Square Dance Quick Tutorial

Diamond Circulate

Quick Tutorial Series
Acey Deucey
Alamo Rings
All 8 Circulate
All 8 Spin the Top
Allemande Left
Any Hand
As Couples
Backtrack
Bend the Line
Box Circulate
Box Counter Rotate
Box the Gnat
Brace Thru
California Twirl
Cast a Shadow
Cast Off 3/4
Centers In
Chain Down the Line
Chain Reaction
Chase Right
Circle
Clover and ...
Cloverleaf
Column Circulate
Coordinate
Couple Numbers
Couples Circulate
Couples Hinge
Couples Trade
Courtesy Turn
Cross Over Circulate
Cross Run
Cross Trail Thru
Cut the Diamond
Cut the Hourglass
Cycle and Wheel
Diamond Circulate
Dixie Grand
Dixie Style to a Wave
Dosado
Dosado to a Wave
Double Pass Thru
Double Star Thru
Ends Bend
Explode and ...
Explode the Line
Explode the Wave
Fan the Top
Ferris Wheel
Flip the Diamond
Flip the Hourglass
Flutterwheel
Fold (and Cross Fold)
Follow Your Neighbor
fractional Tops
Grand Square
Grand Swing Thru
Half Sashay
Half Tag
Hinge
Hourglass Circulate
Horseshoe Turn
In Roll Circulate
Ladies Chain
Ladies In Men Sashay
Lead
Left Swing Thru
Linear Cycle
Load the Boat
Lockit
Mix
Out Roll Circulate
Pair Off
Partner Hinge
Partner Tag
Partner Trade
Pass and Roll
Pass In
Pass the Ocean
Pass the Sea
Pass Thru
Pass to the Center
Peel Off
Peel the Top
Ping Pong Circulate
Promenade
Quarter In
Quarter Thru
Recycle (from a wave)
Recycle (from facing couples)
Remake
Right and Left Thru
Right Roll to a Wave
Roll
Rollaway
Run
Scoot and Dodge
Scoot Back
Separate
Single Circle to a Wave
Single Wheel
Six by Two Acey Deucey
Slide Thru
Spin Chain & Exch. the Gears
Spin Chain the Gears
Spin Chain Thru
Spin the Top
Split Circulate
Split Counter Rotate
Split Square Thru
Spread
Square Chain Thru
Square Thru
Star Thru
Step and Slide
Step to a Wave
Swap Around
Sweep 1/4
Swing and Mix
Swing Thru
Tag the Line
Three Quarter Tag
Touch 1/4
Track 2
Trade
Trade By
Trade Circulate
Trade the Wave
Transfer the Column
Triple Scoot
Triple Star Thru
Triple Trade
Turn and Deal
Turn Thru
U-Turn-Back
Veer
Walk and Dodge
Weave the Ring
Wheel and Deal
Wheel Around
Wheel Thru
Zoom
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  This "quick tutorial" introduces the general idea of a call and explains the most common cases. It does not explain or illustrate all cases. For additional details and/or examples, refer to the links in the "MORE INFO" box.

MORE INFO
CEDER.NET
TAMINATIONS
A diamond is a four-person formation that looks like this:

If the centers of an ordinary line do a hinge, the result is a diamond. The dancers who were centers of the line are still considered the centers of the diamond. Since the ends of the original line didn't move they are still where they were, and are still considered ends, but in a diamond they are also known as "points".

Note that the points of a diamond are "far apart" from each other. They are not touching hands with each other or with anybody else in the diamond. In contrast, the centers are holding hands with each other. To emphasize their distinct positioning, it is traditional for the points to keep their arm raised slightly, "pointing" at the centers.

Note also that, in a diamond, half of the dancers will be facing head walls and half will be facing side walls. Either the centers will be facing head walls and the points will be facing side walls, or the centers will be facing side walls and the points will be facing head walls.

Diamond Circulate means that each dancer in the diamond moves forward into the next position around the diamond. As they do this, they all must turn 1/4 (90 degrees) to have the correct facing direction.

Note also that each center becomes a point, and each point becomes a center. Those who become centers must immediately take hands, to make clear to everybody that they are now the centers.

It is very common for the eight dancers of the square to be arranged to form two diamonds side by side. In this case, the circulate path applies to each diamond separately, with all the dancers staying in their own diamond.

It is also possible for the two diamonds to be next to each other "point to point". The circulate paths are still within each diamond, and the points of each diamond still become centers of that diamond when they circulate.

On a Diamond Circulate, just as with any other kind of circulate, the position of the spots on the floor does not change -- the dancers are just moving from spot to spot.