The Callerlab Definition:

The four dancers who are once removed from each other do the call with each other, usually ending back on the same 4 spots.

e.g., Once Removed Walk and Dodge:

When the call changes the shape of the formation (e.g. "Once Removed Ah So"), the two resulting formations are interleaved with each other the same way the original formations were. For example, Once Removed Ah So:

This explanation is not clear and is not inclusive of many of the possibilities for using this concept. Some believe that those dancing Once Removed work only within their own Once Removed group. This is only true for relatively simple calls like Once Removed Shakedown or Once Removed Mini Chase. Many other Once Removed calls are more difficult and involved. This is demonstrated in the examples.

Once Removedness is established by finding the axis of the current formation, noting where the dancers are positioned and then establishing theoretical planes which are perpendicular to the formation axis and which pass through the dancers' positions. The dancers in every other plane are Once Removed from each other.

Isn't that a mouthful?

The following example shows the planes that would be established for Once Removed Lines, Waves or columns.

Every other plane is a member of the same Once Removed group. There are only two Once Removed groups possible for any formation. The Once Removed groups are orange and light blue in this diagram.

There may be many planes depending on the formation. For example:

	Formation	Number of Planes
	Lines, Waves and Columns	4
	Hourglass	5
	Diamond	6
	Tidal Wave	8

Unfortunately, these considerations only make it more difficult to dance Once Removed calls because it adds to the list of what the dancers must know about this concept.

Let's look at a diagram of a Once Removed formation and examine the various parts.

The four dancers in each group work together during the call. Sometimes the two groups work separately, sometimes they work interleaved. Depending upon the particular call, the groups may have to work together to reestablish the Once Removed nature of the setup at the end of the call.

The long axis of the formation is called the formation axis. If the formation axis at the end of the call is different from what it was at the beginning of the call, the Once Removedness of the call is gone. The dancers no longer need to be concerned about who is in their Once Removed group.

You must be constantly aware of the following in a Once Removed setup:

• Who is in your Once Removed group.
• How the Once Removed groups are offset. You must pay attention to the wall your Once Removed group is nearest to.
NOTE: There are Once Removed setups where the offset direction is not relevant. See the example for Initially Once Removed Beau Hop in the Once Removed Columns section.
• Where the formation axis is.
• Your position in the current formation.

Additionally, it may be helpful to note the handedness of the formation at the start of the call. For example, some Once Removed from tidal formation calls that start right-handed end up left-handed and vice versa.