The Curious Contra Dancer's First Steps In English

arming:  two dancers hook elbows and turn once around, usually first by the right and then back by the left ("arm right, arm left")

back to bac:k:  do-si-do (without the twiddles)

cast:  turn outward and dance outside the set

So, to "cast up" you turn out and dance up the outside and to "cast down" you turn out and dance down the outside.

chain:  pretty much like a chain in contra except the "courtesy turn" is replaced with a "turn by the left"

circular hey:  like a weave the ring in square dancing, but usually in your foursome and often just two or three passes (see "rights and lefts", "hey")

corner:  in a duple minor or two-couple set, the dancer diagonally opposite

So, in a proper contra the first man and second woman are corners (1st corners) as are the second man and first woman (2nd corners).

double:  four steps forward (or back), closing the feet on the fourth step

fall back:  dance backwards

So, "long lines forward and back" is "forward a double, fall back a double" or "forward a double and back"

figure 8:  weaving figure in which two dancers pass between two standing people and move around them in a figure 8 pattern, something like a cross trail though—a full figure 8 gets you back where you started; a half figure 8 leaves you on the opposite side of the set

forward:  lead or move in the direction you are facing

gate:  like an assisted cast, but with inside hands instead of arms around waists (wheee!)

hands across:  hands across star

hey:  a weaving figure in which two groups of dancers move in single file and in opposite directions

English dancing has all kinds of heys—straight heys, circular heys, heys with hands (called rights and lefts)—often done with as few as three and even as many as eight.

lead:  move as a couple, hand in hand

rights and lefts:  like a grand chain in square dancing, but usually within your foursome and often just two or three changes (see "circular hey", "hey")

set:  technically a single step to the right and then to the left (step right, close left; step left, close right)—most often done with a little extra step inserted, so the rhythm is like step-rock-step, step-rock-step (or like a balance!)

siding:  two dancers go forward a double to stand shoulder to shoulder and then fall back to place, usually first on the right and then on the left ("side right, side left")

turn by right / left:  like an allemande but with a handshake hold