Contents

Double Figure Eight

Bars: 8 for a full, 4 for a half.

Double Figure Eight Everyone is involved in this figure eight, but the 1s and the 2s are out of phase. Initially either the 1s will cast down as the 2s cross up, or the reverse with the 1s crossing down and the 2s casting up. Here, the 2s start by doing a normal figure eight, while the 1s cast down, and then from second position continue to follow the figure eight track. Everyone ends up at home.

As with a normal figure eight, one can also do a double half figure eight, which leaves both couples crossed over.

Variants

In Scottish Country Dancing, the 1s and 3s will sometimes do a double figure eight while the 2s, between them, remain stationary.

History

There are a few old dances which seem to use a double half figure of eight: Devonshire-House from the 10th Ed. of the Dancing Master, and The Scotch Measure by Thomas Bray, 1699, but neither names it a "double half figure", they just describe the movements.

There are roughly 15 dances where Henry Playford or John Young do use the term "double figure" (Maid's Morris, 1688 is one), but in many of them the modern meaning of a double figure does not work, they seem just to have meant a full figure of eight. Usually.

See Colin Hume's analysis.

The first use of a double half figure eight (in the modern sense) occurs in Pat Shaw's interpretation of Thomas Bray's The Scotch Measure. The original describes a double half figure eight, but does not name the figure.

Pat uses a full double figure eight in his interpretation Burlington House in 1965. The first use in a Scottish Country Dance comes in John Drewry's Jennifer's Jig from 1968.

Some dances which (probably) use this figure

Dances for which I have animations
Dances in (R)SCDS Books

Note: This list may be incorrect or incomplete.

Double Figure Eight

Variants

History

Some dances which (probably) use this figure

See Also