The general figure:

- Dancers are in a line (facing down)

- Two dancers make an arch

- One side goes through the arch, the other side goes around (to face back up)

(Dancers end up in the same order left-to-right, but facing up instead of down. It's like the line rotates 180 degrees.)

In a line of 3, it's usually "right hand high, left hand low" (left side goes through).

In a line of 4, Dixie twirl is most common (middle 2 arch, right side goes through). But I've found "left 2 arch, right side goes through" also works well and is easy to teach (I've called this "thread the needle", by analogy with dances where this kind of figure happens for a larger number of people in a line). Maybe that's closer to what you mean when you say "everybody" goes under?

Yoyo Zhou

On Mon, Nov 10, 2025 at 8:25 AM Elizabeth Bloom Albert via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

Very cool.

Thank you!

On Mon, Nov 10, 2025 at 10:19 AM John Sweeney via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

Hi Elizabeth,

             Yes, it is called a Dixie Twirl – here is how to do it: https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/Glossary.htm

 

             There are lots in Caller’s Box.  Here is an easy one of mine: https://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/DixieDoo-Dah.html

 

             You need to emphasise that the end people need to get to the OTHER end of their line!

 

             Did you know that the three-person version goes back to 1651: https://playforddances.com/dances/peppers-black/ ?  It is the last figure. :-)

 

            Happy dancing,

                   John

                                   

John Sweeney, Dancer, England   john@modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574

http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent                                         

 

From: Elizabeth Bloom Albert via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: 10 November 2025 16:08
To: Shared Weight callers list <callers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Callers] Right hand high and left hand low figure

 

Dear callers and fellow dance writers,

I am writing a new contra dance and I have a question:

Has there ever been an instance where, during a “Right hand high and left hand low,” everybody in a line of FOUR snakes under the raised arms (i.e., no one turns alone) in order to come back up the hall?

Caller’s Box explains the move as “A way for a line of three to face the other direction and swap ends without dropping hands.”  I want it to be a line of four. Will that work?

Thank you!

 

--

Elizabeth Bloom Albert

 

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Elizabeth Bloom Albert

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