Queen of Diamonds

Source: Composed by John Sweeney
Formation: Four Dancers in a Diamond - #1 with their back to the music, numbered CW, Waltz time
#1 and #3 are Heads; #2 and #4 are Sides

A1 #1: Figure Eight around Sides: Start as a Right Shoulder Gypsy with #2 who returns to place; beckon #3 to follow; Left Shoulder Gypsy for three dancers with #4; finish facing #2 with #3 behind, and #4 behind #3
A2 Dolphin Hey (Heads as a pair) - start Right Shoulder; Heads finish Facing Up holding nearest hand (#1s Left Hand to #3s Right Hand)
B1 Heads Lead Up, Separate, Cast Down
When Heads meet at the Bottom, #3 starts a Gypsy with #1, but #1 doesn't join in but keeps Orbiting around the set to Home WHILE #3 turns the failed Gypsy into a wide Turn Single
WHILE Sides: Wait (4); Two-Hand Turn (4)
The objective is that all four dancers meet in a Circle at the end of the phrase and flow straight into...
B2 Three Chevrons (Balance the Ring moving one place to the Left)
All Turn Single - #1 flowing into...

Music:
I use Airdance's Brimstone Corner but any suitable 32-bar waltz will do.

Notes:
There is plenty of time for most of the moves, so make nice wide flowing arcs that flow into each other,

The Two-Hand Turn is supposed to finish just as you make the circle, and #3s Turn Single at the end of B1 should be wide. I didn't teach it quite well enough in the video below; the fault is entirely mine.

While most of the moves in the dance are quite easy if you know how to do a Dolphin Hey, there is a challenge in that each dancer has a different role. There is no chance to copy what someone else is doing since you are all doing different things.

I got the idea of the diamond formation with a Dolphin Hey from Terry Glasspool's Bat's in the Belfry. Karen was rather queenly in instructing me to rewrite my first few attempts, so the dance ended up being called Queen of Diamonds



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