M24 — Double Pass Thru
Teaching unit M24 of the CALLERLAB (New) Mainstream Suggested Teaching Order, effective
1 September 2026. Prerequisites: Facing Tandems,
Double Pass Thru
At a glance
| Starting formation | Facing Tandems — one dancer directly behind another |
| Ending formation | Back-to-Back Tandems |
| Timing | 4 beats |
| Unit | M24 of 50 |
Animation
▶ Play this call — pause, step and scrub it: Watching the animations.
Dance action
"Dancers move forward until all dancers have passed two other dancers. Dancers pass right
shoulders."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
What you do
You are standing behind your partner, both facing the same way. Ahead of you is another dancer, also standing behind their partner. That is a facing tandem — a column of two facing a column of two.
- Walk straight forward, keeping your partner directly in front of you.
- Pass the front dancer of the other tandem right shoulder to right shoulder.
- Keep going, and pass their back dancer right shoulder to right shoulder as well.
- Stop when you have passed both of them, and then step apart far enough that the other tandem can also end up standing in a line. You finish back to back with the tandem you passed.
The name says exactly what happens: double pass through — you pass two dancers, not one. Pass Thru passes one. The whole call is four beats, so it is a brisk walk, not a stroll. See Passing Rule for why it is the right shoulder you use.
Timing
4 beats — two bars of music. Because it is so short, Double Pass Thru is nearly always the first half of a longer figure: "Double Pass Thru, Leaders Trade", "Double Pass Thru, Centers In", or "Double Pass Thru; First Couple Go Left, Next Couple Go Right". Be ready to keep moving when it ends.
Styling
"Same as for Pass Thru (page 44)."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
In practice that means arms in natural dance position, no handhold needed along the way, and enough space between the two tandems that nobody collides. Teach yourself the same habits as for Pass Thru: walk on a straight line, look at the dancer you are about to pass, and do not drift sideways.
Restrictions
"Except for applications of the Ocean Wave Rule, dancers must start facing each other, rather than
offset."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
That means the two tandems must line up squarely, head on. The manual's own example is that "Heads Star Thru, Boys Double Pass Thru" is improper, because that leaves the Boys offset rather than facing. The legitimate version is "Heads Star Thru, Boys on a Diagonal, Double Pass Thru", which is a proper extension and ends in Left-Hand Columns. The manual also notes that the Ocean Wave Rule applies, so it can begin from a Right-Hand 1/4 Tag (or a Right-Hand Single 1/4 Tag). See Mainstream restrictions.
Common faults
| What happens | Why | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| You drift sideways and the tandems cross badly | Aiming at the gap instead of walking straight | Pick a line and walk it. The other tandem is doing the same |
| You stop after passing one dancer | Thinking it is Pass Thru | Count them: Double means two dancers passed |
| You finish facing your partner | Turning round during the pass | There is no turn in Double Pass Thru. You finish back to back |
| The square ends up in a muddle | The two tandems started offset | Start squarely facing each other, or the caller must make it proper first |
Where you meet it
Double Pass Thru is taught in Class 6, with Wheel and Deal and California Twirl. It is a cornerstone of modern choreography: the formation it ends in, back-to-back tandems, is where "Leaders Trade", "Centers In" and "First Couple Go Left" all begin.
Related calls
- Pass Thru — the same idea with one dancer passed instead of two. See M7.
- Dive Thru — a couple ducks under an arch and ends in the same back-to-back tandem shape. See M29.
- Wheel and Deal — the usual next call from the line that follows. See M26.
- Centers In — one of the standard ways out of the finished formation. See M44.
Also called / formerly
Double Pass Thru has always been called Double Pass Thru. The manual records the extended relatives you will hear older dancers mention — Triple Pass Thru from facing tandems of three, and Quadruple Pass Thru from facing tandems of four — and adds that dancers are not expected to know those without being told first.
Manual source: Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026, page 30. Reproduced under the permission in sources and attribution.