Actually, this dance uses only the simplest elements of the descriptions, but I've never had courage to put the more complex stuff together.

The name comes from a folk tale from the area. I had this thing part finished for ages, but couldn't work out what to do with the spare person in each part of the dance. Once again it was the inimitable Roy Dommett who supplied the missing link, at a Border Workshop he ran for Alton Morris. "Never," he said "be afraid to use the simple solution. Just have them step on the spot with the stick on their shoulders. It'll provide a good contrast to the rest of the dance". Well, I agree. You'll have to form your own opinion.

Formation

The set is a line of four and starts off with two couples facing

Chorus

The dance doesn't really have figures and choruses as such. However, you can consider the sticking to be a chorus, so we'll start there. Each block of the sticking is in the rhythm
 
X - X - X X X -
 
to start, "everyone" does the sticking, that is 1 with 2, 3 with 4 (one block). Then just the "tops", 1 with 2, then number 2 and 3 turn round, and "middles" stick, 2 with 3. Then they both turn back and "bottoms" stick, 3 with 4. Each dancer steps in position facing in the direction they started, except when the "middles" are sticking, in which case the dancers turn to stick on the last step, and turn back immediately after sticking. And when not sticking, the spare dancers step on the spot with the sticks on their shoulders.

The second time through the sticking, it runs "bottoms", "middles", "tops", "everyone". The third time is "everyone", "bottoms", "middles", "tops", and the last is "tops", "middles", "bottoms", "everyone". Well, it makes a warped kind of sense when you put it with the rest of the dance. If you use "Eye Level" as tyhe music, then the sticking fits best to the 'B' music and the rest just follows.

Figures

Hey into Rounds

The first and last of what loosely pass for figures are heys into rounds. At the beginning of the dance, "bottoms" have just sticked, so the hey is at the top. It starts with number one turning out to the right to start the hey by passing between numbers two and three: this gives number three half a step to turn after finishing the sticking. Do a hey for three once round (eight single steps), then segue seamlessly into rounds for four - the bottom dancer joins in as if it were going to be a hey for four, passing right with number three whilst one and two are also passing right.

This means that numbers two and four are on the musician's right, facing the musician, whilst numbers one and three are on the left, facing away. Perfect to start rounds deosil (sunwise, clockwise if you must). Rounds all the way round to places (eight singles) to begin the sticking with "bottoms".

When this figure comes around again, "tops" have just finished sticking. So, the bottom three do the hey, then the top dancer joins in the rounds, and the following sticking starts again with "tops". Starting to make sense? No, me neither, try getting four coins out and sliding them round the bar table. Don't worry, they'll only think you're mad, but if you were worried about that you wouldn't be reading this in the first place.

Little Big, Big Little. (Dai Sho)

The astute reader will notice that with four lots of sticking and only two figures so far, something is missing. This is the magnum opus, the raison d'être of the dance, its soul, its very being.

What, oh yes, the figure. Small rounds, large rounds, hey, large rounds, small rounds. Was that it? But of course it's what you do with it that counts. Start with "two small": one and two gypsy round each other twice (very small rounds round each other, keeping mostly facing each other), eight steps. Then into "one large", clockwise rounds all the way to places (eight steps). Get from the small rounds into the large by the ends (one and four) leading out, the middles following their own end.

That uses up all of one "A" music. So the hey for four occupies the whole of a "B", the same as one complete sticking: so take it slowly.

Now do another large rounds, this time, and for the only time in the dance, the middles lead and the ends follow. Then when the ends are in places, break into "two small" (rounds), twice round and into places.

Sequence

Okay then, so the order is:
 
"sticking - all, tops, middles, bottoms"
"hey at the top, into rounds for four"
"bottoms, middles, tops, all"
"two small, one large, hey (slowly now, plenty of time),
one large, middles leading, two small"
"everyone, bottoms, middles, tops"
"hey at the top, rounds for four"
"tops, middles, bottoms, all - and finish
 
So, happy now? What do you mean no? - we've practiced it often enough. Oh, okay then, I'd better go and get one of the others out of the bar...

Music

I did write a tune to go with the dance, but when we were practicing it, we just used whatever the other musicians could play, whilst I called. It stuck, so Stags started using the tune "Eye Level", the theme from the Van der Valk detective series. If you want to do likewise, AFAIK the words and music are by Jack Lerner, and are copyright to Warner Communications. As far as I know, the words, "I thought that I had the world on the end of my string" were added to the tune after the series got popular: there are points for anyone who can sing the whole of the first verse, and extra points if you can do it with a straight face.

After seeing Wolfs Head last year, though, we've started doing the dance to beat of drum only. Mr Anderson plays a "Kids Konga" from REMO, designed to be indestructible by eight-year olds but built with their expertise in professional instruments. You can fill it with beer and drink out of it, or put your weekend kit into it and check it as cabin baggage on Club Europe. Mr Anderson has no connection with REMO other than as a satisfied customer, although he would be happy to be sponsored if they offered and would probably be prepared to trash hotel rooms if REMO were footing the bill.