Tina Fields wrote: I'm not sure I agree that "chop chop" calling indicates the rhythm less than singing in the style of a singing square. In a singing square the call is generally sung starting at the same time as the figure. So in smoke on the water you have for the chorus: There'll be smoke on the water, on the land, on the sea Right hand to your partner, turn around and go back three It's a left, right, left; go all the way around Right hand to your partner, box the gnat, and settle down A square would be with the caller, doing the figures roughly at the same time as they were called. (For some bits the caller is a little a head, for others the caller is a little behind, never more than a beat, though). With "chop chop" calling you call immediately before the action, such that the call ends on beat 8 and the action starts on beat 1. [1] I would think that the call ending right before the action starts would help people stay on rhythm more, both because the caller has already indicated what the action is so dancers can start it right away, and because the caller always stops *right* before you should start the figure. Jeff [1] For an example of how the timing works, the table on the first page of seth tepfer's "easy dances for a novice caller" is good: http://www.dancerhapsody.com/handouts/DancesEasyCall.pdf