M13 — Half Sashay Family
Teaching unit M13 of the CALLERLAB (New) Mainstream Suggested Teaching Order, effective
1 September 2026. Prerequisites: Couple,
Half Sashay
At a glance
| Starting formation | Couple |
| Ending formation | Couple, with the two dancers swapped |
| Timing | 4 beats |
| Unit/part | M13a of 50 |
Animation
▶ Play this call — pause, step and scrub it: Watching the animations.
Dance action
"Dancers exchange places without changing facing directions. Dancer on the right side steps to the
left while the dancer on the left steps back, side steps to the right, then steps forward, ending
as a Couple."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
What you do
You and your partner are standing side by side, both facing the same way.
- Keep facing the way you are facing. Half Sashay never turns you round.
- If you are on the right, step across to the left, crossing in front of your partner.
- If you are on the left, step back, side-step to the right, then step forward — three small steps that let your partner pass in front of you.
- Catch hands again in a couple handhold. You have swapped sides and are still facing the same direction.
In a Normal Couple the Girl finishes on the left and the Boy on the right; you have become a Sashayed Couple. Half Sashay Once and a Half is the same action done once and a half, and finishes in a Tandem — one dancer directly behind the other.
Timing
4 beats. Two beats for the crossing step, two for the recovery.
Styling
"Dancers use a normal Couple handhold, pulling slightly toward each other as they initiate the
sashay movement. As the dancers complete the call, they catch hands to end in a Couple handhold…"
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
Stay close to your partner. The dancers pass front-to-front, not front-to-back, so the hold can be kept light throughout.
Restrictions
The manual is firm about the words. The proper command is "Half Sashay"; the shortened "Sashay" "can be confusing and should not be used." The terms "Full Sashay" and "Sashay All the Way Around" are "not part of any modern square dance program" and are "improper language."
Common faults
| What happens | Why | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| You end up facing your partner | You turned instead of swapping sides | Face the same way throughout. Only your position changes |
| You both step the same way | Neither dancer checked which side they were on | Right-side dancer steps left; left-side dancer backs up and goes round |
| You are a long stride apart at the end | The left-side dancer stepped too far back | Three short steps, not one big one |
| You end up tangled in a handhold | Trying to keep both hands joined while crossing | Let the handhold go for the crossing step and catch it again at the end |
Where you meet it
Half Sashay is taught in unit M13, in Class 4 of the course. It is small, quick, and used constantly to change which dancer is on which side of a couple.
Related calls
- Rollaway — the same swap with a full turn by one dancer. See part b below.
- Ladies In, Men Sashay — the sashay idea inside a circle. See part c below.
- Right and Left Thru — a common call that ends with a Half Sashay effect. See M10.
Also called / formerly
You will hear the command shortened to "Sashay", and older material calls the finished arrangement a Half-Sashayed Couple. The 2026 manual asks callers not to shorten the command.
Rollaway
At a glance
| Starting formation | Couple, or an infacing circle of eight |
| Ending formation | Couple or infacing circle of eight, with the two dancers swapped |
| Timing | 4 beats |
| Unit/part | M13b of 50 |
Animation
▶ Play this call — pause, step and scrub it: Watching the animations.
Dance action
"From a Couple, the dancer on the right (or the directed dancer) 'rolls' across in front of the
other dancer, turning a full 360 degrees to end on the other side, as the other dancer steps back
and then forward, adjusting sideways as necessary, to move smoothly into the vacated position."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
What you do
- The dancer on the right rolls across the front. Keep the couple handhold as you turn one full turn, like a rolling barrel, and finish on the other side facing the same way you started.
- The other dancer steps back, lets the roller pass, then steps forward into the space left behind. Step sideways if you need to.
- Catch hands again in a couple handhold.
From an infacing circle of eight, with Boys and Girls alternating, the Girls roll across the front of the Boys unless the caller says otherwise — "4 Ladies Rollaway", for example.
Timing
4 beats — the roll and the replacement step happen at the same time.
Styling
"Hands held in Normal Couple handhold maintaining good arm tension and connection throughout. From
a Couple, the Man steps back on slight right diagonal as the Woman folds to face him. Continuing
the momentum, they change hands."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
The rolling dancer keeps their own feet moving; the partner provides a steady hand, not a shove.
Restrictions
The manual rules out the old name: "Rollaway with a Half Sashay" is "improper language and should not be used." If the preceding call was a Courtesy Turn, the left-hands-joined connection is kept for most of the roll and the handhold changes only near the end.
Common faults
| What happens | Why | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| The roll stops half way | The rolling dancer ran out of momentum | Keep walking through the turn; it is a walk with a spin, not a jump |
| The stationary dancer gets bumped | They stepped forward too early | Step back first, wait for the roller to pass, then step forward |
| The handhold breaks | Gripping hard with straight arms | Keep the arms bent and the grip light; change hands as you pass |
| The roller ends facing the wrong way | Only a half turn was made | A Rollaway is a full 360 degrees back to the original facing |
Where you meet it
Rollaway is taught in unit M13, in Class 4 of the course. It is the standard way to swap two dancers inside a couple or a circle without changing the shape around them.
Related calls
- Half Sashay — the same swap without the turn. See part a above.
- Ladies In, Men Sashay — the circle version of a swap. See part c below.
- Courtesy Turn — a common call just before a Rollaway. See M9.
Also called / formerly
You will hear "Roll the Girl Away" and "Roll her Away". The old name "Rollaway with a Half Sashay" is improper at Mainstream and should not be used.
Ladies In, Men Sashay
At a glance
| Starting formation | infacing circle of eight, Boys and Girls alternating |
| Ending formation | the same circle, with every dancer one place further round |
| Timing | 4 beats |
| Unit/part | M13c of 50 |
Animation
▶ Play this call — pause, step and scrub it: Watching the animations.
Dance action
"From a Circle Left, the Ladies step forward and pause while the Men continue to move to the left,
behind, and past one Lady. The Ladies now step back and rejoin hands in a Circle with the Men. From
a Circle Right, the Men move to the right."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
What you do
Everyone is in a circle, holding hands, moving counter-clockwise (a Circle Left).
- Girls, step forward into the middle and stop. You have left a gap in the circle.
- Boys, keep circling to the left, passing behind one Girl and on into the space she left.
- Girls, step back out into the circle where the Boy behind you has just moved on from.
- Join hands again. Everyone has moved one place round the circle.
From a Circle Right, the Boys move to the right instead. The manual notes that any dancers can be asked to go in — "Men In, Ladies Sashay", for example.
Timing
4 beats — two to step in and out, two to travel one place.
Styling
"Men's hands in slightly up position ready to rejoin the Women in the Circle. Commonly Women have
both hands on skirt when moving to the center…"
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
Keep the circle's shape: the dancers still in the circle should keep it round, not bunch up around the gap.
Common faults
| What happens | Why | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| The circle collapses | Everyone stopped at once | Only the named dancers stop; the rest keep the circle moving |
| Two dancers end up in one place | A Boy counted the wrong Girl | Pass one dancer, then take the space they left |
| The Girls come back too early | Rushing out before the Boy has cleared the gap | Wait, watch the Boy go past, then step back in |
| The circle keeps drifting | Nobody is holding the shape | Keep hands joined where you can and step evenly |
Where you meet it
Ladies In, Men Sashay is taught in unit M13, in Class 4 of the course. Callers use it for variety when the square is already in a circle, and it always comes in the middle of a run of circle calls.
Related calls
- Half Sashay — the two-dancer version of a swap. See part a above.
- Rollaway — the other circle-friendly swap. See part b above.
- Circle Left/Right — the call that normally comes just before and after. See M1.
Also called / formerly
"Ladies Center, Men Sashay", "Men Center, Ladies Sashay" and "Men In, Ladies Sashay" all describe this call with the roles swapped.
Manual source: Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026, page 37. Reproduced under the permission in sources and attribution.