Lady in the Dark ~ Sharp

Lady in the Dark ~ Pat Shaw Lady in the Dark ~ Sharp

Lady in the Dark ~ Sharp is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1657 in The Dancing Master, 3rd ed., London. It was interpreted by Cecil Sharp (website) in 1912 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 3). It is a Facing Couples Becket dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a USA dance. The dance lasts 96 bars.

Playford writes:

Meet, turn off S. Men cross over, we. as much That back again Men meet, fall back, arms by their right hands, turn by the left We. the same ·: Sides with the co. Set As much with your own
Meet, each take the co. and fall back with her, then the first Cu. go under the other Cu arms, then the go under yours Meet each with his own and fall back with her, then go under on another's arms forward and back as before Arms as you sided ·:
Right hands to the co. and left to your own, stay in the co. place and set to your own That back again setting to the contrary

The animation plays at 120 counts per minute. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color.

I.A11-2With partner, in a double
3-4Turn single cloverleaf back to places
5-8Men change, women change
I.A21-2Aain, in a double
3-4Turn single cloverleaf back to places
5-8Men change, women change
I.A31-4Men arm right
5-8Left hand turn opposite
I.A41-4Women arm left
5-8Right hand turn opposite
II.A11-4Opposite side right
5-8Opposite set and honour
II.A21-4Partner side left
5-8Partner set and honour
II.A31-2In a double to meet opposites
3-4Take opposites near hand and fall back, up or down
5-6M1+W2 arch, change places with opposites
7-8W1+M2 arch, change places with opposites
II.A41-2Face partner, in a double
3-4Fall back with partner
5-62s arch, change places with opposites
7-81s arch, change places with opposites
III.A11-4Opposite arm right
5-8Opposite set and honour
III.A21-4Partner arm left
5-8Partner set and honour
III.A31-4Face opposite, two changes of rights and lefts
5-8Partner set and honour
III.A41-4Face partner, two changes of rights and lefts
5-8Opposite set and honour

If you find what you believe to be a mistake in this animation, please leave a comment on youtube explaining what you believe to be wrong. If I agree with you I shall do my best to fix it.

If you wish to link to this animation please see my comments on the perils of youtube. You may freely link to this page, of course, and that should have no problems, but use one of my redirects when linking to the youtube video itself:
https://www.upadouble.info/redirect.php?id=LadyInTheDark

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The dance itself is out of copyright, and is in the public domain. The interpretation is out of copyright, and is in the public domain. My visualization of this dance is copyright © 2021 by George W. Williams V and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

This website is copyright © 2021,2022,2023,2024 by George W. Williams V
Creative Commons License My work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Most of the dances have more restrictive licensing, see my notes on copyright, the individual dance pages should mention when some rights are waived.