Somogyi Karikazo is generally performed with front basket hold (criss crossing over your neighbors to hold their adjacent neighbor's hands) with Right arm on top. In this way the clockwise turn (which is in a recreational version–and the one I believe you are referring to)–is not hindered. Actually it works quite nicely and refastens easily.

With regard to the "men" question, karikazo dances are exclusively women's dances in Hungary. They even go so far as to be segregated by age and social status (girls, young brides, married women and widows) join in separate circles. In recreational Hungarian folk dancing in the US, men enjoyed watching the dance and often formed broken lines in shoulder hold behind the women and did the dance as well. But I think we need to draw the line at mixed circles. Let's let the women enjoy
that lyrical quality that is inherent to this particular dance when done by all women.

In an additional note, in Hungary women don't do men's dances. There are some regions (Szatmar, Gyimes) where they do "male" steps during a couple dance but that is the exception. Women would not get out in front of the orchestra with the men and do boot slapping. It is considered unladylike and looked down upon. (There has been the occasional "foreign" visitor that wanted to impress Hungarian natives
with her abilities, but she was politely tolerated and dubiously discussed after she left. They just don't understand why she would WANT to do that.) In the US, there isn't a recreational folk dance event going that women don't get out and try to do the men's dances. I think that, just like the men in Somogyi Karikazo, the women, if they choose to do them, should keep a low profile and stay in the back. Whichever men's dance being performed is still primarily a men's dance. They should be the ones to have center stage.

Eva Kish

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I suspect that other initiates will confirm that women's dances in Hungary are generally danced with the front basket hold. I suppose that's the Slavonian hold Joe describes.

To Joe's other question, a Hungarian could only say "Ouch!": Hungarian "girls' dances" were, I understand, traditionally not part of the dance-house scene at all and were not even "dances" in the villagers' sense of the concept. They were done somewhere else and on other occasions, than men's and couples dancing. The presence of men in the girls' line or doing a girls' dance "behind" the girls' circle are — so far as I know — equally unthinkable. What I mean to say is this isn't merely odd or inappropriate, it's unthinkable!

The only context where something which "looks" like a karikazo occurs naturally in a village at a dance-house and in the presence of men is when, say, women circle (and shout) in the background during the men's dancing before the band. These two activities going on at the same time — men's dancing & girls' amusements — are totally different in kind (and in prominence, as far as proximity to the band is concerned).

Hope I haven't gotten myself in trouble on this one, for I am not really a practitioner of girls' dances.

Wayne

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To respond to your query about Somogyi Karikazo: this is a choreographed karikazo (women's/girls' singing dance circle) choreographed, or at least taught, by Andor Czcmpo a couple or three decades ago. It is in the style of Somogy County in southwestern Hungary and is more or less typical of the karikazo as it is danced throughout the country. It is not, in the village tradition, choreographed, but led by one of the women in the circle and improvised by her.

The hand hold here is a "front basket" hold and the dance should be performed facing into the center throughout. The hands are released for the turn out and rejoined as the circle closes again (the ridiculous arm position used by so many folk dancers during the turn are just that – ridiculous).

Men do not dance the karikazo. It is not unusual for the men to follow and mimic the women from outside the circle, but that is a very casual kind of thing. It would be out of cultural context for the men to either join the women's circle or to attempt to out perform the women as so many IFD folkies are wont to do.

The style of the dance is very restrained and controlled. Remember, the major part of this delightful tradition is to sing — the dance is secondary to that.
Hope this helps.