First and Third Couples are called "head couples"; the Second and Fourth are "side couples."
The Gent's "corner" or "corner lady" is the lady on his left. The Lady's "corner" or "corner gent" is the man on her right.

A 'Set' also refers to a group of three "changes" or square dance patterns. The first change is usually a visiting pattern danced to a jig, the second change is usually a singing call, and the third is a breakdown danced to a reel.

A traditional evening dance format has been 'two couple dances followed by set of three square dance patterns and repeated to fill the evening.
A different caller calls each change.

Any of the standard tunes, such as "Little Brown Jug", "Turkey in the Straw", or other reel or jig, played in 2/4 or 6/8 time will do. Ideally you would have an old-time fiddler with one or two accompaniment of a piano, guitar, banjo, accordion, drums, bass etc. that would round out the sound.

Every caller has their own way of calling a dance pattern and some add rhyming to add colour or "patter", so the dancers challenge is to listen for the directions within the patter. If you get mixed up, stay in place and wait for the next part of the call.

TRADITIONAL PRIMARY MOVEMENTS: are movements that we are preserving

SECONDARY MOVEMENTS: are those which are not considered traditional but have gained acceptance through years of use.

SQUARE DANCES CONSIDERED TRADITIONAL:

- All dances using the traditional primary and secondary movements and danced to jigs, reels, hornpipes and breakdowns.

Examples:

- SINGING CALLS that were in common use before 1954.