Jacob said: "See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKYLDM1w6NE for a fascinating variant". Hmmm... "variant"? The way they are dancing in that video is the way it has been done at every dance, barn dance and ceilidh that I have been to in England for the last 50 years. See http://www.ceilidhcalling.co.uk/danceviewpage.php?view=1&id=5&POSTR… GMARKER=dancelist_DANCES Jacob said "the balances had morphed into "kick-jumps". Ummm... No... they have been kick-jumps for at least 50 years. The term "balance" at a ceilidh in England usually means kick-jumps! Americans used to do that balance sometimes as well. See "50 Variations of the Balance": http://www.izaak.unh.edu/dlp/northernjunket/pages/NJv05/NJv05-01/NJv.05. 01.p13.htm - variation number 4! "Balance" is not a well-defined term! :-) Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent