A Series Of Unfortunate Events....

...unfolded at Brooklyn's Viking Day demo with all the subtlety of an "I Love Lucy" episode:

Before D-day:  Demo organizer comissions dancemaster1 to teach a dance on the event's Main Stage.   Item duly placed on event schedule.

Day of demo:   dancemaster1 is not there.    However, dancemaster2 innocently shows up to work his demo for his other SCA passion, which is not dancing and does not involve music or sound equipment of any kind.

Later that same Day of demo:   Viking Day event organizer honcho innocently approaches SCA enclave ISO "the person who's going to be doing the medieval dance".     Semi-exhausted but helpful SCAdian innocently replies,  "The only dancemaster I know of is him (points to dancemaster2 who is facing the other way).

Slightly later:  Event organizer innocently approaches dancemaster2 to let him know his dance demo is coming up Real Soon Now.      Dancemaster2 allows for a brief moment of silence (shock?    disgust?   ire? We'll never know..), then starts to troll for "resources"   (dancers, music, exhibitionists absent any other tangible assets, etc.).      Between us all, we have: 

three experienced dancers, (one of whom hasn't done Branle Montarde before)

four alleged instruments (zills, "leper castanets", an ocarina and a kazoo), all  of which belong to the other two dancers and dancemaster2.  

a small but dedicated group of exhibitionists eager to learn a new dance.    Instruction will also serve as demo for the audience because---

WE'RE ON!!!!!!!!!!

Instrument owner-cum-dancers realize immediately that their services are most required to provide rhythm and melody of some description (castanets and ocarina--did I mention the ocarina player just started playing the ocarina and had never played Branle Montarde?).     Dancers and dancemaster2 had fun.    Audience volunteers (from the School for Exceptional Children) had fun.    Audience had LOTS of fun--especially when it became obvious that the notion of leading the dancers in any kind of circular pattern was Expecting Too Much.  

"Exit.    Stage Left".

Dancemaster2 and pit orchestra retire in triumph relief to the demo tables.

Fin.      

There was a lot more fun stuff, but I lack the vocabulary to do justice to the sight of the Viceregal couple wearing matching Brunhilde Viking hats, complete with blonde braids....