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Circassian Circle

Formation: Big circle
Difficulty:  1
Style:  English

A1: All join hands and go into the middle 4 steps and out 4 steps, twice.
A2: Women go into middle, clap, and come back out; men do the same, turning to face partner as they come out.
B1: All swing partner, ending facing round the dance.
B2: Promenade 16 steps anticlockwise.

If you want to make the dance progressive, in A2 the men go in, turn left come out and swing their original neighbour.  Or you can tell them to swing someone on the other side of the circle.  Or have the men go in first and then the women swing someone on the other side of the circle.  It's best to finish with "Men go in, find your original partner to swing".

Music:  32-bar jigs or reels.
Colin says   The suggested tune in the CDM is "Good Humour" which is a reel.  I like to do the final turn (where they regain their original partners) to "Irish Washerwoman" and the change to a lively jig gives a real lift to the dancers.
Thumbnail:  All in and out twice, women in and out, men in and out, swing partner, promenade