Glossary

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Allemande Left - (Left hand round, a la main) - Corners, or dancers designated, join left hands and walk around each other, back to their original positions. ("Allemande Right" is done with right hand.) Some locations use a forearm hold which tightens the turn.

Balance
1. Dancers face, join right hands and hop on the left foot, crossing right foot in front. Then hop on right foot and cross left foot in front.
2. same as 1 except dancers stand beside each other.
3. similar to 2 but instead of crossing foot in front of the other, the toe takes weight beside the other foot

Chassee - (or sashay) - Slide to the side, with a step-and-close, step-and-close movement.

Circle - Two or more dancers join hands, walk in circle to left, unless caller says otherwise.

Do-si-do (or "Dos-a-dos", French, meaning "Back to back" ) - Dancers face partner and walk three steps forward, passing right shoulder to right shoulder. Once past, they move one step to their right, then take three backwards steps into place. In old time square dancing, the traditional do-si-do with the corner is passing left shoulders so that a figure eight is walked when followed by a do-si-do or allemande right with your partner.

Grand Chain ("Grand right and left"; "Right and left grand") - Partners face, join right hands. Walk past each other, giving the left hand to the next person, the right to the next, the left to the next, and so on. This usually follows an Allemande Left.

Honour Your Partner - (Salute, Address, etc.) The Gent bows to the Lady as she curtseys.

Ladies Chain (or Change) - Ladies walk to opposite places by giving right hands as they pass each other, then give the left hand to the opposite gent. He puts his right hand on her back, turns her half round, counter-clockwise, so that opposite couples again face each other.

Promenade (rhyme with "maid") - With the lady on the right, partners join left hands. The lady raises her right hand to her right shoulder, where her partner holds it from the back. With a shuffling walk, they move around the set to the right. Alternatives: Skaters promenade has partners join left hands and right hands in front. French promenade has partners hold each other in waltz position with gents left hand leading and holding lady's right, gent's right hand on lady's waist and lady's left on gents shoulder.

Reel - As to 'reel the set'. The set takes the form of a longways set with dancers forming two lines on the sides. The top couple closest the caller link right elbows, turn once and a half times around, so that they each face a line. Lady links left elbow with the next dancer in line and turns once around while the top gent does the same with the next dancer in the line that he is facing. First couple links right elbows again in centre of set and turn once. Then each goes to the next dancer down the line . . . and so on, down the set.

Right and Left Through - Opposite couples cross over to the other couples' place by passing right shoulders. Usually touching right hands with the dancer opposite you. Ladies pass between, gents stay on the outside. After passing through, partners take left hands. The gent then turns the lady half around, counter-clockwise, by placing his right hand on her back. This turn is called a courtesy turn. Right and left back is done in the same way.

Swing - Dancers face. Gent walks alongside partner to left, with outside of right feet nearly touching. Gent places right hand on the lady's left waist. Lady places her right hand either on gent's left waist or shoulder. Partners clasp left hands under this arm. (If you like, you can take a regular social dancing position with the arms.) Both lean back slightly and with a little pivot-step on the ball of the right foot, shove around with the left foot as if on a scooter. This is known as a "buzz" step.