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The Society of Folk Dance Historians (SFDH)
Square Dance Shorthand
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In Square Dance, as in any other field, shorthand is designed to reduce a large quantity of material to a small easily handled form as rapidly as possible. A Square Dance caller needs shorthand form for four principal reasons:
- to assist in square dance analysis,
- to assist in square dance diagramming,
- to assist in memorizing new figures, and
- to refresh his memory quickly.
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All Around All Eight Chain Alemande Alemande Thar Around One Around Two Around Three Back Track Box the Gnat Box the Flea California Twirl Cast Off Catch All Eight Center Chain Circle Circle Left Circle Right Circle Half Circle Eight Circle Four Circle Three Circle ¾'ers Corner Couple Cross Trail Divide Dixie Docey-Doe Do-Pas-O Do-Sa-Do Double Pass Through Duck Elbow End Face Grand Right and Left Half Sashay Hand Head Lady Left Line Man Opposite Partner Pass Through Promenade Re-Shashay Right Right and Left Through Roll Back See Saw Side Square Through Star Swing Turn Back U-turn Wagon Wheel Wheel Around Weave the Ring Whirl Away |
aa All 8/c A A/Th /1 /2 /3 BT BG BF CT CO Catch 8 ⦿ c ◯ ⓛ ⓡ ½⃝ ⑧ ④ ③ ¾⃝ Cr Cp XT DIVISION SIGN Dx Docy Dpso dsdo DPT D e E F GR R/L ½s h H L I __ M Opp Ptnr PT Pr R1/.2s r r&l R/B SS S ▢T * Sw TB UT W* *⃝ Ⓦ w/a |
For an example, let's look at a square in original form, and then see the same figures in shorthand.
GNAT ALLEMANDE
One and three bow and swing
Chain your gal to the right of the ring
All four ladies chain across
Turn them around, don't get lost
New head ladies chain to the right
Turn them boys, don't take all night
One and three half sashay
Into the center and back that way
Pass through and around two
While the sides couples half sashay
Forward eight and eight fall back
Right and left through across the track
Forward eight and eight fall back
With the opposite Box the Gnat
Lady on the left, left allemande. (Etc.)
GNAT ALLEMANDE
1 & 3 Lc-r
4 Lc
New 1&3 Lc-r
H ½s
S ½s____4
r&l BG
a/1
Square dance shorthand is designed as a memory aid, not as a replacement for work in preparing to call. Try it and I am sure you will find a handy "Tool of the Trade."
DOCUMENTS
- Square Dance, a dance family.
- Square Dance Terminology, an article.
- Square Dancing, an article.
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