M6 — Right and Left Grand Family
Teaching unit M6 of the CALLERLAB (New) Mainstream Suggested Teaching Order, effective
1 September 2026. Prerequisites: Right Pull By,
Right and Left Grand
At a glance
| Starting formation | Right and Left Grand Circle, Eight Chain Thru, or Trade By with the ends facing in |
| Ending formation | Right and Left Grand Circle |
| Timing | 10 beats |
| Unit/part | M6a of 50 |
Animation
▶ Play this call — pause, step and scrub it: Watching the animations.
Dance action
"If necessary, Men turn up to 90 degrees to face promenade direction and Women turn up to 90
degrees to face wrong way promenade direction. Dancers blend into a circular formation as they Right
Pull By, Left Pull By, Right Pull By, Left Pull By."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
What you do
You are standing facing another dancer, ready to walk round the ring.
- Turn to face promenade direction. In a grand circle the Boys face one way round the ring and the Girls face the other, so you are walking towards the dancer on your right.
- Take right hands as you meet and pull gently past each other — a Right Pull By. Let go as you pass.
- Take left hands with the next dancer and pull past.
- Right again, then left again. Right, left, right, left — four dancers, and then you are back where you started.
- Keep the ring round and the arms relaxed. The pull is a light touch, not a tug of war. Step past the dancer rather than reaching for them.
The last dancer you meet on the fourth hand is your partner if the set started level; that is why the call is so often followed by a Swing or a Promenade.
Timing
10 beats. That is a slow walk round the ring, a little quicker than a full Star. If you are standing still waiting for the next dancer, you are walking too fast or the circle is too big.
Styling
"Hands are involved with alternating, gentle, pull-by movements, no twirls. Arms should be held in
natural dance position and the handhold position should be released as dancers pass each other."
Stand tall. The manual warns Boys in particular against "leaning over and stretching out their hand to the next person" — a comfortable arm's length is all you need, and the next dancer is already coming to you.
Common faults
| What happens | Why | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| The ring becomes a huge oval | Dancers reaching for each other | Keep the circle a sensible size. Walk to the next dancer, do not wait for them |
| You start with the wrong hand | Losing count | Right, left, right, left — the hand alternates every time, and the first is always right |
| A dancer is missing from the ring | Someone walked the wrong way round | Everyone travels the same ring in their own direction. If you meet a back, you are going the wrong way |
| You spin your partner as you pass | Adding a twirl | No twirls. Plain, gentle pull-bys |
Where you meet it
Class 2. The grand right and left is the most common way to move from an Allemande Left into a Promenade, and it appears in almost every singing call.
Related calls
- Weave the Ring — the same walk with no hands. See below.
- Wrong Way Grand — the same walk in the opposite direction. See below.
- Allemande Left — the standard way into a grand. See M4.
- Promenade — where the grand usually leads. See M3.
Also called / formerly
You will hear "Grand Right and Left" and just "Grand". Some callers say "Right and Left Grand, around you go" as patter. All mean the same walk.
Weave the Ring
At a glance
| Starting formation | Right and Left Grand Circle |
| Ending formation | Right and Left Grand Circle |
| Timing | 10 beats |
| Unit/part | M6b of 50 |
Animation
▶ Play this call — pause, step and scrub it: Watching the animations.
Dance action
"Dancers do a no-hands Right and Left Grand."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
What you do
- Face promenade direction, exactly as for a grand.
- Walk the ring with your hands down. No handholds at all.
- Lead with your right shoulder as you pass the dancer on your right, then your left shoulder as you pass the next dancer. That is how you keep the traffic flowing without touching.
- Make brief eye contact with every dancer you pass. It stops you drifting into them and it makes the call a pleasure to dance.
- Keep the circle the same size all the way round. Nobody has a hand to hold, so the ring can only be kept by watching.
Timing
10 beats, the same as a Right and Left Grand. Some groups add flourishes that stretch it to 16 beats; if the caller is phrasing to a tune, listen for the extra bars.
Styling
"Women work their skirt with both hands as they move around the square. Men hold hands in natural
dance position. Dancers lead with their right shoulder as they pass the dancer on the right, then
with the left shoulder as they pass the dancer on the left."
Keep the shoulders doing the talking and pay attention to "keeping the circle a reasonable size and not expanding too much".
Restrictions
The manual does not recommend surprise here: "Surprise or variety in starting formations is not recommended. While the Ocean Wave Rule applies to this call, its application is also not recommended." In practice, Weave the Ring starts from a Right and Left Grand Circle and stays there.
Common faults
| What happens | Why | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| You bump shoulders | Walking straight at the person instead of past them | Shoulders do the steering: right shoulder to the dancer on your right |
| The ring balloons outwards | Nobody is holding it in | Watch the dancers opposite and keep the same distance all the way round |
| You turn it into a race | No hands means no feedback | Match the pace of the dancer in front. If you catch them up, slow down |
| You look at the floor | Missing the eye contact that keeps spacing | Eyes up. Looking at the next dancer tells you both where to go |
Where you meet it
Class 2. Callers use it in singing calls, where the tune gives them room to let the square walk without hands, often straight after an Allemande Left.
Related calls
- Right and Left Grand — the same walk with hands. See above.
- Wrong Way Grand — the same walk the other way round. See below.
- Single File Promenade — another hands-free walk round the ring. See M3.
Also called / formerly
You will also hear it described as a "no-hands grand" or "Weave the Ring, no hands". The call itself has always been Weave the Ring.
Wrong Way Grand
At a glance
| Starting formation | Same as Right and Left Grand, but with the Boys facing wrong way promenade direction and the Girls facing promenade direction |
| Ending formation | Right and Left Grand Circle |
| Timing | 10 beats |
| Unit/part | M6c of 50 |
Animation
▶ Play this call — pause, step and scrub it: Watching the animations.
Dance action
"Same as for Right and Left Grand (item a. above), except the Men go in wrong way promenade
direction and Women go in promenade direction"
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
What you do
- Face the other way round the ring — wrong way promenade direction.
- Right Pull By, Left Pull By, Right Pull By, Left Pull By, exactly as for a normal grand.
- Keep the ring round and match the pace of the dancers in front of you.
- Finish in a Right and Left Grand Circle, ready for the next call.
The walk is identical to a Right and Left Grand; only the direction of travel is reversed. That is why callers use it — it turns the whole square around without anyone having to relearn the call.
Timing
10 beats, the same as Right and Left Grand.
Styling
"Same as for Right and Left Grand (item a. above)."
Gentle alternating pull-bys, natural dance position, and hands released as you pass.
Common faults
| What happens | Why | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Half the square goes the old way | Not hearing "Wrong Way" | Listen for the whole call. Everyone in the ring travels the same direction |
| You bump the dancer you expected to miss | Hands still going right, left, right, left | The hands are the same; only the direction changes |
| The ring collapses | Dancers hurrying to get round | Same pace as a normal grand — 10 beats, no faster |
Where you meet it
Class 2. Wrong Way Grand usually follows a Box the Gnat or a Wrong Way Promenade, and it is a favourite way to finish a singing call with a flourish.
Related calls
- Right and Left Grand — the usual direction. See above.
- Weave the Ring — the no-hands version. See above.
- Wrong Way Promenade — the couples version of going the other way. See M3.
Also called / formerly
You will occasionally hear "Wrong Way Right and Left Grand". It is the same call, and the extra words are the caller being careful.
Manual source: Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026, page 49. Reproduced under the permission in sources and attribution.