The Whish
The Wish
The Whish or The Wish is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master. It was interpreted by Cecil Sharp (website) in 1922 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 6). It is a proper 3 Couple Longways dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a USA dance. The dance lasts 154 bars. It is in the key: G Minor.
Lead up a D. forward and back, set and fall back That again The 2. man lead in the first man between the first we. cast off, fall to your places and arms Then lead in the last man between the two last we. fall to your places and arms Then the middle wo. do as much Sides all, set and fall back That again The 2. cu. lead up between the first, cast off, fall to your places, turn your own As much between the last cu. Then lead in between them as before. Arms all, set and fall back That again The 2. cu. cross over between the first cu. cross over again between them, fall to your places As much between the last cu. Then lead in between them as before.
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.A1 | 1-4 | Up a double and back |
| 5-7 | Set forward and fall back | |
| I.A2 | 1-4 | Up a double, back (again) |
| 5-7 | Set forward and fall back | |
| I.A3 | 1-4 | Top two men lead between top women and cast back home |
| 5-7 | Same two arm left | |
| I.A4 | 1-4 | Bottom two men lead between bottom women and cast back home |
| 5-7 | Same two arm left | |
| I.A5 | 1-4 | Top two women lead between top men and cast back home |
| 5-7 | Same two arm right | |
| I.A6 | 1-4 | Bottom two women lead between bottom men and cast back home |
| 5-7 | Same two arm right | |
| II.A1 | 1-4 | Side right |
| 5-7 | Set forward and fall back | |
| II.A2 | 1-4 | Side left |
| 5-7 | Set forward and fall back | |
| II.A3 | 1-4 | 2s lead to top and cast back home |
| 5-7 | 2s two hand turn | |
| II.A4 | 1-4 | 2s lead to bottom and cast back home |
| 5-7 | 2s two hand turn | |
| II.A5 | 1-4 | Top two men lead between top women and cast back home |
| 5-7 | Same two arm left | |
| II.A6 | 1-4 | Bottom two men lead between bottom women and cast back home |
| 5-7 | Same two arm left | |
| II.A7 | 1-4 | Top two women lead between top men and cast back home |
| 5-7 | Same two arm right | |
| II.A8 | 1-4 | Bottom two women lead between bottom men and cast back home |
| 5-7 | Same two arm right | |
| III.A1 | 1-4 | Arm right |
| 5-7 | Set forward and fall back | |
| III.A2 | 1-4 | Arm left |
| 5-7 | Set forward and fall back | |
| III.A3 | 1-7 | 2s full figure eight up through 1s |
| III.A4 | 1-7 | 2s full figure eight down through 3s |
| III.A5 | 1-4 | Top two men lead between top women and cast back home |
| 5-7 | Same two arm left | |
| III.A6 | 1-4 | Bottom two men lead between bottom women and cast back home |
| 5-7 | Same two arm left | |
| III.A7 | 1-4 | Top two women lead between top men and cast back home |
| 5-7 | Same two arm right | |
| III.A8 | 1-4 | Bottom two women lead between bottom men and cast back home |
| 5-7 | Same two arm right |
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=TheWhish
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 © 2021-2025 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.