The Mainstream program is promoted by CALLERLAB as a world-wide entry-level program.
History
The name "Mainstream" has historically referred to a program used by many clubs as both an entry level and a club level. The name has been in use since the 1970s,
but exactly which calls were included has changed over the years. As of 2025, this program consisted of 67 numbered
"calls" (though in some cases the number referred to a "family" of related calls), including 48 on the "Basic" list:
Current Version
The current version of Mainstream became the worldwide standard as of 1 September 2026. (To distinguish this from earlier versions, this version is sometimes referred to as "new Mainstream" or "Mainstream 2026".)
Highlights:
- This version of Mainstream consists of 50 numbered calls and call families.
- The stated purpose of introducing a smaller version of Mainstream was to have a program that can be taught more quickly,
which also allows clubs to offer more than one class per year.
- This new version of Mainstream also replaced the "SSD" program, and contains almost the same set of calls.
- Calls which were part of Basic and Mainstream as of 2025 but are not included in new Mainstream are now part of the new Plus list.
Documents:
Singing Call Videos (examples of how people have already been enjoying dancing using only these calls)
Transition Notes
For the latest updates from CALLERLAB concerning the 2026 transition process, visit:
https://callerlab.org/tippp/
Previous call lists (as of 2025):
Preparing dancers for the new Mainstream:
- Dancers who already dance SSD only need to learn one completely new call (Spin the Top), and possibly (depending on what the caller to whom they have been dancing believed was included in SSD)
variations on a few calls they already know (e.g., Scoot Back from 1/4 tag, additional fractional forms of Tag the Line, Single Circle to a Wave).
- Dancers who already dance classic (pre-2026) Mainstream only have to learn one new call (Single Circle to a Wave).
- Dancers who already dance Plus do not have to learn any new calls to dance new Mainstream -- all the calls of new Mainstream were already part of the classic Plus program.
|
