Contents
0 — The start pages
The book opens with these four pages, in this order. They are about the book rather than about dancing, so they are numbered 0 and the dance itself starts at 01.
| Page | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Introduction | what this book is, who it is for, and the three ways to read it |
| How this book is organised | the kinds of page, and the call card |
| Contents — this page | the map of the whole book |
| Conventions | how the pages are laid out, and how to read the pictures |
01 — Start here
| Page | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| What square dancing is | the dance, the evening, and what changed in 2026 |
| The square | eight dancers, four couples, and the words for them |
| How a call works | start formation → dance action → end formation |
| Timing and music | beats, phrases, and why 64 matters |
| Tips, the unit of the dance | opener, figure, break, closer, finale |
| Zeroes, get-outs and modules | why every tip comes home |
02 — The language
| Page | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Naming the dancers | Partner & Corner, Heads & Sides, Boys & Girls, Centers & Ends, Leaders & Trailers |
| Couples and positions | the four positions, and who stands where |
| Directions | Left, Right, In, Out, Home, Reverse, Forward and Back |
| Formations | Squared Set, Circle, Promenade, Facing Dancers, Facing Couples, Eight Chain Thru, Couple, Tandem, Lines, Waves, Columns, Box, Diamond, Alamo, Thar, Tag |
| Arrangements and gender | who is on which side, and why it matters |
| Sequence and relationship | in sequence, out of sequence, and why anyone cares |
| Hands and holds | every handhold this program uses |
| Fractions | 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and what they mean |
| Concepts and modifiers | Split, All 8, Nothing, Anything, Those Who Can |
03 — The rules
| Page | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Passing Rule | what happens when two dancers share a path |
| Same Position Rule | what happens when two dancers want one spot |
| Facing Couples Rule | dancing a wave call from facing couples |
| Ocean Wave Rule | dancing a facing-couples call from a wave |
| Squared Set Convention | calls that start from "facing" when you are squared up |
| Circle Rule | calling out of a circle |
| Proper versus improper | what the manual will and will not allow |
| Mainstream restrictions | the limits, gathered in one place |
04 — The calls
Fifty teaching units, in the official order — the same order the classes teach them in. Every unit has its own page, and the call index gives the same list with the formations and timing beside it.
- M1 — Circle Family
- M2 — Dosado
- M3 — Promenade Family
- M4 — Arm Turn Family
- M5 — Star Right/Left
- M6 — Right and Left Grand Family
- M7 — Pass Thru
- M8 — Wheel Around / Reverse Wheel Around
- M9 — Courtesy Turn
- M10 — Right and Left Thru
- M11 — Swing
- M12 — Ladies Chain Family
- M13 — Half Sashay Family
- M14 — Turn Back Family
- M15 — Separate Family
- M16 — Lead Right / Lead Left
- M17 — Veer Left / Veer Right
- M18 — Star Thru
- M19 — Circulate Family
- M20 — Bend the Line
- M21 — Square Thru / Left Square Thru
- M22 — Split Two
- M23 — Grand Square
- M24 — Double Pass Thru
- M25 — First Couple Go Left/Right, Next Couple Go Right/Left
- M26 — Wheel and Deal
- M27 — California Twirl
- M28 — Slide Thru
- M29 — Dive Thru
- M30 — Box the Gnat
- M31 — Ocean Wave Family
- M32 — Trade Family
- M33 — Swing Thru / Left Swing Thru
- M34 — Run / Cross Run
- M35 — Pass the Ocean
- M36 — Extend
- M37 — Flutterwheel / Reverse Flutterwheel
- M38 — Sweep a Quarter
- M39 — Trade By
- M40 — Ferris Wheel
- M41 — Zoom
- M42 — Touch a Quarter
- M43 — Hinge Family
- M44 — Centers In
- M45 — Cast Off Three-Quarters
- M46 — Spin the Top
- M47 — Scoot Back
- M48 — Fold / Cross Fold
- M49 — Tag the Line Family
- M50 — Recycle (from Waves only)
05 — The course · 06 — Practice · 07 — Beyond
| Page | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Course overview | the 50 units grouped into twelve classes |
| Teaching a class | pacing and walkthroughs |
| How to practise | making progress between classes |
| Drills | figure-by-figure exercises |
| Dancing a tip | what a whole tip actually feels like |
| Caller and teacher notes | what to plan, what to track, and what to do about the calls that keep failing |
| Finding music | what makes a record danceable, and where square dance music comes from |
| Where Mainstream leads | the Plus program, and what moves |
| The Plus program | the Plus calls |
| Plus call index | one line each |
The twelve classes, in order, each with its own page:
- Class 1 — The First Evening
- Class 2 — Stars, Grands and Wheels
- Class 3 — The Couple Calls
- Class 4 — Passing and Leading
- Class 5 — Veer, Star Thru and the Circulate
- Class 6 — Across and Back
- Class 7 — Lines and Turns
- Class 8 — Waves and the Box
- Class 9 — Waves in Motion
- Class 10 — Wheels and Sweeps
- Class 11 — Quarters and Centres
- Class 12 — The Last Calls
08 — Reference
| Page | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Glossary | every term, defined once |
| Call index | every call, its unit, formations and timing |
| Formation index | which calls start or end in each formation |
| Animations index | every animated call, and the few with none yet |
| Program membership | which calls are in the 2026 program, and how that was settled |
| Moved and renamed | calls that left Mainstream, and 2026 renames |
| Watching the animations | the controls, the colours, and the numbers |
| Sources and attribution | where every definition and quotation comes from |