Lord of the Dance

    (Note: This piece of writing is based on Riverdance's "Lord of the Dance" show. Each song and dance described is an actual song and dance. The links are links to the songs on youtube.)

This is in the Time of Before. In that time, every one had a song and a dance that they sang. They would join songs and make new songs. But to kill someone’s song/dance, or to killdance, was the most terrible thing that someone could ever do. We go to the Time.

  All is silent. It is night, the time when doom reigns. And then…

Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. The misty voices of those that have been join the sound of the Day Bell. It is gloomy, the time in between night and day. Then, a small pixie named Kyna walks into the middle of the Glade and starts to play her flute. The world begins to awaken. The birds fly out of their nests and the animals on the ground look around as the Song of Life plays. The faeries join in the dance and then the elves do too. The dryads sing the song with all their hearts. They all awaken the sun. And then suddenly, they become expectant and the Song quiets. The Lord of the Dance is coming! He is coming to greet the day! The animals stomp, the music stops, and then… He appears! He leaps and twirls about them all. He amazes the world! The music joins and the faeries leap and twirl around him. The dryads start to sing again. The pixies play their flutes as the new day begins. All are dancing and singing now. This dance is the Dance of Life that flows in their veins. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQDFNYv1YaE

   And as suddenly as it all started, it stops, for there in front of them is the goddess, Erin. Her long beautiful red hair shone in the new morning sun. Her forest green dress and cloak where made of the most wonderful cloth and didn’t get dirty, even when she brushed against the branches and bushes. She was beautiful. All the creatures of the Glade gasped in awe. She greeted them all with a beautiful song of sadness and hope, of lost and found love. She awed them as her song continued. Some of the elves accompanied her on their harps. Her song fades, growing softer and softer, and then she is gone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb5QKUYRLMU

  All the creatures in the Glade scatter. The Glade is empty for a long while, or perhaps it was only a short time. Then, a young faerie steps into the glade and begins the faerie song. She sings and dances the fragile sounding song. She did little hops and skips on tip toe, never losing her balance, never missing her footing. More faeries join her. Each dance is different, yet the same. They twirl and seem to float above the Glade.

  Without a signal, all the faeries dance into a tight circle, and then dance out again. There, where the center of the circle had been, stood Birkita, Queen of the faeries. Her golden hair flowed as she hopped and flowed in the dance of the faerie. The others hummed the song as she danced. Then they danced into a circle again and then danced out and the Queen was gone. The faeries hummed and danced, swaying back and forth. All the different movements were so beautiful, and though they all did their own dance, they all went together perfectly. And then they all vanished to the forests, still humming and dancing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhGhYYiypI0

  Suddenly the air grew cold and the whole Glade felt an oncoming horror. And there, in the middle of the Glade, appeared Sheridan. He was the same type of creature and the Lord of the Dance, but as he dances, he shows his temper and rage and displeasure. His dance is cruel and vicious. His dance starts to summon all the evil creatures that were banished from the Glade. Goblins and Ratmen, Werewolves and Minotaur. Sheridan’s song and dance tells them how he hates the Lord of the Dance and wants to defeat him so he can be the Lord of the Dance. The dance gets crueler and more horrible by the second. All the evil creatures start to mimic the dance and song and soon all are doing the awful thing. Their goal is clear: To killdance the Lord of the Dance. They all work themselves into a frenzy and then suddenly all are gone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI7SCmBIpkg

  The Glade begins to warm up again. But no one in the forest dares to go dance in the Glade. Then a song is heard, a song that is almost never heard. It is the song of Edana, the gypsy. Gypsies are neither pixie, nor elv, nor faerie. They are simply Gypsy.

  Edanas’ song is like the faeries but has hints of Sheridan’s dance in it. The Gypsy’s moves are flowing but also a bit stiff at the same time. She sings her song with life and energy as she prances about the Glade. She wants to capture someone’s heart with her song and dance. She is very beautiful but has a hint of darkness about her. She finishes dancing her song and leaves the Glade. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03rx2S6TVo4

  Kyna the pixie saw both Sheridan and the Gypsy. She takes out her flute and plays the Song of Life but in a softer, gentler tune. Her song calls for help from all the creatures of the Glade. Nothing seems to happen but then suddenly the faeries appear and join the dance, saying they’ll help. Then the sweet pixie/faerie song is joined by the lower, yet good sound of the elves. They all dance together to unite against the evil ones. The animals join too and soon the Song of Life has almost all the elements to complete it.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEjclME_BM4

   It ends though, because Kyna started to play the Lord of the Dance’s song. This meant that he would come soon. Queen Birkita starts the dance with light, faerie movements as the elves join Kyna’s flute music. The rest of the faeries join the dance and the dryads sing. They hear him. The animals stomp, the music stops, and suddenly, the Lord of the Dance is among them, dancing and singing away as he calls them all to join him. They all do and the Song of Life is sung and danced by all. The music gets faster and faster. And then it ends. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By4NUxd6z3s

  They all scatter into the forests as the old, bent form of Kieran the Seer hobbles into the Glade. He cried out to the disappearing woodlanders, asking them to listen to his sad, lonely song of prophecy. He wept as he sang of things that had been, and things that were to come. His song grew quieter and quieter and he and his song faded away as the sun began to set. (Note: This song was only on the CD, so there's no link)

At this time of day, the Elves and faeries meet in a dancing feast. They all danced the sun as he died and danced the moon as she awakened. It was a hot night but no one noticed. They danced of battles that had been and of adventures and of times of evil and how heroes had saved the day. And then with one voice they sang the last note and faded away. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKlk2Jt0_kQ

  A small young faerie named Rhoswen appears in the Glade. She didn’t dance with the rest of the faeries at the feast. She hadn’t dance with them for a long time, for she had vowed to never dance again. She sat on a rock ledge that no one would come near. It was her rock ledge. Her mournful song floated on the night breeze. She sang of sorrow, for her lost elven lover, who had been killed the night before their wedding. In a faerie/elv wedding, the elves sing and the faeries dance. When Rhoswen’s lover died, she vowed to never dance until her lover was avenged. But that would probably never happen, for Sheridan had killed her lover.

  Rhoswen wept as she sang of her sorrow, her loneliness, and how she wanted to join her lover. She sang of her anger at Sheridan. Her long black hair was soaked with her tears. Finally, her song faded into nothingness, and she went back to the forest. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XKgVQ-MznM

  After the Dancing feast, there came a break while all the faeries and elves cooled off and ate some food. Then, after Rhoswen left, there came the dance of Lovers. This dance was quick and exciting. All those faeries and Elves who either were married or were going to be married soon danced this song. The faeries sang as they danced and leapt with their elven partners. They twirled and swung and the elves threw the faeries into the air and then caught them. They danced in a circle and then danced in partners and then in a twirling circle again. All were happy and having the time of their lives as the moon reached the top of the sky and the song ended. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8SeuZHMlUQ

  Queen Birkita stayed for her own special dance with the Lord of the Dance. All the others left to the forests. The queen started the dance. She leapt about in faerie fashion, twirling and singing her song. She stopped by the Lord of the Dance and they danced together, dancing on their toes and leaping at the moon. They smiled as they sang and danced together.

  They stopped and were about to kiss when suddenly the Gypsy’s song interrupted them. Edana pranced over to the Lord of the Dance and danced around him. After awhile she realized he wouldn’t dance with her and got very angry. Her song turned bitter and then bitter sweet with revenge as she called to Sheridan. The Lord of the Dance told Birkita to flee. She ran to the forests. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIpSX1JmCLY

  Sheridan’s men surrounded the Lord of the Dance. They kicked him as he struggled to get away. They’re dance was harsh. They brought him up to a small hill in the Glade where Sheridan was waiting. He took the lords Dance belt and slapped in the face. Then he started the most awful dance there ever was. They Lord of the Dance fell closer into the ground as Sheridan’s dance got faster and faster. The Lord of the Dance vanished in a puff of black smoke. Those that have been moaned and screeched. Sheridan put on the belt and danced and evil dance of joy. The moon died.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH_UA4hutTA

   Suddenly, as the sun awakened, the Lord of the Dance appeared, stronger than ever! Sheridan was quickly vanquished and his followers fled in terror. The Lord of the Dance put his Dance belt back on and DANCED! This dance was different from all the others. This was a victory dance. The elves, the faeries, the pixies, the dryads and the animals danced and sang with all their might. Erin the goddess appeared and sang as well. Even Rhoswen danced and sang, for her lover had been avenged. The joy that radiated from the Glade was amazing. It was a new morning.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs-Yh-v29QU

End