M17 — Veer Left / Veer Right
Teaching unit M17 of the CALLERLAB (New) Mainstream Suggested Teaching Order, effective
1 September 2026. Prerequisites: Facing Couples,
Veer Left / Veer Right
At a glance
| Starting formation | Facing Couples or a Two-Faced Line |
| Ending formation | a Two-Faced Line from Facing Couples; Back-to-Back Couples from a Two-Faced Line |
| Timing | 2 beats |
| Unit | M17 of 50 |
Animation
▶ Play this call — pause, step and scrub it: Watching the animations.
Dance action
"From Facing Couples, each Couple works as a unit and moves forward and in the given direction to
finish in a Two-Faced Line. From a Two-Faced Line, the given direction must be toward the center of
the Line. Each Couple works as a unit and moves forward and in the given direction to finish in
Back-to-Back Couples."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
What you do
You and your partner are a couple, holding hands. You are facing another couple.
- Both keep walking forward — nobody turns in place.
- Slide diagonally in the given direction as you go. A Veer Left takes the whole couple forward and to the left, together. A Veer Right takes the couple forward and to the right.
- Finish side by side with your partner, still facing the same general way, and now lined up beside the other couple. That shape is a Two-Faced Line: two couples back to back, each facing out.
If you start from a Two-Faced Line instead, the same walking action applies, but the named direction must be the one that takes you towards the middle of the line. You finish as Back-to-Back Couples — each couple facing a couple, not lined up with one.
The whole call is two beats: it is a small diagonal step, not a journey.
Timing
2 beats. Veer is one of the shortest calls in the program — the equivalent of a single beat of travel each way.
Styling
"All dancers use Couple handhold. Outside hands in normal dance position."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
The couple handhold stays joined throughout. Keep the couple's shoulders parallel — the two of you slide as one block, you do not turn to face each other.
Restrictions
From a Two-Faced Line the manual says the direction must be toward the center of the Line. A "Veer Left" called the wrong way — away from the centre — is not this call. Callers choose the direction that matches where the dancers already are and where the next call needs them.
Common faults
| What happens | Why | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| You turn to face your partner | Treating it like a step to a wave | Veer keeps you side by side, both facing out |
| You turn in place instead of moving | Stopping first, then turning | Keep walking; the direction is added to the forward step |
| The couple separates | Each dancer stepped a different way | Move as a unit on the joined hands |
| You veer away from the centre of the line | Wrong direction chosen for the start formation | From a two-faced line, the named direction always points toward the middle |
Where you meet it
Veer Left and Veer Right are taught in unit M17, in Class 5 of the course. They are short connective calls: callers use them to turn facing couples into two-faced lines so the next call has the shape it needs.
Related calls
- Lead Right / Lead Left — the quarter-turn version, ending facing a couple. See M16.
- Bend the Line — the other way to change a line's shape. See M20.
- Couples Circulate — the call that most often follows a Veer. See M19.
- Wheel and Deal — the usual way back out of a two-faced line. See M26.
Also called / formerly
You will hear "Veer Left" and "Veer Right"; the manual's index also lists the pair as "Veer Left / Right". When callers use them as a pair — "Veer Left, Veer Right" — the dancers often feel a ricochet as the direction reverses.
Manual source: Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026, page 65. Reproduced under the permission in sources and attribution.