Squared Set Convention

Many calls are written to start from Facing Dancers or Facing Couples. But a caller often wants to call them from a squared set, where nobody is facing anybody — everyone is standing beside their partner, facing the middle.

The Squared Set Convention makes that work.

"Calls that are defined as starting from Facing Dancers or Facing Couples are also proper starting

from a Squared Set. The caller must identify which pair of Couples is active (for example,

'Heads' or 'Boys'). The active dancers move forward into the center of the set and execute the

call."

— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.

The two endings, and how to tell them apart

This is the bit that beginners need, and the manual gives a clean rule:

If the active dancers end up facing the same walls as the inactive dancers, they stay in the centre.

"'Heads Square Thru 4', 'Heads Star Thru', 'Heads Touch a Quarter'"

If they do not, they go back out to their own Static Square spots.

"Dancers should return to Static Square spots for 'Head Ladies Chain', 'Heads Right and Left Thru',

'Heads Pass Thru', or 'Heads Square Thru 3.'"

Why the difference? Because the square has to stay sensible. If the active dancers are facing the same way as the couples standing on the walls, they belong in the middle, facing those walls. If they have come out facing across the square instead, leaving them in the middle would leave four dancers standing at right angles to everything.

The one that surprises people

"Because of the ending handhold, on the call 'Heads Box the Gnat', the Heads **remain in the

center** and take the next call."

If the caller wants you to stay in

Some callers make it explicit:

"Some callers who want the active dancers to remain in the center precede the call with a 'Heads

Move In', 'Heads Move Forward', or 'Heads Move into the Center.'"

So "Heads Move In and Square Thru 3" keeps the Heads in the centre, where plain "Heads Square Thru 3" would send them out.

Timing

"Moving into the center adds 2 beats to the timing for the move."

and, usefully:

"The time needed to move out of the middle will often be blended into the final portion of the call

(as in 'Right and Left Thru', during the Courtesy Turn) or be overlapped with the start of the

following call."

So coming home is usually free — it happens during the call's last movement, or while the next call is already starting.

When there is no "inactive" pair

The convention assumes the caller names four dancers — Heads, Sides, Boys, Girls, Couples 1 and 3. When the caller names everybody, the convention is not in play: the call simply starts from the formation it names, and the whole square moves.

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