M28 — Slide Thru
Teaching unit M28 of the CALLERLAB (New) Mainstream Suggested Teaching Order, effective
1 September 2026. Prerequisites: Facing Dancers,
Slide Thru
At a glance
| Starting formation | Facing Dancers |
| Ending formation | Couple — or a mini-wave if the two dancers are the same role |
| Timing | 4 beats |
| Unit | M28 of 50 |
Animation
▶ Play this call — pause, step and scrub it: Watching the animations.
Dance action
"In a single smooth motion, Pass Thru and Men Face Right, Women Face Left."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
The manual gives two more notes worth having: the turn "can be blended with the Pass Thru to finish with a sliding or dodging motion", and the Ocean Wave Rule applies — so Slide Thru can also start from a mini-wave.
What you do
You are standing face to face with another dancer, a step or so apart.
- Walk forward. Go straight ahead and pass the other dancer using the ordinary Passing Rule — right shoulders.
- Turn a quarter turn as you arrive beside them, and stop.
- Boys turn to face right.
- Girls turn to face left.
- Stop there. You are now side by side, both facing the same way — a couple — exactly as if you had done a Star Thru.
There is no hand action in the pass itself; the whole call is one smooth walk and a turn. The manual calls it "a single smooth motion", and that is the point: do not pass, stop, then turn. The turn is part of the step that takes you past.
If the dancer facing you is the same role as you — two Boys or two Girls — the ending is a mini-wave rather than a couple: two Boys finish in a right-hand mini-wave, two Girls in a left-hand mini-wave.
Timing
4 beats — two bars of music, the same as Star Thru and Pass Thru plus a turn. Nothing is rushed, but nothing is lingered over either; the caller will normally be talking again as you arrive.
Styling
"Arms in natural dance position with skirt work optional for the women. Hands should be rejoined in
the appropriate position (Couple or Hands Up handhold) for the next call."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
Because there is no handhold during the call, your arms simply stay in natural dance position. The only styling decision is the one at the end: take an ordinary couple handhold if you finished as a couple, or a hands-up mini-wave handhold if you are in a mini-wave — and do it before the next call starts.
Common faults
| What happens | Why | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| You finish facing the other dancer again | You turned back instead of on through | Turn a quarter turn past them, so you end up side by side |
| You bump shoulders | Turning too early, before you are clear | Walk past first. The turn comes at the end of the step |
| You finish a full step too far apart | Walking too far past before turning | Turn as you arrive beside them |
| You turn the same way as the dancer facing you | Turning by habit rather than by role | Boys turn right, Girls turn left — you are aiming at the same direction as each other |
Where you meet it
Slide Thru arrives in Class 7, with Dive Thru and Box the Gnat. It is a favourite of callers because it is short, it produces a couple facing any way the caller wants, and it fits neatly into the middle of a singing call.
Related calls
- Star Thru — the same destination, reached with an arch instead of a pass.
- Pass Thru — the first half of Slide Thru, on its own.
- Box the Gnat — pass and turn, but with hands joined throughout.
- Square Thru — the four-handed relative.
Also called / formerly
Slide Thru has always been called Slide Thru; you will also hear "Slide Through", which is the same call. Older material says Men and Women where this book, following the 2026 programme, says Boys and Girls.
Manual source: Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026, page 53. Reproduced under the permission in sources and attribution.