

Two other committees, the Timing Committee and the Styling Committee, developed standards and guidelines for their aspects of Basic and Mainstream dancing. Their work took several years and 13 drafts, and resulted in a set of definitions published by CALLERLAB that has received worldwide use and acceptance. Starting in the late 1970’s, the Mainstream Definitions Committee undertook to define each of the calls in the Basic and Mainstream programs. It was expanded in 1971 by publishing the Extended Basic program with an additional 25 calls, which laid the ground work for what would become Mainstream.

The Basic Dance Program was established in 1969 with 50 calls, as a result of codifying the Modern Western Square Dance movement following the work done by the Sets in Order American Square Dance Society in 1969. Resources for the Basic and Mainstream Program
