M5 — Star Right/Left
Teaching unit M5 of the CALLERLAB (New) Mainstream Suggested Teaching Order, effective
1 September 2026. Prerequisites: Facing Couples,
Star Right/Left
At a glance
| Starting formation | Facing Couples, Squared Set, or Infacing Circle of 8 |
| Ending formation | Star plus an adjustment — each dancer turns to face where the next call needs them |
| Timing | 1/2: 4 beats · 3/4: 6 beats · Full: 8 beats |
| Unit | M5 of 50 |
Animation
▶ Play this call — pause, step and scrub it: Watching the animations.
Dance action
"The designated dancers form a Star by stepping forward if necessary and placing the appropriate
hand in the center of the formation. Forming the Star may require a dancer to individually turn in
place up to 3/8 of a turn. Dancers turn the Star by walking forward in a circle around the center
of the Star."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
What you do
You and three other dancers are going to turn a wheel together, with your hands meeting in the middle.
- Step in and put the right hand in the centre for a Star Right (also called a Right-Hand Star). "Star Left" means left hands in the centre instead.
- Stack the hands neatly. Your palm goes flat against the back of the hand already there, so all four hands sit in one pile at the middle of the star. That grip is the Palm Star.
- Walk forward around the centre. The star turns because everybody walks; nobody pushes the pile of hands round.
- Keep your outside arm relaxed — down at your side for a Boy, doing skirt work if you wear a skirt.
- Turn the fraction the caller asks for. "Star Right, once around" is a full turn. "Star Right 1/2" leaves you on the far side of the star from where you started.
- Let go and adjust. A star can finish anywhere, so the very last thing you do is turn to face whatever the next call needs.
Timing
1/2: 4 beats · 3/4: 6 · Full: 8. A full star takes eight steps — a comfortable, steady walk. If the set is enormous the hub gets loose and the star takes longer, so keep the hands stacked tightly in the middle.
Styling
"Palm Star (see "Styling: Hands and Arms", page 68). Men's outside arms in natural dance position,
women's outside hands work skirt."
The stack of hands stays low, around chest height, with elbows soft. Keep the star round: if one dancer walks wide, the star becomes an egg and the dancers opposite have to sprint.
Common faults
| What happens | Why | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| The hands slide off each other | Everyone grabbing the wrists in the middle | Flat palm on the back of the next hand, all four in one pile |
| The star lurches and stops | Somebody is pulling instead of walking | The star is powered by feet, not arms. Walk at the speed of the slowest dancer |
| You finish facing the wrong way | Forgetting the adjustment | The star ends where it ends. Turn on the spot to face the next call |
| The star drifts off centre | Different sized steps | Watch the dancers opposite and match them. Keep the hub over one spot on the floor |
Where you meet it
Class 2. Stars are everywhere: they start an Allemande Thar-style sequence, they are the middle of a Star Promenade, and a Right-Hand Star is the most common way to turn four dancers across the square.
Related calls
- Star Promenade — a star that grows arms and walks. See M3.
- Arm Turn — the two-dancer version of the same turning action. See M4.
- Star Thru — despite the name, a completely different call: a two-dancer arch and turn. See M18.
- Allemande Left — often the call before or after a star. See M4.
Also called / formerly
You will hear "Right-Hand Star", "Left-Hand Star", "Star by the Right", "Make a Star", and "Star once around". Some regions dance stars containing Boys with a Pack-Saddle Star — an alternative grip taught locally, not a different call. Two-dancer stars are used in some classes in place of Arm Turns, but they are rarely called at a dance.
Manual source: Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026, page 57. Reproduced under the permission in sources and attribution.