A guide for dancers to teach themselves Plus square dancing (assuming they know Mainstream). This is intended for
clubs who do not have a caller available to teach their Plus class. You'll need a square of Mainstream dancers, and
an extra dancer to read the calls to you (to take the place of the caller.) Music in the background is not required.
Teaching Plus for Dancers
A do-it-yourself
program for clubs who can’t hire a caller to teach their plus class
To be used in
conjunction with Plus definition books and Plus videos
By: Dave Smith,
South Lyon,
Michigan
Copyright 2010
Mainstream review
mainstream
program
54.
Cloverleaf
55. Turn Thru
56.
Pass To The Center
57. Spin The Top
58.Center In
59.Cast Off 3/4
60.Walk & Dodge
61.Slide Thru
62.Fold
63.Dixie Style--Ocean Wave
64. Spin Chain Thru
65.Tag
the line
66.Half Tag
67.Scoot
Back
68.Hinge Family
69.Recycle
Before beginning Plus
lessons, try dancing this mainstream routine. It tests you on each of the mainstream
movements. Once you can get this right, move onto the Plus lessons.
Square your sets
Heads (Sides) Slide Thru
Double
Pass Thru
Cloverleaf
Centers Pass Thru
Spin Chain Thru
Spin Chain Thru
Swing Thru
Boys Run
Tag the Line
Cloverleaf
Girls Square Thru ¾
Boys courtesy turn that girl
Slide Thru
Pass to the Center
Double
Pass Thru
Put Centers In
Cast off ¾
Slide Thru
Centers Pass Thru
Touch ¼
Scoot Back
Scoot Back
Walk and Dodge
Partner Trade
Pass thru
Tag the line
Face in
Pass thru
Ends Fold
Pass to the center
Centers pass thru
Veer left
Half tag the line
Scoot back
Boys run
Right and Left Thru
Dixie Style to
an ocean wave
Boys cross run
Recycle
Touch ¼
Scoot back
Single hinge
Split
circulate twice
Cast off ¾
All 8 circulate
Swing Thru
Swing Thru
Turn Thru
Trade by
Left Allemande
Promenade
Teaching Plus for Dancers: a do it yourself program for clubs who can’t hire a caller to teach their plus class. These workshops should be used in conjunction with a good set of videos demonstrating how the movement
is done and with a booklet of definitions of the Plus calls. These lessons follow
the same order as the Saddlebrook Squares Videos, online at: http://www.saddlebrookesquares.com/lessons.htm
Here are some good practice calls to do these
(hopefully you have someone to read to the group while you practice). Each of
these sequences can be done with heads starting out, and then later with sides starting out.
I have included transitions for practice in the boxes after each lesson.
First lesson:
Calls covered: Fan the top, Acey Deucey, Teacup
Chain, Ping Pong Circulate
Square your sets
Heads (sides) Square Thru
Dosado to a wave
Fan the top
Swing Thru
Fan the top
All 8 circulate
Fan the top
Swing thru
Fan the top
Circulate
Swing thru
Boys Run
Ferris Wheel
Center square thru 3
Allemande
left
Right and Left Grand
Promenade
Square your sets
Heads (sides) pass the ocean
Extend
Acey Deucey
Swing thru
Acey Deucey
Swing thru
Acey Deucey
Swing thru
Acey Deucey
Boys run
Couples circulate
Acey deucey
Bend the line
Crosstrail thru
Allemande left
Promenade
Square your sets
Head ladies center teacup chain (side lady to
the head men)
(wait . . . . wait . . . . wait.. . . . . )
Side ladies center teacup chain (head lady to
the side men)
(wait . . . . wait . . . . wait.. . . . . )
Allemande Left, All 8 Spin the top (turn partner
right, girls star, boys move up)
Spin it again (turn partner right, boys star,
girls move up)
Right and left grand
Promenade
Square your sets
Heads (sides) pass the ocean
Ping pong circulate
Ping pong circulate
Ping pong circulate
Ping pong circulate
Centers recycle
Centers pass thru
Circle to a line
Crosstrail thru to corner
Allemande left
Right and left grand
Promenade
Lesson one transitions:
From a squared set, call heads
or sides Pass the ocean, then call ping pong circulate as many times as you feel the need to.
Then call Extend (you are now in ocean waves (parallel), and you can call: Fan the top And acey deucey
As many times as you want. You can also call swing thru
Mix these three calls together
for variety
Swing thru
Acey deucey
Fan the top
You can only call Teacup chain
from a squared set.
Second Lesson:
calls covered: Grand Swing Through, Diamond Circulate, Flip the Diamond, Cut the Diamond
Square your sets
Heads (sides) square thru
Step to a wave
Spin the top
Grand Swing thru
Fan the top
Swing thru
Fan the top
Grand Swing thru
Spin the top
Swing thru
Acey deucey
Fan the top
Grand swing Thru
Grand Swing thru
Grand Swing Thru
Grand Swing thru
Spin the top
Boys run
Chain down the line
Join 16 hands and make a big circle, circle left,
Allemande left
Grand right and left
Promenade
Square your sets
Heads (sides) Pass the ocean
Ping Pong circulate
Extend
Swing thru
Boys run
Couples circulate
Girls hinge
Check your diamonds
Diamond circulate
Diamond circulate
Diamond circulate
Diamond circulate
Girls cast off ¾
Ferris wheel
Centers square thru ¾
Allemande left
Grand right and left
Promenade
Square your sets
Heads (sides) lead right
Veer left
Girls hinge
Check your diamonds
Diamond circulate
Flip the diamond
Swing thru
Boys run
Couples circulate
Girls hinge
Check your diamonds
Diamond circulate
Flip the diamond
Swing thru
Boys run
Couples circulate
Girls hinge
Check your diamonds
Diamond circulate
Diamond circulate
Flip the diamond (boys are flippers)
Boys run
Boys circulate
Ferris wheel
Centers square thru 3
Allemande left
Promenade home
Square your sets
Heads (sides) lead right
Veer left
Ladies hinge
Diamond circulate
Cut the diamond
Couples circulate
Ladies hinge
Diamond circulate
Cut the diamond
Couples circulate
Ladies hinge
Diamond circulate
Cut the diamond
Couples circulate
Ladies hinge
Diamond circulate
Cut the diamond
Couples circulate
Ladies hinge
Diamond circulate
Flip the diamond
Recycle
Circle to a line
Join hands circle left
Allemande left
All 8 Spin the top
All 8 Spin it again
Right and Left Grand
Promenade
Square your sets
Heads (sides) lead right
Veer left
Ladies hinge
Diamond circulate
Diamond circulate
Cut the diamond (boys are cutters)
Couple circulate
Boys hinge
Diamond circulate
Cut the diamond (boys are cutters)
Couple circulate
Boys hinge
Diamond circulate
Flip the diamond (boys are flippers)
Girls circulate
Boys Run
Ferris Wheel
Centers Square Thru 3
Allemande left
Promenade
Transitions for lesson 2:
To get to a grand swing thru:
Call heads (sides) square thru
4
Spin the top
Grand swing thru (as many times
as you want)
For diamonds:
Call heads (sides) lead right
and veer left
Ladies hinge (and you got diamonds)
From here you can diamond circulate,
flip the diaomond or cut the diaomond in any order.
However, once you flip the diamond
youll be in ocean waves, so call: Recycle and veer left to return to two faced lines
From two faced lines, you call:
Centers hinge, to return to diamonds.
Review:
Lesson 1:Fan the top, Acey Deucey, Teacup Chain,
Ping Pong Circulate
Lesson 2: Grand Swing Through, Diamond Circulate,
Flip the Diamond, Cut the Diamond
Third lesson:
Calls covered: Load the Boat, Peel Off, Linear
Cycle, (anything) and Spread.
Do all of these figures first with the Heads,
then with the sides starting out.
Square your sets
Heads (sides) half square thru
Slide thru
Load the boat
Slide thru
Load the boat
Pass thru
Trade by
Slide thru
Load the boat
Slide Thru
Load the boat
Swing Thru
Acey Deucey
Boys Run
Bend the Line
Load the Boat
Dosado to a wave
All 8 circulate
Recycle . . . Sweep ¼ more
Crosstrail thru
Allemande Left
Right and Left Grand
Promenade
Square your sets
Heads (sides) Pass the Ocean
Ping Pong Circulate
Extend
Fan the Top
Load the Boat
Dive Thru
Centers Dosado to a wave
Ping Pong Circulate
Extend
Fan the Top
Load the Boat
Dive Thru
Double
Pass Thru
First Go Left Next Go Right
Load the Boat
Slide thru
Pass thru
Wheel and Deal
Double pass thru
Leaders trade
Left Allemande
Right and Left Grand
Promenade
Square your sets
Heads (sides) Star Thru
Double
Pass thru
Peel Off
Forward and Back
Bend the Line
Star Thru
Double
Pass Thru
Peel Off
Bend the Line
Star Thru
Centers Pass thru
Circle up to a line
Pass thru
Tag the Line
Peel Off
Pass Thru
Tag the Line
Peel Off
Right and Left Thru
Load the Boat
Dive thru
Centers Square Thru ¾
Everybody half square
thru
Wheel and Deal
Centers square thru 1
hand
Allemande Left
Grand Right and Left
Promenade
Square your sets
Heads (sides) Square Thru
Dosado to a wave
Linear Cycle
Load the Boat
Star Thru
Pass Thru
Tag the Line
Peel Off
Pass The Ocean
Linear Cycle
Pass Thru
Bend the Line
Pass the Ocean
Linear Cycle
Pass Thru
Bend the Line
Pass The Ocean
Linear Cycle
Slide thru
Dive Thru
Centers square thru ¾
Allemande left
Grand Right and Left
Promenade
Square your Set
Heads (sides) star thru . . . and spread
Lines forward and back
Star thru . . . . and spread (centers are spreaders automatically)
Lines forward and back
Star Thru
Centers Pass Thru
Slide Thru
Pass Thru
Wheel and Deal . . . . and Spread
Lines forward and back
Star Thru . . . and spread
Star thru . . . and spread
Star thru
Centers pass thru
Star thru
Pass thru
Wheel and Deal
Centers star thru
You’re home
Transitions
Load the boat can be done anytime
you are in facing lines formation, from a squared set just call heads or sides lead right and circle to a line . . . now load
the boat. Load the boat leaves you in
the “8 chain thru” formation, so you have to call star thru to return to lines, than you can call Load the boat
again.
The easiest way to practice the
call Peel off is to get to facing lines (as above) and call “pass thru, tag the line, peel off”, you could call this over and over again without problem, and you could also occasionally mix in a “load the boat and star thru”
To Practice Linear Cycle, you
have to be in ocean wave formation with the boys on the end of the waves. After
a load the boat, you could just say “step to waves” and then “linear cycle”. From a squared set, you just call “heads square thru
and step to a wave.” Linear cycle leaves you in facing lines, so you could
call load the boat, or the “pass thru, tag the line, peel off” routine above.
Spread is a hard call to practice
because it really is just an adjective added onto another call. It can be any
call. Calls it can be added onto include: Star Thru, Slide thru, Wheel and Deal,
Ferris wheel, follow your neighbor (most commonly), and there are many others.
Fourth lesson:
Calls covered: Coordinate, Crossfire, (anything)
. . . and Roll
Do all of these figures first with the Heads,
then with the sides starting out.
Square your sets
Heads (sides) pass the ocean
Extend
Fan the top
Single Hinge
Coordinate
Bend the line
Touch ¼
Coordinate
Couples Circulate
Bend the line
Touch ¼
Coordinate
Bend the line
Touch ¼
Coordinate
Couples circulate
Bend the line
Touch ¼
Coordinate
Girls trade
Bend the line
Crosstrail thru
Allemande Left
Right and left grand
Promenade
Square your sets
Heads (sides) lead right
Veer left
Ladies hinge
Diamond circulate
Flip the diamond
Fan the top
Single Hinge
Coordinate
Crossfire
Coordinate
Crossfire
Coordinate
Couples Circulate
Crossfire
Coordinate
Crossfire
Coordinate
Ferris wheel
Zoom
Centers pass thru
Allemande Left
Right and Left Grand
Promenade
Heads Pass the Ocean
Ping Pong Circulate
Extend
Acey Deucey
Swing Thru
Boys run
½ Tag the Line
Trade and ROLL
Pass Thru
Trade by
Star Thru
Flutterwheel ., . . Sweep ¼
Veer Left
½ Tag the line
Trade and Roll
Right and Left thru
Veer left
Bend the line
Pass thru
Partner trade . . . and roll
Right and Left Grand
Promenade
Square your sets
(this sequence uses every plus call learned thus far)
Heads (sides) Pass the Ocean
Ping Pong Circulate
Ping Pong Circulate
Extend
Fan the top
Grand Swing Thru
Boys Run
Wheel and Deal
Load the Boat
Circle Left Half way around and VEER Left
Ladies Hinge
Diamond Circulate
Cut the Diamond
Ladies Hinge
Diamond Circulate
Flip the Diamond
Linear Cycle
Pass thru
Tag the Line
all the way down
Peel off
Touch ¼
Coordinate
Crossfire
Column circulate
Boys run
Circle half way,
Veer to the left
Ferris Wheel . . . . and Spread
Star thru
Centers Pass thru
Right and Left thru
Veer Left
Couples Circulate
Half Tag
Trade and Roll
Eight Chain 3
Left Allemande
Right and Left Grand
Promenade
Transitions:
To call a coordinate, from a
squared set you must first get to columns. To do that call heads (sides) lead
right and circle to a line. Now Touch ¼.
Now you are in columns. From columns you can call coordinate. After coordinate, you are in a two faced line, which is the starting position for Crossfire. After crossfire, you are back in columns, so
you can call coordinate again and so on.
To call Roll, from two faced
lines call “ half tag, trade and roll.” This puts you in an 8 chain
thru formation. Call veer left, and you are back to two faced lines, and you
can try it again. From facing lines, you could call, “pass thru, partner
trade, and roll”, and this will put you into an 8 chain thru formation.
Fifth lesson:
Calls covered: Track II, Single Circle to a Wave, Spin Chain the Gears
Do all of these figures first with the Heads,
then with the sides starting out.
Square your sets
Heads (sides) star thru
Double
Pass thru
Track II
Swing thru
Boys Run
Ferris Wheel
Double
Pass Thru
Track II
Recycle
Pass to the Center
Double
Pass thru
Track II
Linear Cycle
Pass thru
Wheel and Deal
Double
Pass thru
Track II
Boys circulate
Linear cycle
Pass thru
Partner trade . . . and roll
Right and Left Grand
Square your sets
Heads (sides) Square Thru
Single Circle to a wave
Acey Deucey
Boys Run
Bend the Line
Single Circle to a wave
Grand Swing Thru
Recycle
. . . . Sweep ¼ more
Single Circle to a wave
All 8 circulate
Boys run
Wheel and deal
Single circle to a wave
Acey Deucey
Boys circulate
Boys run
Ferris wheel
Centers square thru ¾
Allemande Left
Promenade
Square your sets
Heads (sides) star thru
Double
Pass thru
Track II
Spin chain the Gears
Recycle
Single Circle to a wave
Swing Thru
Spin chain the Gears
All 8 Circulate
Spin Chain the Gears
Linear Cycle
Pass Thru
Bend The Line
Pass the Ocean
Spin Chain the Gears
Girls Circulate
Linear Cycle
Pass thru
Bend the Line
Pass thru
Partner trade . . . and roll
Right and left grand
Transitions:
To call track II, you must be
in a double pass thru formation. To get there from a squared set, call, “heads
(sides) star thru”. Now you can call “Double Pass thru, Track II”. This leaves you in parallel ocean waves. You can call something
from waves, like Spin chain the Gears, or to get back to Double pass Thru formation, call “ swing thru, boys run, ferris
wheel”. You can then repeat the track II sequence. To call Single Circle, you should
be in the 8 chain thru formation. To get there from a squared set, simply call,
heads square thru. Now you can call “single circle to a wave”. This leaves you in Arky Waves. To get
back to 8 chain thru formation, call: “swing thru, recycle”. Spin
chain the gears can be called from waves or 8 chain thru formation. From a squared
set just call, heads “square thru, step to a wave” to get to waves.
Lesson 6:
Trade the Wave, Relay the Deucey
Do each sequence first with the heads and then
with the sides starting.
Square your sets
Heads (sides) square thru
Star Thru
Ladies lead Dixie Style to an ocean wave
Trade the wave
Swing Thru
Trade the wave
Swing thru
Trade the wave
Swing Thru
Trade the Wave
All 8 Circulate
Trade the wave
Swing Thru
Trade the wave
Boys U turn back
Ferris Wheel
Double
Pass Thru
Leaders Trade
Allemande Left
Promenade
Square your set
Heads (sides) Square thru
Dosado to a wave
Relay the deucey
Relay the deucey
Relay the deucey
All 8 circulate
Relay the deucey
Relay the deucey
Relay the deucey
All 8 circulate
Relay the deucey
All 8 circulate
Relay the deucey
All 8 circulate
Swing Thru
Acey Deucey
Right and Left Grand
Promenade
Transistions: Relay the Deucey
can be called from parallel ocean waves with the boys on the end. From a Squared
set call, heads square thru and step to a wave. You can call Relay the Deucey
as much as you want now. Trade the wave can also be called from an ocean wave. Both calls start and end in ocean waves, so there are no transitions.
Lesson 7:
Explode the Wave, Explode (& Anything), Follow Your Neighbor (& Spread)
Do each sequence first with the heads and then
with the sides starting.
Square your sets
Heads (sides) square thru
Dosado to a wave
Explode the wave
Bend the line
Pass the ocean
Explode the Wave
Wheel and deal
Centers pass thru
Pass the ocean
Explode the Wave
Trade By
Dosado to a wave
Explode the Wave
Wheel and deal
Zoom
Centers pass Thru
Allemande Left
Promenade
Heads (sides) pass the ocean
Extend
Explode and load the boat
Dosado to a wave
Explode and square thru ¾
Bend the line
Pass the ocean
Explode and touch ¼
Column circulate
Boys run
Pass thru
Trade by
Slide thru
Crosstrail thru
Allemande Left
Promenade
Heads (sides) square thru
Touch ¼
Follow your neighbor
Left Swing thru
Girls Run
Ferris Wheel
Centers pass thru
Touch ¼
Follow your neighbor
Boys run
Bend the line
Pass thru
Bend the line
Slide Thru
Trade By
Touch ¼
Follow your neighbor
Trade the Wave
Recycle
Slide Thru
Pass Thru
Wheel & Deal
Centers Square Thru ¾
Allemande Left
Promenade
Heads (sides) touch ¼
Boys run
Touch ¼
Follow your neighbor and spread
Single hinge
Follow your neighbor and spread
Swing thru
Centers trade
Boys run
Wheel and Deal
Centers pass thru
Touch ¼
Follow your neighbor and spread
All 8 circulate
Single hinge
Follow your neighbor and spread
Boys Run
Bend the line
Pass thru
Wheel and Deal
Zoom
Centers Pass Thru
Allemande Left
Promenade Home
Transitions: Explode the wave can be called from normal parralell waves. It
ends in lines facing out. To do it again, call bend the line and pass the ocean,
then call it again. Explode and anything can end in lots of different positions
depending on what you call after Explode. Follow your neighbor is usually called
from Touch ¼ waves. To get hear from normal parallel waves, just say “hinge”. You can then call it. If you use Follow
your neighbor and spread, you’ll end up back in parallel waves, but if you use normal follow your neighbor, you’ll have to call Trade the Wave afterwards to get back to normal parallel waves.
Lesson 8:
Chase Right, Spin Chain & Exchange the Gears, 3/4 Tag the Line
Do each sequence first with the heads and then
with the sides starting.
Square your sets
Heads (sides) square thru
Slide thru
Pass Thru
Chase Right
Boys run
Pass thru
Chase Right
Boys Run
Pass Thru Bend
the Line
Right and Left Thru
Pass Thru
Chase Right
Boys run
Square thru ¾
Left Allemande
Promenade
Square your sets
Heads (sides) square thru
Spin Chain and exchange the Gears
Spin Chain and Exchange the Gears
All 8 Circulate
Spin Chain and Exchange the Gears
Recycle
Sweep ¼ more
Pass Thru
Bend the Line
Pass the Ocean
Spin Chain and Exchange the Gears
Swing thru
Boys run
Ferris wheel
Centers square thru ¾
Left Allemande
Promenade
Square your sets (difficult sequence)
Heads (sides) lead right
Veer left
¾ tag the line
Girls U Turn Back,
Boys Swing Thru
Extend
Boys run
Reverse Flutterwheel
Sweep ¼ more
Veer right
Couples Circulate
¾ tag the line
Boys U turn back
Girls Swing Thru
Extend
Swing Thru twice
Boys run
¾ tag the line
Ends (those not in the wave) face right
diamond circulate
Cut the diamond
Ferris wheel
Double
Pass thru
Peel off
Slide thru
Square thru ¾
Left allemande
Promenade
Transitions: Chase right can be called from lines facing out. To try it
simply have the heads lead right, circle to a line, pass thru. Then call Chase
Right. It ends in waves. To try
it again, have boys run and all pass thru.
Spin Chain and Exchange the gears
starts in ocean waves with boys on the ends and ends the same way. Simply start
by having heads square thru and step to a wave. You can now call it as many times
as you want.
¾ tag the line can be called
from any line and will result in a ¼ tag formation. To call it again, simply
have the ends u-turn back, centers extend to the ends and run around the ends, then call it again.
Lesson 9:
Peel the Top, All 8 Spin the Top, Dixie Grand
Do each sequence first with the heads and then
with the sides starting.
Square your sets
Heads (sides) square thru
Swing thru
Girls Fold
Peel the top
Recycle
Pass thru
Bend the line
Pass the ocean
Swing thru
Girls fold
Peel the top
Swing thru
Girls fold
Peel the top
Swing thru
Girls fold,
Peel the top
Right and left thru
Pass thru
Wheel and deal
Dixie grand
Left allemande
Square your sets
Allemande Left the corner
All 8 spin the top
All 8 spin the top
Right and Left Grand
Promenade
Square your sets
Allemande Left the corner
Allemande Right your own
To the corner, all 8 LEFT spin the top
Meet the corner, spin it again
Meet the corner,
Left allemande
Right and Left Grand
Promenade
Square your sets
Allemande Left the corner
All 8 spin the top
Turn partner right make a wrong way thar, boys
back in with a left hand thar
Shoot the star
Left Allemande
Promenade
Square your sets
Heads (sides) pass thru and cloverleaf
Dixie Grand
Left Allemande
Promenade
Square your sets
Heads (sides) square thru
Dive thru
Dixie Grand
Left Allemande
Promenade
Transitions:
Peel the top can be practiced
from waves. To get there have the heads square thru and swing thru, then have
the girls fold and peel the top. To call it again, simply call swing thru, girls
fold, peel the top. You can do this repeatedly.
All 8 spin the top and Dixie grand are best practiced in the short sequences above, there are no transitions.
