Source:
RMW. (1996)
Music:
Queen of the Fairies. Based on – guess what – King of the Fairies, with the second and third parts mixed up and changed with a rather more major-ish feel than the original. Played as a slow dotted hornpipe.
Formation:
Normal set of 6.
Long sticks.
Sequence:
Stomping
Figure 8
Chorus
Back to back
Chorus
Eathorpe cross (1)
Chorus
Eathorpe cross (2)
Chorus
Stars
Chorus
Figure 8.
Stomping:
All start standing in set, facing up.
No 1 starts stomping on bar 1 (L-R-), then no 2 joins in (L-R-), then no3, then no 4, then no 6 (6 bars in all). Then all dance on the spot for 4 steps, still facing up, ready to go straight into…
Figure 8:
(Like Eynsham Figure 8):
All do a large hey for 16 steps, starting by nos 1&2 going up and out in a wide loop, whilst the middles come in to meet. Bottoms start by doing a couple of steps on the spot before joining in.
For the first Figure 8, all finish facing front ready for chorus.
For the second Figure 8, finish the dance with stomp-stomp and stick held horizontally, high above head in both hands.
Chorus:
Stand while sticking tips and butts thus for 4 bars:
T-B-T-B-T-B-TTT-
Then all forehand clash with partner on first step of individual small loop to the left for 4 steps back to place, surge across set, passing partner right shoulders and clashing once, then quick turn to right and stomp-stomp in opposite’s position (4 more steps).
REPEAT back to place, except keep stepping at end straight into next figure.
Back to back:
Odds do right shoulder back to back round evens, 8 steps. Then evens do right shoulder back to back round odds (8 steps).
Eathorpe cross (1)
All turn to their left. No 1 leads the odds by casting up and out in a loop so as to cross the set at right angles across the middle. Meanwhile No 6 leads the evens by casting down and out in a loop so as to cross the set at right angles across the middle. The two sides approach and pass right shoulders across the middle of the set, timing it so that Nos. 1 and 6 meet in the middle of the set on step 6, and clash sticks with each other as they pass. On step 7, 1&4 and 3&6 clash sticks; and on step 8, 1&2, 3&4, 5&6 clash sticks, by which time the two sides are now in two lines across the set. They then carry on dancing for a further 8 steps, with nos. 1 & 6 leading their respective sides in a loop to their right and back down the opposite side of the original set so that all end up in their partner’s original position. Turn OUT (the long way) on last two steps to face partner.
Eathorpe cross (2)
Mirror image of Eathorpe Cross (1), with original 1 and 6 leading as before, but this time all start by turning to right, etc..
Stars:
Right hand stars in threes (middles go to the right) 8 steps, turning out into left hand star for 8 steps back to place.
