Square dance Square dance A square dance is a dance for four couples (eight dancers in total) arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, facing the middle of the square. Square dances were first documented in 16th-century England but were also quite common in France and throughout Europe. They came to North America with the European settlers and have undergone considerable development there. In some countries and regions, through preservation and repetition, square dances have attained the status of a folk dance. The Western American square dance may be the most widely known form worldwide, possibly due to its
Square dance program Dance Association has defined two lists for use at its conventions, one with 19 calls and a more advanced one with 44 calls. Having programs and program lists allows the caller to form his/her choreography from an agreed-upon and widely known list of calls that the dancers are understood to be able to carry out. Dancers can be assured that others who dance the same program know identical calls. Having managed program lists allows modern Western square dance to be an international activity. When a dance is advertised as being a multi-program dance then there are either "tips" or special