M48 — Fold / Cross Fold
Teaching unit M48 of the CALLERLAB (New) Mainstream Suggested Teaching Order, effective
1 September 2026. Prerequisites: Couple,
The manual gives Fold and Cross Fold as two parts of one family, and this teaching unit treats them together. They differ only in how far the folding dancer walks.
Fold / Cross Fold
At a glance
| Starting formation | A Couple or a Mini-Wave (Fold); a General Line (Cross Fold) |
| Ending formation | Facing Dancers or a Tandem (Fold); see the comments for Cross Fold |
| Timing | 2 beats (Fold); 4 beats (Cross Fold) |
| Unit | M48 of 50 |
Animation
▶ Play this call — pause, step and scrub it: Watching the animations.
Dance action
Fold:
"The designated dancer steps forward and walks in a semi-circle toward the adjacent dancer to end
facing that position. The non-designated dancer is inactive and does not move."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
Cross Fold:
"Designated dancers step forward and walk in a semicircle, passing both the center of the Line and
one dancer position, to end facing the position of the next dancer. Non-designated dancers are
inactive and do not move."
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
What you do
The caller always names who folds — "Boys Fold", "Ends Fold", "Girls Cross Fold". If you are not named, you do nothing at all.
Fold
- If you are named, step forward, then walk a semicircle — half a circle — toward the dancer next to you.
- Stop facing their position. You end up facing the spot where that dancer is standing.
- If you are not named, stand still. Do not help, do not turn round, do not move.
Cross Fold
- If you are named, step forward and walk a bigger semicircle: past the centre of the line and past one dancer position.
- Stop facing the next dancer along.
The difference in one line: Fold takes you to your neighbour's spot; Cross Fold carries you one position further, so you end up facing somebody two places away.
Timing
2 beats for Fold — one bar. 4 beats for Cross Fold — two bars, because the walk is about twice as long. Moving on the music matters here: a Fold that takes four beats leaves your partner standing awkwardly while everyone waits.
Styling
"None"
— CALLERLAB, Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026.
That is the manual's whole entry for both parts, and it means what it says: there is no handhold to keep and no grip to form. Walk it smoothly, and arrive facing the right spot rather than drifting to a halt facing the wrong one.
Common faults
| What happens | Why | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| The inactive dancer moves too | Being helpful | If you are not named, you are furniture. Stand still |
| You end up beside your neighbour, facing the same way | Cutting the semicircle short | Walk the whole half circle and finish facing their position |
| Fold and Cross Fold get mixed up | Only one word separates them | Fold = one position. Cross Fold = past the centre and one position |
| You turn on the spot instead of walking | Thinking of it as a face | It is a walk, not a turn — your feet travel a semicircle |
Where you meet it
Fold appears again immediately inside Recycle, where the ends Cross Fold and the centres Fold. That is why it is worth learning carefully now. See the course overview.
Related calls
- Recycle — built directly on Fold and Cross Fold. See M50.
- Run / Cross Run — the same semicircle idea, danced into a new position rather than facing one. See M34.
- Zoom — the other half-call built on a circle, but with a full turn. See M41.
- Cast Off Three-Quarters — a turn from a line, where Fold is a walk. See M45.
Also called / formerly
The manual records that "Everyone Fold" or "Everybody Fold to Face" is a gimmick — with everybody folding there is no inactive dancer to fold toward, so callers who use it expect it to end in Facing Dancers. It may not be used from a Couple. If you hear it, treat it as described and expect the caller to explain.
Manual source: Mainstream Dance Program Definitions, revised 29 March 2026, pages 34–35. Reproduced under the permission in sources and attribution.