Dance Moves Wiki
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Dosado01
Cartoon version
Genre Square
Era Before 1900
Associations
Music Country
Dancers Noone famous

Description[]

Dosado (also written do-sa-do) or Dos-a-dos (also written dos a dos or do-si-do) is a basic dance step in such dances as square dance, contra dance, polka, various historical dances, and some reels. The term is a corruption of the original French term dos-à-dos for the dance move, which means "back to back", as opposed to vis-à-vis which means "face to face". It is probably the most well-known call in square dancing aside from, perhaps, Promenade.

Making the move[]

It is a circular movement where two people, who are initially facing each other, walk around each other without or almost without turning, i.e., facing in the same direction (same wall) all the time. In most cases it takes 6-8 counts to complete. The movement is basically defined as follows:

  • Dancers advance and pass right shoulders.
  • Without turning each dancer moves to the right passing in back of the other dancer. At this moment the partners face away from each other.
  • Then moving backwards dancers pass left shoulders returning to starting position.

The actual steps vary in specific dances. Considering the amount of space in which to accomplish the figure, the partners might adjust their shoulders slightly diagonally to allow for less sideways movement during the shoulder passes. The advancing pass may also be by the left shoulders, although it will be called as a "Left Dosado", a "Left Dos-a-dos" or a "Left Do-Si-Do". While executing this move, the girls may move their skirts with their hands from side to side (skirtwork), flaring it to the right as right shoulders pass, and to the left as left shoulders pass.

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