How do circle dances and chain dances differ in folk-dance formations?

In Western folk dance, circle and chain formations differ primarily in their spatial arrangement and movement patterns:

• Circle Dances: Considered the earliest and simplest formation, the closed circle involves dancers facing the center while grasping hands, wrists, shoulders, elbows, or waists. Dancers may move as a unit, weave around one another, or form concentric circles—such as an inner circle of men and an outer circle of women—to perform specific movements.1
• Chain Dances: This formation consists of a long line of dancers linked by hands or handkerchiefs. Unlike the closed circle, the chain is often led by a single individual who traces complex, serpentine patterns for the rest of the group to follow. These dances may also take the form of a procession, traveling long distances through a village or street, sometimes halting to allow couples within the chain to dance together.12

While both rely on simple steps like walking, hopping, and skipping, the circle is defined by its enclosed, centered focus, whereas the chain is defined by its linear, fluid, and often path-oriented progression.1