Eight-Hand Jig

Love this one, despite the fact that I avoided it for ages because of Swing Into Line, which is actually fairly straightforward. I was also put off by Set All-Round, until I realised it's actually exactly the same as your average Back to Back, but with one big circle instead of two 4-hand circles. Easy way to remember it? It's demonstrated on Olive by Sean Eireann McMahon and everything in the body begins with an S. Makes it so much easier when I recognise dancers and cay say "Sinead goes to the left while Tara goes to the right" etc instead of lady number 2 and lady number 3.



Please note I'm doing this in very short short-hand. I know it's not book-perfect in type but I think it is in my head.

Lead Around

Body
Sides - as in Humours of Bandon - see yesterday's post :)
Skip Across - unlike the Eight-Hand Reel, you do actually 'skip' across in this one. And you also give different hands - in the reel it's right-left-left-right, this one is left-right-left-right. All the gents go at the same time, with tops passing in the centre a fraction before sides. Give left hand to opposite lady, then chain to lady on left of original position and give right hand to her. Gents swap over to opposite position as before, left hand to lady, then back to partner with right hand.
Swing Into Line - all take right hands with partner. Top couple turn outward from circle (if in competition they would now be facing the judges/audience) and all other couples turn into place behind them - first sides directly behind, then second sides, then second tops - all ladies behind top lady, all gents behind top gent. Top couple cast off and retake hands at the bottom of the set, promenading back to place with other couples following suit. All turn to face partner, each line taking hands, and perform the rising step once on each foot then turn back to original position.
Set All-Round - like Back to Back in the Eight-hand Reel except all takes hands in one large circle. Tops swing around couple on left to finish.

First Figure - Advance and Retire
As in Eight-Hand Reel - tops advance and retire twice then swing around each other. Repeated by sides.

Second Figure - Right and Left Chain and Right Hand to Opposite Lady
Tops chain as in the Four-Hand Reel - So if I was the top gent I would give right hand to 2nd top lady, left hand to partner, right hand to 2nd top lady, and left hand to partner. I've seen that as an exam question actually, "which chain ends with left hand to partner". Then the second part of the figure is from the Sixteen-Hand Reel - again if I was top gent I would give right hand to 2nd top lady, back to partner with left hand, then take right hands with 2nd top gent in the centre and turn, then give left hand to 2nd top lady and back to partner. Swing around to finish, and sides repeat the figure.

Finish
As in Eight-Hand Reel.

Two to go :)