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Square Dance Calling
How to Resolve a Square
2-Face Line Method
( similar to the method taught at many caller schools )
The Dancers At Home
For the examples in this article, memorize only the dancers in these two key couples this way...
Key Couples At Home
The #1 couple is sometimes referred to as the "primary couple" - shown here in red.
The primary man's corner and her partner are sometimes referred to as the "secondary couple" - shown here in light green.
Notice that the two corners (Head man and Side lady) have little dots.
It may be helpful to note that these two dancers are adjacent (nearer to each other than the others) when the couples are "in sequence".
See Selecting Key Couples for an overview of various methods and memorization techniques.
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Square Resolution Strategy
Get into standard arrangement Two Face Lines
Use Ends Circulate, Centers Circulate and Centers Trade to get one key couple paired
If the paired couple is not facing out, call Couples Circulate to get it
Look to see if the other couple is paired. Two cases:
- If other couple is paired, call Bend The Line; Slide Thru (all paired)
- Everyone Pass Thru to corner? - Call Pass Thru; Allemande Left
-or-
- Everyone Square Thru 3 to corner? - Call Square Thru 3; Allemande Left
- If other couple is NOT paired, call Ferris Wheel (one paired, one not paired)
- Centers Pass Thru to corner? - Call Centers Pass Thru; Allemande Left
-or-
- Centers Square Thru 3 to corner? - Call Centers Square Thru 3; Allemande Left
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Detailed Explanation of Steps
Get into standard arrangement Two Face Lines
R-H 2-Face Lines shown.
Standard arrangement has Boys on the ends, Girls in the center.
L-H 2-Face Lines will work equally as well for this method.
Standard arrangement for L-H 2-Face Lines has Boys in the center, Girls on the ends.
In both cases, all couples are standard with the Boy on the correct side of the Girl.
Here are some easy ways to get into "standard" (standard arrangement) 2-Face Lines from common formations.
- * [0L] Standard facing lines
- - Pass The Ocean; Swing Thru; Boys-Run
- - Pass The Ocean; Recycle; Veer Left
- - Right And Left Thru; Courtesy Turn 1/4 More
- - Pass The Ocean; Boys-Run (L-H 2-face lines)
- * [0B] Standard 8 Chain formation
- - Veer Left
- - Right And Left Thru; Veer Left
- - Swing Thru; Boys-Run
- - Veer Right (L-H 2-face lines)
- * [0W] Standard R-H waves with boys on the ends
- - Swing Thru; Boys-Run
- - Recycle; Veer Left
- - Boys-Run (L-H 2-face lines)
- * [5W] Sashayed R-H waves with girls on the ends
- - Boys-Run
Use Ends Circulate, Centers Circulate and Centers Trade to get one key couple paired
- In this example, to get the two red dancers paired you could call any of these...
- Centers Trade; Centers Circulate
- Centers Circulate Twice
- Ends Circulate Twice
If the paired couple is not facing out, call Couples Circulate to get it
...the two light green dancers just paired are facing in so you would need to call Couples Circulate to move them to the "front row" facing out.
Look to see if the other couple is paired
This is the first of two important decisions you will need to make.
If you have not made any mistakes in the previous steps, there are only two possible cases.
Assume the red dancers are the first paired couple and they are here...
Ignore them and look for one (either one) of the dancers in your other key couple.
They should be in one of the 4 back-row in-facing positions of the formation.
Is their partner with them (paired) or not?
Some typical situations: The other couple is...
   
  
Not Paired |
 
Not Paired |
Paired |
Paired |
"Paired" or "Not paired" is not what the caller needs to say, or even think.
The important thing is immediately calling the correct calls for the case.
- If paired, call Bend The Line; Slide Thru
- If not paired, call Ferris Wheel
The goal is to quickly recognize which case you have then deliver the calls automatically in response.
Bend The Line
Slide Thru |
Ferris Wheel |
Bend The Line
Slide Thru |
Ferris Wheel |
| Memory mnemonic that may help you remember:
one dancer (alone) = call one thing: Ferris Wheel ("F")
two dancers (paired) = call two things: Bend The Line, Slide Thru ("BS")
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The last step: Evaluate sequence and deliver the final calls
| Hint about choosing Pass Thru or Square Thru 3:
If you can see that one isn't right, you automatically know it must be the other one so you can save time and just call it.
(...provided you didn't make mistakes in earlier steps!)
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Summary
Standard 2-face lines
Use Circulates and Trades to pair one couple and be sure they are facing out
All paired? - Yes: Bend The Line; Slide Thru, otherwise: Ferris Wheel
Either Pass Thru -or- Square Thru 3 to the corner Allemande Left!
Variations
Use L-H 2-face lines
Using L-H 2-face lines for pairing takes no extra effort from you yet it feels completely different to the dancers.
Paired couple facing out not required
In the above steps, getting the first couple facing out is not necessary.
Only in the Ferris Wheel Case does it matter.
If the only paired couple was facing in when you called Ferris Wheel, they will end in the center and they need to be on the outside.
In this case call Zoom to move them out and the unpaired dancers in.
Now you are ready to evaluate and call centers Pass Thru or Square Thru 3 to the corner as in the above steps.
A method for resolving from facing lines is hidden in these steps!
In the above steps if you notice that both of your key couples are paired in 2-face lines,
you automatically know to call Bend The Line and Slide Thru.
After you call Bend The Line but before you call Slide Thru, you have standard facing lines
with everyone paired.
If you find in another calling situation that you have facing lines and everyone is paired,
you can pick up the resolve process at this point.
Call Slide Thru then evaluate and call either Pass Thru or Square Thru 3 to the corner as above.
(Standard 2-face lines, everyone paired + Bend The Line = standard facing lines, everyone paired)
If all the couples are paired in 2-face lines
Call Bend The Line to get standard facing lines (everyone is still paired), then use a memorized getout.
First you'll need to evaluate if the couples are in sequence (or not) here in facing lines, then choose either an
[L1p] in-sequence getout or an
[L2p] out-of-sequence getout.
If all the couples are paired in 2-face lines and you accidentally called Ferris Wheel (when you should have called Bend The Line, Slide Thru)
Have the Centers-Pass Thru then...
- Swing Thru; Boys-Run and try again! (standard R-H 2-face lines, everyone paired)
- Touch 1/4; Walk & Dodge; Partner Trade (standard facing lines, everyone paired)
- Touch 1/4; Split Circulate; Boys-Run (standard facing lines, everyone paired)
- Circle To A Line (standard facing lines, everyone paired)
If only one of the key couples is paired and you accidentally called Bend The Line; Slide Thru (when you should have called Ferris Wheel)
Call Star Thru to get facing lines then call Pass Thru; Wheel And Deal.
If the centers are the only couple paired, call Zoom to move them to the outside and you are ready for
either Centers Pass Thru or Centers Square Thru 3 to the corner.
If only one of the key couples is paired and you accidentally called Bend The Line, but caught yourself before calling Slide Thru
Call Pass Thru; Wheel And Deal and continue as in the above variation.
It's easier to use waves (rather than 2-face lines) to pair your partners. You have some additional calls and All 8 Circulate is more powerful at moving dancers.
Easy Method
- Get into "sashayed" right-hand waves [5W], boys in the center, girls on the end (If everyone rears-back from the wave into facing couples, the couples are sashayed)
Examples to get into sashayed R-H waves from familliar formations, standard arrangement...
From [0L]: Pass The Ocean, Swing Thru
From [0B]: Swing Thru
From [0W]: Swing Thru
- Use Ends Circulate, Centers Circulate, Centers Trade, All 8 Circulate
and/or Acey Deucy to move your partners next to each other holding right hands.
- Call Boys Run.
You now have the familiar standard right-hand 2-face lines with your paired partners as a normal couple.
- If you need to, call Couples Circulate to move them to the "front row" facing out and continue resolving as above.
More Flexible Method
- Get into normal or sashayed, right or left-hand waves (boys in the center or boys on the end)
- Use Ends Circulate, Centers Circulate, Centers Trade, All 8 Circulate
and/or Acey Deuvy to move your partners next to each other holding hands.
You may also use Swing Thru (or Left Swing Thru) to bring your partners together if they started once-removed from each other in the same wave.
- If right-hand waves call Boys Run; if left-hand waves call Girls Run.
You now have the familiar standard 2-face lines with your paired partners as a normal couple.
If you have not been keeping track of the arrangement, after the Run the dancers may end in either right-hand of left-hand 2-face lines but this will not affect how the resolve process continues from here.
- If you need to, call Couples Circulate to move your paired couple to the "front row" facing out and continue resolving as above.
Even More Flexible Method - helps if you can't easily see where the genders are
- Forget about arrangement, just get the dancers into any kind of parallel waves (i.e. R-H or L-H waves, any arrangement).
- Use All 8 Circulate and/or Acey Deucy to move the two partners of either one of your key couples into the same wave.
At this point it doesn't matter where within the wave.
- Get your partners holding hands as end and adjacent center. Three cases...
- If you get it with the above calls, you're done with this step
- If your partners are once removed in the wave, call Centers Trade or Swing Thru (R-H waves) to bring them together
- If you get both partners as centers or both as ends call Split Circulate, All 8 Circulate or All 8 Circulate, Split Circulate to bring them together (see note 1).
- If right-hand waves call Boys Run; if left-hand waves call Girls Run (see note 2).
Observe the ending formation, then while keeping your paired dancers together,
call everyone into 2-face lines and continue the resolve process.
Note about the last two steps
If any one pair of your memorized partners are holding hands as end and adjacent center in a wave, it's safe to call Boys Run or Girls Run
because (assuming symmetry) there will be one boy and one girl in every quadrant.
The formation after the Run will be one of these 4...
- [0L] Facing lines
- [0LO] Lines facing out
- [0F] Right-hand 2-face lines
- [L.0F] Left-hand 2-face lines
Note 1 At Advanced, consider calling Out Roll Circulate.
Note 2 At Advanced, consider calling Explode And Brace Thru to get standard facing lines, your paired dancers together as a couple.
For more information, see...
The Square Resolution Process for a broader, more general overview of resolving
The Easiest Way to Resolve a Square
FASR
Articles on calling, terminology, resolving and more
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Richard Reel Hayward California USA
