That form of square dancing is known as the traditional style. It consists of a few calls that can be learned quickly in an evening so that the visiting couples could learn them and dance with the rest of the families and friends attending the social event. It is still practiced today in the form of a "hoe down" or an introduction to square dancing.
Square dancing has evolved into the contemporary form known today as western-style square dancing. Square dancing is broken down into five levels – basic, mainstream, plus, advance, and challenge. To participate in a square dance, you usually must be at least at the mainstream level. The calls have been standardized so that the dancing can be done anywhere in the world. Square dance organizations can be found in Australia, Germany, and Japan, to name just a few. Local square dance clubs or callers usually offer lessons.
The square dance caller is an integral element of square dancing. The caller provides the music and directs the dancing. At a typical dance, the caller does about six to eight tips. A tip consists of a patter or a hash, in which the caller directs the dancers through calls to a background of music, and a singing call, usually to a popular song in which the caller sings the lyrics, interspersed with square dance calls. During a singing call, the ladies progress from one partner to the next until they get back to their starting position, called home.
Traditional square dance clothing is optional in most areas. The traditional clothing consists of square dance skirts/blouses or dresses with petticoats and pettipants for the women, and dress pants and western-style long-sleeved shirts with bolo ties or western-style scarves for the men. Though many dancers still wear these costumes, the dress code has relaxed to include prairie or western-style skirts for the women (no petticoats or pettipants) and dress jeans for the men. Some clubs even allow dress jeans for both the men and the women.
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