M20 — Bend the Line
Teaching unit M20 of the CALLERLAB (New) Mainstream Suggested Teaching Order, effective
1 September 2026. Prerequisites: Lines,
Bend the Line
At a glance
| Starting formation | a One-Faced or Two-Faced Line of four; a Tidal Line of eight |
| Ending formation | Facing Couples from a line of four; Facing Lines from a Tidal Line |
| Timing | 4 beats from a line of four; 6 from a Tidal Line |
| Unit | M20 of 50 |
Animation
▶ Play this call — pause, step and scrub it: Watching the animations.
Dance action
"Each half of the line, working as a unit, turns 90 degrees to face the center of the formation."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
What you do
You are standing in a line with three other dancers.
- Split the line into two halves — a pair on the left, a pair on the right.
- Each pair turns 90 degrees as a unit, so that both halves now face the middle of the formation. The dancers on the outside of the line walk forward; the dancers in the middle back up, both at the same speed.
- Finish as two couples facing each other — Facing Couples.
- Take a couple handhold, and if the call has made a new line, join hands in that line straight away.
From a Tidal Line — a line of eight — the same thing happens at each end, and you finish in Facing Lines. The caller may say "Each Side, Bend the Line" or "Line of 8, Bend the Line" to make the halves clear; the manual says "Each Side" is helpful but not necessary.
A couple who find themselves on the outside of the set — after "Couples Circulate 1 1/2", for example — can still be asked to Bend the Line. They treat the other half of "their" line as being towards the centre of the set, and turn 90 degrees that way.
The whole call is one smooth 90-degree turn of both halves together, not two separate moves.
Timing
4 beats from a line of four, 6 beats from a Tidal Line. The extra two beats on the Tidal Line are the longer walk for the very ends.
Styling
"As Ends move forward, the Centers back up, equally. Use a Couple handhold. In the event a new Line
is formed, immediately join hands in the new Line."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
The forward-and-back of ends and centres is the call: if one half turns faster than the other, the line wobbles. Keep the couple handhold and match your partner's step size.
Restrictions
The manual records two limits. The "Each Side" instruction is used from a Tidal formation; and attempts to make dancers bend a line of two dancers — "Bend the Little Bitty Line" — are "considered very unusual and should not be used." Bend the Line needs at least four dancers in the line.
Common faults
| What happens | Why | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| The line folds in the wrong place | The half was taken from the wrong end | Split the line down the middle; each half turns to face the centre |
| One half turns while the other waits | Not moving as two units at once | Both halves turn together, ends forward and centres backing up |
| The dancers bump into each other | Ends walked too far forward | Ends move forward only as far as the centres back up |
| You finish as a line, not facing couples | Half a turn instead of 90 degrees | Finish facing the couple opposite, not alongside them |
Where you meet it
Bend the Line is taught in unit M20, in Class 5 of the course. It is the standard way to turn a line back into facing couples, and it appears in almost every tip from here on.
Related calls
- Veer Left / Veer Right — the other way to change a line into a two-faced line. See M17.
- Couples Circulate — the common call from, and back into, a two-faced line. See M19.
- Wheel and Deal — the couple-based turn out of a line. See M26.
- Chain Down the Line — another call that starts from a line. See M12.
Also called / formerly
You will hear "Bend the Big Line", "Each Side, Bend the Line" and "Work 4 By 4 and Bend the Line" from a Tidal Line. From a Line of 6 the manual also allows "Lines of 6, Bend the Line".
Manual source: Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026, page 21. Reproduced under the permission in sources and attribution.