The Health

A longways dance for 8

(1)(2)
(3)(4)
(5)(6)
(7)(8)

All face up, take hands with partner, up a double and back, set and honor. Twice.

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All face center of set. Middles cast out of set and toward closest end behind them WHILE Tops and Bottoms lead in. Tops and Bottoms turn single CW. Tops and Bottoms lead their neighbor in a cast out of set, through their home position, and back in a full loop.

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All face center of set. Tops and Bottoms cast out of set and toward home WHILE Middles lead in. Middles turn single CW. Middles lead their neighbor in a cast out of set, through the closest end, and back to home position in a full loop.

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All spin CW into a big backhand ring CW. (Walk even if hands aren’t connected yet.) Break hands early enough to get halfway around. Set and honor. Repeat with same CW direction to get home.

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All face center of set. Middles cast out of set and toward closest end behind them WHILE Tops and Bottoms lead in. Tops and Bottoms turn single CW 1-½ times to form small backhand ring CW all the way around WHILE Middles face center of set and clap.

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All face center of set. Tops and Bottoms cast out of set and toward home WHILE Middles lead in. Middles turn single 1-½ times to form small backhand ring CW all the way around WHILE Tops and Bottoms face center of set and clap.

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Exchange with partner by 2 hands CW. Exchange with neighbor by 2 hands CW. Set and honor. Repeat sequence.

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First corners walk in to take hands sharply on 3 and shake on 4 to form star WHILE their neighbors cast out of set and around to their empty position.

Second corners walk in to take hands sharply on 3 and shake on 4 to form star WHILE their neighbors cast out of set and around to their empty position.

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Center 4 people (#1, 2, 7, 8) walk R-hand star all the way around WHILE the ends (#3 with #4 and #5 with #6) walk R-hand half-stars all the way around.

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First corner positions (#3, #6) walk in to take hands sharply on 3 and shake on 4 to form star WHILE their neighbors cast out of set and around to home.

Second corner positions (#4, #5) walk in to take hands sharply on 3 and shake on 4 to form star WHILE their neighbors cast out of set and around to home.

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Center 4 people (#3, 4, 5, 6) walk R-hand star all the way around WHILE the ends (#1 with #2 and #7 with #8) walk R-hand half-stars all the way around.

If dancing Health/Parsons as a set:

Center 4 people come out of the star to meet their partner and shift to the left to move into position for Parson’s Farewell: two duple-minor sets of four, pairs facing pairs, each pair together on one side of the long set.

3 🢒🢐 2
4 🢒🢐 1
7 🢒🢐 6
8 🢒🢐 5

Some of the pairs will simply slide to the left to achieve this; others will swap places with each other as they move to the left.

* Difficulty:
* Shape:
* Number of Dancers:

Fine Companion

A dance for 8, arranged in a square

Take hands with partner, in a double and back, set and turn to partner. Twice.

–

Odds step in (2 beats) and back (2 beats). Evens the same.

Odds ring CW while Evens clap.

Evens step in (2 beats) and back (2 beats). Odds the same.

Evens ring CW while Odds clap.

–

Side, set and turn. Twice.

–

Tops and Bottoms step in (2 beats) and back (2 beats). Sides the same.

Tops and Bottoms ring CW while Sides clap.

Sides step in (2 beats) and back (2 beats). Tops and Bottoms the same.

Sides ring CW while Tops and Bottoms clap.

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Arm R, set and turn, Arm L, set and turn.

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Odds in a double, turn single 1-½ CW, stay in center

Evens skip CW around to home while Odds clap.

–

Exchange places with your partner by L shoulder

Evens turn single 1-½ times CW, stay in center

Odds skip CW around to home while Evens clap.

–

Odds lead partner out of center, honor all.

* Difficulty:
* Shape:
* Number of Dancers:

Fain I Would

A dance for 8, arranged in a square

This dance is distinguished by the Switches halfway through and and the end of each figure. All switches are 2-handed CW exchanges.

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Turn your back on the set, take hands with partner, out a double, turn in as you face each other and continue to face in (easy turn), in a double.

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Switch with neighbor. Switch across the line of dance, flow into square formation.

Start:

(2)(1)
(5)(8)
(6)(7)
(3)(4)

After first switch:

(5)(8)
(2)(1)
(3)(4)
(6)(7)

After second switch:

(8)(5)
(1)(2)
(4)(3)
(7)(6)


You are with your second partner after the second switch. Out a double, easy turn, in a double. Switch with neighbor and switch across the line of dance to end at home, flowing into square formation.

Second half start:

(8)(5)
(1)(2)
(4)(3)
(7)(6)

After first switch:

(1)(2)
(8)(5)
(7)(6)
(4)(3)

After second switch:

(2)(1)
(5)(8)
(6)(7)
(3)(4)


Tops and Bottoms (#1, 2, 3, 4) take hands, in a double, pick up sides, all back a double in lines.

(5)(2)(1)(8)
(6)(3)(4)(7)

Turn by 2 hands with second partner.

Reform square:

(5)(8)
(2)(1)
(3)(4)
(6)(7)


Sides (#5, 6, 7, 8) take hands, in a double, pick up Tops and Bottoms, all back a double in lines.

(2)(5)(8)(1)
(3)(6)(7)(4)

Turn by 2 hands with first (original) partner.

Reform original square set when you get home.

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Side partner. First set of switches. Side second partner. Second set of switches.

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Tops and Bottoms are chased out the top and bottom of the set by their neighbors, casting all the way around to back into place. Take hands and walk CW all the way around the 4-person ring.

(2)(1)
(5)(8)
(6)(7)
(3)(4)


Sides are chased out their side of the set by their neighbors, casting all the way around to back into place. Take hands and walk CW all the way around the 4-person ring.

(5)(2)
(6)(3)
(1)(8)
(4)(7)


Arm R partner. First set of switches. Arm L second partner. Second set of switches.

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Tops and Bottoms slow backhand ring CW in center 1-½ times to end at corner’s position WHILE Sides skip CCW 1-½ times around to end at corner’s position.

Exchange places with your neighbor by L shoulders.

–


Sides slow backhand ring CW in center 1-½ times to home WHILE Tops and Bottoms skip CCW 1-½ times around to home. Allow time for everyone to get home before breaking center backhand ring. Honor all.

* Difficulty:
* Shape:
* Number of Dancers: