Mastering Advanced Square Dancing: A Complete Guide to A-1 and A-2 Calls

If you've completed Mainstream and Plus and are ready to step into the world of Advanced square dancing, you're in the right place. The transition from Plus to A-1 and A-2 is one of the most exciting—and demanding—milestones in a square dancer's journey. The choreography moves faster, the formations become more complex, and the margin for error shrinks.

This guide is designed specifically for dancers making that leap. We'll break down four genuine Advanced-level calls, explain what changes in timing and phrasing, and share practical strategies for building square resilience. Whether you're preparing for your first A-1 workshop or polishing your A-2 repertoire, use this as your roadmap.

Who This Guide Is For

Advanced square dancing is not a casual next step. Before attempting A-1 and A-2 calls, you should have:

Solid Plus proficiency: You can execute all Plus calls without hesitation, including Teacup Chain, Ping Pong Circulate, and Relay the Top.
Strong position awareness: You know where you are in the square at all times, even during complex transitions.
Reliable timing: You complete each call within the musical phrase and are comfortable dancing to faster tempos.
Experience with sight calling: You've danced with callers who vary choreography rather than stick to predictable patterns.

If that sounds like you, keep reading. If not, spend a few more months solidifying your Plus foundation—you'll be glad you did.

Understanding the Advanced Mindset

The biggest shift from Plus to Advanced isn't memorizing new calls. It's learning to read choreography in real time.

At the Advanced level, callers build longer sequences with fewer cues. You may hear four or five calls strung together without a break, and each call must be executed immediately and accurately. There's less time to think, which means your body needs to respond before your conscious mind catches up.

This requires three mental shifts:

Trust your training. Hesitation kills squares. Commit to the call and correct mid-stream if needed.
Think in fractions. Many A-1 and A-2 calls are combinations of smaller movements you've already learned. Break them down on the fly.
Dance to the music. Advanced callers often phrase calls tightly to the beat. Falling behind by even half a phrase can leave you scrambling.

Four Essential Advanced Calls Explained

The following calls are drawn from the CALLERLAB Advanced program. Each explanation includes starting formation, step-by-step execution, ending formation, a common mistake, and a focused practice tip.

Spin Chain the Gears (A-2)

Starting formation: Parallel waves, with right-hand waves in the center and left-hand waves on the ends.

Step-by-step path:

Those facing right arm turn by the right 3/4.
The center four star by the left once around.
While the centers star, the original ends move up 1/4 around their outside perimeter to become the ends of new waves.
The star finishes, and the new centers arm turn by the right 1/2.
Finally, the very centers arm turn by the left 1/2.

Ending formation: Parallel waves, reoriented so left-hand waves are now in the center and right-hand waves are on the ends.

Common mistake: Dancers in the center star forget to keep moving and stall while waiting for the outside dancers to catch up. The star must rotate continuously.

Practice tip: Drill the center star alone with three other dancers until it feels automatic. The left-hand star is the engine of this call—if it stutters, the whole square breaks down.

Coordinate (A-2)

Starting formation: Columns.

Step-by-step path:

The #1 dancers in each column (the leaders) Circulate 1-1/2 spots and face in to become the ends of a wave.
Meanwhile, the #2 and #3 dancers Circulate 1/2, arm turn by the left 3/4, and step forward to become the centers of the same wave.
The #4 dancers (trailers) Circulate 1-1/2 spots and face in to become the ends of a second wave.

Ending formation: Parallel two-faced lines or waves, depending on the column arrangement.

Common mistake: #1 dancers Circulate only 1 spot instead of 1-1/2, ending up out of position and colliding with the #2 dancers.

Practice tip: Count your column position before the call. If you're #1, your path is longer than it looks. Visualize the 1-1/2 Circulate as passing one dancer and sliding into the next spot.