The Irish Lady

Aniseseed Water Robin

The Irish Lady or Aniseseed Water Robin is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master, London. It was interpreted by Cecil Sharp (website) in 1912 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 3). It is a proper Duple Minor dance. The minor set lasts 256 bars. It is in the key: C major.

Playford writes:

Lead all a D. and back That again Set and turn S. That again

First man and second woman go about into each others places First woman and second man as much First man and 2. wo. change places, the other as much Cast off and fall into 2. place

First cu. cross over, the man going on the inside, the 2. wo. into the 1. wo. place, and the wo. on the outside, the 2. man into the 2. place Cross over, and go the man about the 2. man, and the wo. about the 2. wo. into your places

The 1. and 2. man change places by right hands, we. doing as much, fall all four abreast, and lead up to the presence Fall back a D. the first man cast off to the left, and fall into his own place, the 2. man following him, we. doing the like at the same time First and third cu. change places each with his own, the first man and second wo. change places First wo. and second man change places, set and turn S

The first figure of the third part is not quite the same as a full figure 8.

The animation plays at 120 counts per minute normally, but the first time through the set the dance will often be slowed down so people can learn the moves more readily. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color, however the border of each dancer indicates what role they currently play so the border color may change each time through the minor set.

An online description of the dance may be found here.

Up a double

A	1-4	Up a Double, and back
	5-8	That again
B	1-4	Partner set and turn single
	5-8	That again

Part 2 repeats 5 times

A	1-4	1st corners gypsy once and a half
	5-8	2nd corners gypsy once and a half
B	1-4	1st corners change, 2nd corners change
	5-8	1s long cast down as 2s wait and lead up

Part 3 repeats 5 times

A	1-4	M1 dance between 2s, around W2 into W1's place, as W1 passes M1 by left, loops outside M2 to M1's place
	5-8	W1 dance between 2s, around W2 back home as M1 passes W1 by left, loops outside M2 back home
B	1-4	Right hands across
	5-8	1s long cast down as 2s wait and lead up

Part 4 repeats 5 times

A	1-2	Men change by right hand, women by left
	3-4	1s move up outside 2s to a line of four
	5-6	Line of four up and fall back
	7-8	1s, followed by 2s cast down and come back home
B	1-2	Partners change places
	3-4	M1+W2 change
	5-6	W1+M2 change
	7-8	Turn single

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=TheIrishLady

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
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.

Lead all a D. and back That again	Set and turn S. That again

First man and second woman go about into each others places First woman and second man as much	First man and 2. wo. change places, the other as much Cast off and fall into 2. place

First cu. cross over, the man going on the inside, the 2. wo. into the 1. wo. place, and the wo. on the outside, the 2. man into the 2. place	Cross over, and go the man about the 2. man, and the wo. about the 2. wo. into your places

The 1. and 2. man change places by right hands, we. doing as much, fall all four abreast, and lead up to the presence Fall back a D. the first man cast off to the left, and fall into his own place, the 2. man following him, we. doing the like at the same time	First and third cu. change places each with his own, the first man and second wo. change places First wo. and second man change places, set and turn S