Eight Hands Over

Lloyd Shaw writes:

THE CALL:

1. Honors right and honors left.
   All join hands and circle to the left.
   Break and swing and promenade home.
2. 1. First couple out to the right
   2. And eight hands over.
   3. Ladies bow and the gents bow under,
   4. Round you go and go like thunder.
   5. Break and circle four in a ring,
   6. Docey-doe and a docey-ding.
   7. On to the next—
   Repeat 2 beginning with (b).
   Repeat again changing last line to:
   Balance home
3. And everybody swing.
   Allemande left with your left hand,
   Right to your partner and right and left grand,
   Promenade eight when you come straight!
   Repeat 2 and 3 entire for second, third, and fourth couples.

THE EXPLANATION:

1. See page 148 for directions or substitute any introduction given there
2. 1. First couple advances to second couple
   2. The two ladies join both hands across rights to lefts, and the two gentlemen likewise join their hands together over the ladies' hands.
   3. The two ladies bow low and pass in under the gentlemen's joined arms which are raised and swung back so as to rest around the ladies' shoulders. The gentlemen then bow and pass their heads under the ladies' joined hands, which now rest behind the gentlemen's necks.
   4. The ladies break their holds and crook their elbows tightly around the gentlemen's necks. (This is very important, or there may be an accident.) The gentlemen also let go of each other, and with their arms crossed over the ladies' shoulders, each takes a hold as securely as possible under the ladies' armpits. They all four throw their heads back as far as possible and circle to the left. the gentlemen lifting the ladies. The centrifugal force is so great that if the gentlemen spin fast with short steps and their feet close together, or even sometimes interlaced through each other, the ladies feet will come off the floor and they will spin around flattened out at a level with the men's shoulders. The men often dip slightly as they spin them, raising and lifting so that the ladies' bodies swing up and down like the wings of a butterfly, their feet often almost touching above the gentlemen's heads.
      This last should not be attempted until the hold is completely mastered and they know what they are doing. I have seen an improperly held lady urled clear across the room and against the wall. I have seen arms broken from falls in this dance. And the whirling feet of the ladies may do much damage if they hit anyone, or be severely hurt themselves if they hit any hard object
   5. The four dancers break holds, and separating, join hands in a regular circle of four. See page 160 for directions for the docey-doe.
   6. First couple advances to the third couple and repeats, then to the fourth couple, and returns to place in the square.
3. See page 152 for directions or substitute any other ending given there.