Editing Square dance (section)

==Callers and calls==
[[File:Square dance at the Concord Scout House, April 2022.webm|thumb|Traditional square dance calls at a dance in [[Concord, Massachusetts]]]]
Square dance movements are known as ''calls'', and some forms of the dance, such as traditional and modern western square dancing, use a [[Caller (dancing)|caller]] to direct the dancers through different calls. In some forms of traditional square dancing, the caller may be one of the dancers or musicians, but in modern western square dancing, the caller is on stage giving full attention to directing the dancers.

A square dance call may take a very short time or a very long time to execute. Most calls require between 4 and 32 [[Counting (music)|counts]], where a count is roughly one step. In traditional square dancing, the timing of a call is dictated by tradition; in some regional styles, particularly that of New England, the dance movements are closely fitted to the [[phrase (music)|phrases]] of the music. In modern western square dancing, many calls have been given formally specified durations, based partly on direct observation of how long it takes an average dancer to execute them.

Traditional and modern western square dance differ in the number of calls and their levels of standardization. Traditional square dance uses between ten and thirty calls, depending on the region and the individual caller. Many traditional square dance calls are similar or identical to [[Contra dance choreography|contra dance]] calls, and new dance moves are explained by the caller. In modern western square dance, the participants learn and become proficient in a particular defined set of calls known as a [[Square dance program|''program'']]. The Mainstream program, which is the default level of achievement, consists of close to 70 basic and mainstream calls.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /> Rather than learning a complete routine, modern western square dancers learn basic movements and calls but do not know in what order they will be called. Unlike traditional square dance, two modern western dances are rarely alike. Most modern western square dancers participate only in the programs they have fully learned. Callerlab, the callers' international association, sets all programs and governs the training of callers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.callerlab.org|title=CALLERLAB Website > Home|website=www.callerlab.org|access-date=19 March 2018}}</ref>

Traditional and modern western square dancing have a number of calls in common, but there are usually small differences in the way they are performed. For example, the [[Allemande]] Left is traditionally performed by grasping left hands with the other dancer, pulling away from each other slightly, and walking halfway around a central axis then stepping through. In modern western square dance, the grip is modified so that each dancer grips the forearm of the other, and there is no pulling (that is, each dancer supports his or her own weight). These modifications make it easier to enter and exit the movement and thus easier to incorporate it into a long sequence of calls.

In many communities, including Scotland and Ireland, and also continental Europe, the dancers know the complete dance and there is no caller.