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Instruction and music for the "Irish Washerwoman."
Ian Brockbank
April 18, 2006, 12:04 p.m. (Message 45072)
Hi All, I've just had this request. Although I know the tune, I'm not familiar with the dance. Can anyone help? Thanks, Ian Brockbank Edinburgh, Scotland xxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx http://www.scottishdance.net/ _____ From: Olga Schimmer [mailto:xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx] Sent: 13 April 2006 19:24 To: xxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx Subject: Instruction and music for the "Irish Washerwoman." Hi, I had instructions and music on how to teach the square dance "The Irish Washerwoman," but I have lost both. I am teaching children square and folk dancing from international country, and I always remember how much I enjoyed this parrticular dance. Will you send me any information on how to get the music and steps for this dance. Thanks, Olga I. Schimmer
Ian / Olga, There is music at http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~wrinnes/bagpipe.tex/samples/Washer.pdf and http://www.sheetmusicdigital.com/pdf/5/8/2/19000285.pdf and http://www.blackflute.com/music/tunes/jigs/irishww.html and http://www.fionasplace.net/Irishmusic.html and http://www.users.csbsju.edu/~eknuth/mandotab/washerxx.html Also instructions for the round-the-room version are at http://www.lloydshaw.org/Catalogue/cue%20sheets/Washerwoman.htm I have only heard of this dance as a "mixer dance" and not a "set dance". Alasdair Graham Dumbarton, Scotland. Looking for a dance? Call up http://ceilidh.members.beeb.net/ to see if something suits. Ceilidh Dance Pages Country Dance Page & Newsletter.
Ian, We do this dance in our "vintage class", however, for the life of me I cannot remember exactly how the dance goes. It is danced in a longwise set. I'll ask tonight and try to get all of it down and post it here. What I remember is as follows: first all couples count off 1, 2, 1, 2, etc. All men and women cross sideways across the set using Irish side steps, step forward and back, cross back to own side, step up and back. #1s chasse sideways downs the set for four counts, then back and cast off around the #2s who step up. #1s rights and lefts and repeat having passed a couple. Well it is something like that and ya'll get the general idea. Tom Mungall Baton Rouge, La, USA
Source: A Choice Selection of American Country Dances of the Revolutionary Era, 1775-1795. Collected and edited by Kate Van Winkle Keller and Ralph Sweet. Published by the Country Dance and Song Society, Massachusetts, 1976. (3rd edition: 1993) Irish Wash Woman 32J/3cpls Longways for as many as will Play AABB (Original instructions from Asa Willcox) 1-2: All chasse' across the set, W facing up, M facing down 3-4: All rigadoon 5-8: repeat to places 9-16: 1s and 2s allemand; then allemand reverse (that is: allemand R, then allemand L) 17-24: 1s down the center and back, cast off 25-32: Circle 6 hands round and back. Modern dancers convert this to a duple minor, with circle 4 hands round and back. Note that the allemand is the "behind the back" handhold. Pat
Pat, It is the same figure only we call it "Back to Back". Easier to remember than Allemande which to me denotes something completely different. ;-) Of course, this nomenclature is very confusing to a Scottish country dancer! The first time our vintage dance teacher said "back to back" I took him literally and danced a do se do. :-D A back to back allemande is difficult when attempting this dance with either an inexperienced dancer or, when the height of the dancers are disparate. I once danced this dance with a young lady (high school age) who isn't even 5 feet tall and I'm 6'4". It was difficult for both of us but not as difficult as attempting the "Claire Lancers" with a couple with disparate height! YIKES! Try the "big christmas" figure when the man is tall and the woman very short, she could be dangling all the way around! I got the instructions for the Irish Washerwoman last night and it appears that the dance is basically the same as the one you posted only with slightly different nomenclature. Irish Washerwoman March Long line of dancers, Gents on one side of set and Ladies on other, Gents face down set and Ladies face up set, number couples as odd and even (1-2) All dancers chasse across set L (smile at your partner) and balance (step up and back), return with chasse to R and balance 16 Counts "Back to Back" -- R hand allemande (R shoulders touching) to L hand allemande (L shoulders touching) 16 Counts Odd-Couples (1s) chasse down set, balance to each other 8 Counts Chasse back up the set and cast around even couple (2s) 8 Counts Four hands around (circle) to left and return to R 16 Counts Continue down the set ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------] Yours aye, Tom Mungall Baton Rouge, La, USA
Tom wrote: > I got the instructions for the Irish Washerwoman last night > and it appears that the dance is basically the same as the > one you posted only with slightly different nomenclature. The source for the version I gave is "Asa willcxs book of Figures" [Ms. collection of dance figures] 1793. Newberry Library. I know nothing further about this Asa Wilcox; but, if this is his book of familiar dances, it's not surprising that the figures are slightly different. He and his friends probably liked doing the rigadoon; whereas the folks who created your version obviously preferred simply to set forward and back. Your version has "down the center and balance." There are many Early American dances that have "down the center and rigadoon." A ubiquitous combination, so much so that many dancers nowadays substitute that for the plain vanilla "down the center and back." And vice versa, if they don't like doing the rigadoon. Small groups of folks who danced only to please themselves got to make up whatever versions they liked of a dance! Pat