Dance with Rufty Tufty - Long Cross

Long Cross is an easy dance for any number of couples.

Formation

Get together in one or more sets of 4-6 couples with men in one line facing their partners (known as a longways sets). You can have more or less couples in a set but 4-6 is a good number.

Instructions

At a dance the caller will walk through the moves in detail before the music starts, and when the band plays will continue to tell you, for as long as necessary, but after you've done the dance a few times you'll probably remember what to do.

All men join hands with the person beside you along the line of men.

All their partners join hands with the person beside them along their partner's line.

Everyone go 4 steps forward and 4 steps back

Drop hands and cross over into your partner's place.

Turn round.

Join hands to make your lines again and go forward and back.

Drop hands and cross back to where you started.

Top couple (usually the couple at the end of the set nearest the caller), give 2 hands to your partner (hold partner's right hand in your left hand, and partner's left hand in your right hand), and gallop down between the lines for 8 steps.

Top couple gallop back to the top.

Top couple separate. Man go down the outside of the line of men to the bottom. Partner go down the outside of the other line to the bottom. (this is called casting). While they are doing that the rest swing your partners. This can be with a cross hand hold or ballroom hold.

There is now a new top couple for the second time through the dance, which starts again from the beginning.