Folk dance Moves and Terms

Etiquette:  Join sets at the bottom; Smile at other dancers!  Change partners now and again; Help with subtlety.

Formations:  The top of the set is normally nearest the music;  Longways  dancers stand in a row with ladies on one side and gents opposite them and couples are numbered down the row in pairs making a first and second pair in each group of four down the set. As the dance progresses the first couples move down the set and the second couples move up. Longways sets can be in other forms such as Becket (partner alongside you), improper (1st couples swapped over) triple minor (groups of six instead of four) or Sicilian where the strait line is turned into a circle. Squares where couples stand on the sides of an imaginary square drawn on the floor with two couples as head couples facing each other and the other two as side couples facing each other.  

Moves:  There are numerous moves in English country dancing most of which a newcomer will pick up quite easily over a period of months. With insufficient space to show them all here and with such a good explanation on other sites we recommend you visit www.sref.ucam.org/round/dances/elements#0.2GSUMN2.PL4XM.Y4SFGD.62