saute any jumping or leaping movement.
seat spin spinning on the seat of one's pants.
side jazz walk a sideways walk with the knees in the demi-plie position.
spiral turn a winding turn.
stag leap a leap during which the front foot is lifted to the knee of the back leg.
sundari Oriental head motions.
swastika a seated position in which one leg is flexed forward and the other flexed back, a configuration resembling a swastika.
tabletop a position in which the torso is bent over and laid out flat parallel to the floor to resemble a tabletop.
tombe letting the body fall forward, back, or to the side onto a leg in the plie position.
tour to turn the body.
triple three steps taken with two counts of the music.
Square Dancing
Alamo style a circle of dancers join hands, with every other dancer facing outward.
all around your left-hand lady a move in which the corners dance around each other right shoulder to right shoulder.
allemande a forearm grasp and a swing through made by the corner dancers.
arky couple either two men or two women.
arm swing grasping another's forearm and swinging around.
around one a designated couple turn their backs to one another and both move behind the nearest person.
bend the line breaking up a line of dancers by having the end dancers move forward and the center dancers move back.
break to release hands.
California twirl a move in which a couple raise joined hands to form an arch, which the lady passes under. Also known as frontier whirl.
call a singing direction for the next dance movement, made by the caller.
caller the person who sings or chants out dance directions.
cast off in a line of couples, the center dancers separate and move forward while the end couples join hands and move back.
centers any dancers inside the square or inside any other formation.
cloverleaf couples in a double line break off from the corners, turn back around, and describe a clover- leaf pattern while trailing couples follow.
courtesy turn a couple joins left hands and wheel counterclockwise.
crisscross one couple divides another couple, who then close and cross trails to exchange places.
curlicue while holding an arch, the gent walks around the lady, who then backs under the arch, so they end up facing opposite directions while still holding hands.
dive through two couples form an arch, which another couple passes under.
Dixie chain with couples in a single file line, the ladies pull through from right to left hands, followed by the gents, ending in a single file.
dosi around facing dancers move forward and pass around each other back to back.
do-si-do to do-si around.
fold one dancer steps forward and turns to face his or her partner.
frontier whirl see California twirl.
gents traditionally, how male dancers are addressed.
grand chain four ladies move in a right-hand star to opposite gents, who courtesy turn them.
grand right and left weaving in and out around other dancers in a circle, the ladies pulling by in one direction while the gents pull by in the other until partners meet.
hash calls freestyle calls—none of which necessarily rhyme—made spontaneously by the caller. Also known as patter.
hinge the couple turn to face each other, step forward, and join right hands.
hoedown a square dance; also, music traditionally played at a square dance.
honor a call to bow to your partner. Indian style single file.
look her in the eye a call to face your partner.
make an arch a call for two dancers to join and raise hands overhead to create an arch.
ocean wave four dancers facing in alternate directions form a line and join hands palm to palm at shoulder height; each dancer then takes a step forward and a step back for an undulating effect.
pack saddle star a star in which four dancers form a hub by grabbing each other's wrists.
pass through facing couples pass through one another and end up back to back.
patter see hash calls.
peel off each dancer in a couple separates and turns back while the trailing couple squeezes between them, separates, and turns back to end up in a line facing the opposite direction.
pigeon wing clasping hands with the elbows pointed up.
promenade with hands crossed, right to right, left to left, with gents' palms facing up, couples follow each other in a circle counterclockwise.
promenade wrong way a promenade danced clockwise.
pull-by two people lightly clasp hands and swing each other through a line or formation.
rock it taking a short step forward and tapping the other foot then stepping back and tapping the other foot. Also known as balance.
sashay (chasse) a couple standing side by side move out of line and sidestep past one another.
set a square.
singing calls predetermined calls that are sung to the music, as distinguished from hash calls.
skirt work the ladies flaring their skirts to the sides.
spread it wide a call to change a hold around the waist to an outstretched handclasp position.
square the square formed by four couples.
square your sets a call to dancers to come onto the floor and form squares.
star dancers touch hands at shoulder height to form a hub, which they circle around. In singles, to grasp hands at shoulder height and rotate around one another.
swing walking around your partner while holding the waist and hands.
trade a side-by-side couple turn to face each other, then walk around each other, and end up side-by-side facing the opposite direction.
trailing following the dancer or dancers in front of you.
wrong way any movement in the opposite direction of normal.
Tap Dancing
bells a click of the heels while in midair.
brush a sweep of one foot forward, diagonally, or backward while lightly brushing the floor.
buck a move consisting of a stomp of the right foot followed by a hop left on the left foot, a slap down on the right, a slap down on the left, a step right, and then a repeat of the entire move starting on the left foot.
buffalo a leap and a landing on the right while raising the left foot and shuffling it forward and back, followed by a leap and landing on the left foot and a return to the starting position.
chug sliding forward on the ball of the right foot while simultaneously dropping the heel sharply.
coffee grinder in a squatting position with the hands touching the floor, one extended leg describes the action of a coffee grinder by rotating around in a complete circle.
cossack a difficult Russian folk dance with the body in a squatting position and the arms folded at chest level while the legs kick out alternately.