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<p>Luke --</p>
<p>This isn't directly responsive to your actual question, but
here's what it reminded me of:</p>
<p>In proper duple formation, the place where same-sex neighbors
would stand in improper formation is diagonally opposite. Most
longways English dances are proper, so in English for these
purposes, English "first corners" = contra "ladies", English
second corners = contra gents.</p>
<p>In "News From Tripoli", first corners cast up or down the outside
(pulling the shoulder back, a real cast) while their same-side
neighbors slide (just move sideways along the line) into the
places they've vacated, then do a full figure eight and finish in
their neighbors place. (Now second corner people are standing in
first corner places, and they repet the figure doing what the
first corner people did; everybody's at home.)</p>
<p>In Barbarini's Tambourine (and Sally in Our Alley, which has the
same A parts), first corners cast around neighbor on the side,
half figure eight, and finish in each other's place. Second
corners cast around (it's their partner, but standing next to them
on the side), half figure eight, finish in each other's place.</p>
<p>In some 1700s dances as reconstructed, in a duple minor proper
formation, 1s half -figure eight to the right (gents down, ladies
up) to go through the 2s next to them; those 1s encounter the
opposite-role 1 from the next set up (it's not quite a shadow
interaction since while you do see the same person for a while, it
stops happening when one of you goes out at the end of the set),
so it's effectively long diagonals.<br>
</p>
<p>In a number of dances (Kelsterne Gardens may be the earliest,
although some like to do it in Childgrove, which is an earlier
dance) there are double figure eights, where one couple is is
crossing through the middle while the other couple is going up or
down the outside. In fewer dances, there are double half figure
eights; one couple goes through the middle, the other on the
outside. So you don't need the diagonal half-figure to not have
to worry about them running into each other.<br>
</p>
<p>I would add to Michael's mention of Chevrons that a lot of people
have trouble waiting one bar to start their part of the figure,
and it does raise the difficulty level of the dance.</p>
<p>There's an "all cast one place" in "Wa is Me, Wa Mun I Do", which
takes two bars of triple time music and a fair amount of room but
is very pretty in context. I think your "gents pull left should
back and cast" has some of the logistical problems of an orbit
(it's a quarter orbit) as far as using space, with increased
chance of collision with gent from other set because of not facing
the way you're going for the first half. Slide across, orbit 1/4
while making a point of interlacing with other gent, or lots of
room in the set.</p>
<p>-- Alan <br>
</p>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 7/10/18 5:18 AM, Luke Donforth via
Callers wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CAFrKOZbE6CfW-UfUQpBas10ggKho=bjuWRNQybhwp1cAewSTYA@mail.gmail.com">
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<div dir="ltr">
<div>Hello all,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I've been thinking about half figure eights, and variations
on them. Is anyone familiar (in ECD, contra, or other
traditions), where instead of the 1s or 2s half figure eight,
having the gents or ladies do the move from improper
formation?<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>As soon as you have something like the ladies do a half
figure eight from duple improper; they're either going to have
to shift where they land, or the gents are going to have to
get out of the way. It seems to me (during my insomnia, not
with actual dancers in a house party) that you could have the
gents cast off and over to a ladies place. i.e.:<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>
<div><i>Ladies half figure eight, passing left shoulder in the
middle to take neighbor gents' place<br>
</i></div>
<div><i>Meanwhile, gents cast over left shoulder to take
partner's place<br>
</i></div>
<br>
</div>
<div>Which takes<br>
</div>
<div>(head of hall)<br>
</div>
<div>W1 M1</div>
<div>m2 w2</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>to</div>
<div>(head of hall)</div>
<div>M1 W1</div>
<div>w2 m2<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Which ends in the same place as everybody doing a half
figure eight, but without 4 people trying to go through the
middle at the same time. I think it can still happen in 8
beats of music, with nobody standing around.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Is that a sequence people have danced or used?<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Here's a wrapping to put the whole thing in context.<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Calliope's Cross</div>
<div>Improper contra by Luke Donforth</div>
<div>A1</div>
<div>Long lines forward and back</div>
<div>
<div>Ladies half figure eight, passing left shoulder in the
middle to take neighbor gents' place<br>
</div>
<div>Meanwhile, gents cast over left shoulder to take
partner's place<br>
</div>
A2</div>
<div>Neighbor Right Shoulder Gyre and Swing<br>
</div>
<div>B1</div>
<div>Circle Left 3/4</div>
<div>Partner Swing</div>
<div>B2</div>
<div>Promenade across set with partner, courtesy turn</div>
<div>Ladies chain to neighbor<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The name, and idea, comes from my older daughter (4), who
wanted a "Calliope's Cross" dance for herself after hearing
about "Tamlin's Cross" for her sister. Calliope like riding
figure 8s on her bicycle. <br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>
I've deliberately kept this simple, instead of trying to get a
gents figure 8 while ladies cast in for symmetry. I'm not sure
how I'd teach that from the stage; and think I'd have to use a
demo.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I look forward to hearing the experience of the group!</div>
<div>Thanks<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>-- <br>
<div class="gmail_signature"
data-smartmail="gmail_signature">
<div dir="ltr">Luke Donforth<br>
<a href="mailto:Luke.Donev@gmail.com" target="_blank"
moz-do-not-send="true">Luke.Donforth@gmail.com</a><br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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