M11 — Swing
Teaching unit M11 of the CALLERLAB (New) Mainstream Suggested Teaching Order, effective
1 September 2026. Prerequisites: Facing Dancers,
Swing
At a glance
| Starting formation | Facing Dancers — a Boy and a Girl |
| Ending formation | Normal Couple, usually facing in |
| Timing | at least 4 beats |
| Unit | M11 of 50 |
Animation
▶ Play this call — pause, step and scrub it: Watching the animations.
Dance action
"Dancers step forward and slightly to their left, use a ballroom hold, and rotate clockwise as a
unit for four or more beats of music. As dancers end the swing, the Woman continues turning to her
right (unrolling along the Man's right arm) until she is facing the same direction as the Man."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
What you do
Start facing your partner, a step or so apart.
- Step in and slightly to your left. You are not walking a circle around the room; you and your partner share one small pivot point between you.
- Take the ballroom hold. The Boy puts his right hand flat on the Girl's back, on her left shoulder blade, and his left hand under her right hand. The Girl rests her left hand lightly on the Boy's right upper arm or shoulder and puts her right hand on top of his left.
- Walk clockwise together, turning around that shared pivot point. Keep your steps short and even. One step per beat of music is the walking swing; the faster buzz step is a small circle with the right foot while the left foot pushes, like a scooter.
- Stay upright and level. Lean back only slightly into your partner's arms — that lean is what the turn produces, not something you add.
- To finish, the Boy stops turning as soon as the two of you face the right way for the next call. The Girl keeps moving, rolling out along his right arm, until she faces the same way he does and you are a couple again.
At the end, adjust to a couple handhold, or to a promenade handhold if a Promenade comes next.
The whole thing is a smooth turn, not "walk, stop, turn, stop". Callers often add a twirl at the end when a promenade follows: the Boy raises his left hand over the Girl's head and guides her round. The twirl is always the Girl's choice.
Timing
At least 4 beats, and the manual gives the timing as Variable, at least 4. Most callers let a swing run 8 to 16 beats because it is the most enjoyable call in the program. What matters is that both of you take one step per beat and finish together on the phrase the caller asked for.
Styling
"The connection generated in the swing is created by centrifugal force. All dancers are responsible
for holding themselves up. … The remaining arms are held only lightly for balance — too much
tension here makes the swing less fluid, and getting out of it clumsy."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
The Boy's right hand is flat on the Girl's back — not fingertips dug in. Keep little or no vertical motion: no bouncing, and never lift a lighter partner off the floor.
Restrictions
The manual gives the starting formation as Facing Dancers (Man and Woman). Two Boys facing, or two Girls, is not this call. The manual also asks callers not to use choreography that "relies on a precise ending position for Swing" — so the exact spot where you stop is the caller's problem, not yours.
Common faults
| What happens | Why | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| You drift halfway across the floor | Both dancers are walking a big circle instead of sharing one pivot point | Keep the pivot between you. Short, even steps in place |
| You feel shoved or pulled | The Boy is driving with his arms | The arms only steady. Each dancer carries their own weight and supplies their own momentum |
| Your feet tangle | The two of you are using different steps | Agree on a walking step or a buzz step. The more experienced dancer adjusts |
| You finish facing the wrong way | The Boy keeps turning past the release | The Boy stops turning when he faces the next call; the Girl rolls out along his right arm |
Where you meet it
Swing is taught in unit M11, in Class 3 of the course. It arrives once you can make an Arm Turn and then appears in almost every tip you ever dance — in singing calls it is usually the reward in the middle of the figure.
Related calls
- Allemande Left — the other turning call, done by the forearm. See M4.
- Courtesy Turn — the other way two dancers end up as a couple. See M9.
- Promenade — the twirl out of a Swing leads straight into it. See M3.
Also called / formerly
"Swing Your Partner" and "Swing Your Corner" are shorthands the manual recognises: they mean face that dancer, then Swing. Older material and many callers say Gents and Ladies where the 2026 manual says Boys and Girls; it is the same call.
Manual source: Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026, page 58. Reproduced under the permission in sources and attribution.