Hi Ketherine,

Re “interactions with partner across the set in improper duple”.

It happened a lot in older dances.  Here are a couple of examples from Colonial America:

Boston Assembly (1794) “Partners allemande right and then allemande left” and in many other dances.

Haste to the Wedding (1777) “Partners dos a dos… Neighbors dos a dos…”

It was even more common in the old English country dances that led to all our current genres.

It was still common in choreography in England in the twentieth century, for example:

One of the earliest compositions in the UK in the early twentieth century: https://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/EFDS6408-FaithlessNancyDawson.html - “All do-si-do partners”

Celebration Special https://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/EFDS7703-CelebrationSpecial.html not only has a Dosido across the set, but the Neighbour and Partner Swings are across the set and finish facing up and down the set!

But by then the American contras were evolving to only have one couple active if the action was across the set, with most of the couple-actions being along the set.

Simultaneous Partner and Neighbour action is very common in Sicilian Circles.

Yes, I suspect that it was mostly about having room to do the moves.  I call lots of dances with across-the-set actions and always get the dancers to spread out up and down the hall.

            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