▁squares , ▁consisting ▁of ▁four ▁cou ples . ▁ ▁The ▁long ways ▁formation ▁occurs ▁in ▁over ▁ 1 2 , 0 0 0 ▁modern ▁contra ▁d ances ; ▁it ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁formation ▁in ▁all ▁the ▁dance ▁publications ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁centuries . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁Bur les on ' s ▁Square ▁Dan cer ' s ▁Encyclopedia ▁listed ▁ 5 1 2 5 ▁ ▁calls ▁or ▁figures . ▁Cir cles ▁and ▁fixed - length ▁long ways ▁sets ▁are ▁also ▁very ▁common , ▁but ▁the ▁possible ▁form ations ▁are ▁limited ▁only ▁by ▁the ▁imagination ▁of ▁the ▁ch ore ograph er . ▁ ▁Thomas ▁Wilson , ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 8 , ▁wrote , ▁" A ▁Country ▁Dance ▁is ▁composed ▁of ▁an ▁in defin ite ▁number ▁of ▁persons , ▁not ▁less ▁than ▁six , ▁but ▁as ▁many ▁more ▁as ▁ch use , ▁but ▁six ▁are ▁sufficient ▁to ▁perform ▁any ▁figure ▁in ▁the ▁treat ise ." ▁▁ ▁Wilson ▁was ▁writing ▁about ▁his ▁own ▁period . ▁ ▁In ▁fact , ▁there ▁are ▁numerous ▁d ances ▁for ▁two ▁cou ples , ▁and ▁quite ▁a ▁few ▁for ▁three ▁or ▁five ▁d anc ers . ▁ ▁A ▁figure ▁is ▁a ▁pattern ▁that ▁the ▁d anc ers ▁trace ▁along ▁the ▁floor , ▁simple ▁ones ▁such ▁as ▁Circle ▁Left ▁are ▁intuit ive ▁and ▁can ▁be ▁dan ced ▁with ▁no ▁prior ▁knowledge , ▁while ▁complex ▁moves ▁such ▁as ▁St rip ▁the ▁will ow ▁need ▁to ▁be