The Clare Lancers

(b)  SQUARE:  1ST TOPS & 2ND TOPS LADIES & GENTS dance around the sides of a square inside, the ladies going anti-clockwise and the gents clockwise, taking two bars to dance along each side of the square.  Note that since 1st tops gent and 2nd tops lady are starting from the mid-point of one side of the square the steps they dance to the first two bars must be shortened. (8 bars).

(c)  SWING:  At the end of (b) each dancer from the top couples goes to the nearest dancer from the side couples and swings with them (8 bars).

(d)  SWING:  The four original couples re-form and all four couples swing in place (8 bars).
 

(b)  TURN THE LADY:  1ST GENTS turns his partner clockwise four times under his right arm, while dancing in place himself (8 bars).

(c)  PASS BY:  1ST TOPS LADY & GENT dance past each other to the sides and turn (gent dances towards side couple to his right, lady towards side couple to her left), (4 bars).  They then dance back to opposite sides and turn, top lady taking hand of side gent, and top gent taking hand of side lady.  (4 bars).  During the last two bars 2nd tops dance into place at the other end of the lines 

(d)  ADVANCE & RETIRE:  The two lines advance towards each other and retire, twice.  The second time retiring the end couples (on this occasion the tops) do not retire but dance the two bars in place in the centre (8 bars).

(e)  SWING:  All four couples swing in place (8 bars).

(b)  GENTS IN:  The four gents repeat (a) (8 bars).

(c)  WHEEL:  The four gents link left hands in the centre and, with right arms around their partners’ waists, dance in a clockwise direction back around to their original places (8 bars).

(d)  WHEEL BACK:  The four couples reverse direction, (each dancer turns towards their partner to change direction), the four gents link right hands in the centre and, with left arms around their partners’ waists, dance in a clockwise direction back around to their original places (8 bars).

(e)  BIG CHRISTMAS:  All dancers link up together into a big circle with arms behind each other’s backs and dance around clockwise (8 bars).  Then keeping the same position, they reverse direction and dance back around anti-clockwise to their original places. (8 bars).  When changing from the wheel position to the circle position at the beginning of this movement dancers must again turn towards their partners on their way into the circle.  When dancing clockwise around in the Big Christmas each dancer’s right foot should come down on the beat of the music.  When dancing anti-clockwise the left foot should come down.

(f)  SWING:  All four couples swing in place (8 bars).

(b)  LEAD AROUND:  1ST TOPS & 2ND TOPS lead around inside, dancing in a clockwise direction, ladies in the centre beside each other (8 bars).

(c)  WHEEL:  Each top couple regains original place, passes it, and gives right hands to the side couple to their left.  The two groups of four dancers, right hands joined, wheel clockwise (4 bars), then change direction, join left hands and wheel back anti-clockwise (4 bars).

(d)  LITTLE CHRISTMAS:  Each group of dancers forms into a tight circle, arms around each other’s backs, and dances around clockwise.

(e)  SWING:  The circles break into the original couples who swing in place (8 bars).

LINE UP:  On the first occasion the line forms up behind 1st tops lady, facing out of the set in the direction of  1st tops position.  As each couple gets into place in the line each lady should be in front of her partner (16 bars).

(b)  SIDE STEP:  The line splits.  Gents step sideways to the left and ladies sideways to the right, (4 bars).  The lines then return in opposite directions, passing through each other to the opposite sides, and turn to face each other (4 bars).

(c)  ADVANCE & RETIRE:  Lines join hands and advance and retire twice (8 bars).

(d)  DANCE TO PLACE & SWING:  Each dancer dances back to their original place in four bars and then couples join up and swing in place for four bars, i.e. dancers at the end of the line dance towards each other and    meet in the centre.  In the case of the other two couples the lady and gent that are in their correct places simply dance in place, and their partners dance across to them (8 bars).