LADIES’ AND MEN’S CHAINS

Starting positions

Both Figures start with two couples facing, either up and down or across the dance with the Ladies on their partner’s right.

Ladies’ Chain

The figure starts with the ladies changing places giving right hands while their partners dance directly into the place vacated by their own partners. The ladies then turn the opposite man halfway with the left hand. The men are now in their original position while the ladies are in the opposite ladies’ original position and are facing each other.

The Ladies again change places giving right hands while their partners dance directly into the place originally vacated by their own partners. The ladies then turn their own partners halfway with the left hand.

Everybody is now back in the place where they started the figure.

The Ladies follow the same path as they would in a Reel of Four except they are effectively passing right shoulders in the middle and left at the ends. The men’s path is effectively anti clockwise circles at the ends of the reel.

Alternative Starting positions

It is also common for the figure to be danced starting with the men having the other man’s partner on their right. In this case the figure is the same as above except where the instructions say own partner it should be read as being the other dancer’s partner and where the instructions say opposites it should be read as being the dancer’s own partner.

Men’s Chain

The figure is essentially the same as the Ladies’ Chain except that the men change places giving left hands and turn the Ladies with the right.

Half, Ladies’ or Men’s Chains

The figure is exactly the same as the first half of the full chains described above. This figure is commonly used to regain ones own partner having exchanged partners earlier in the dance.