Cast
Also known as: Brisé.
Bars: short cast: 2, long cast: 4.
A cast involves turning outside the set, traveling along the outside a certain number of places (usually 1) and then coming back into the set at a new position. Casts are usually up or down the set but can also be across. In a cast down, assuming the people involved are facing in to the set, they will turn over their shoulder nearest the band, and move down the set into the place below. Sometimes casts are described as right or left, then people turn over their right (or left) shoulders and continue moving clockwise (or counter-clockwise) around the set to the next place.
Casts may be long or short. A long cast takes twice as long and involves the people casting coming in to the center to meet and touch hands before casting out to the sides. The short cast simply involves turning and going down the sides.
Styling: as you cast outside the set you have a good chance to catch the eye of your partner as s/he also casts.
Often there will be someone else in the spot that you are moving into, so while you are casting this other person must move out of the way.
In the example on the left the 1s cast down one place while the 2s lead up one place (to make room for them). In the example on the right the women will lead between the men and then cast back to their place (in this case the cast is across the set rather than up or down).
Variants
In Scottish Country Dancing, the dancers moving out of the way usually do not meet in the middle but simply slide up (or down) the sidelines. If two adjacent couples have to move up simultaniously they take hands along the sidelines.
In American Country Dancing of the early 20th century, the cast was usually an assisted cast (which is rather like the English gate figure, and commonly followed a down the middle and up figure: 
In Modern Square Dance, a cast is similar to the assisted cast above.
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.
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