Walsh 1718
Sharp 1916
Longways for as many as will, improper
Recordings: king_of_poland-063_bn6atb-07.mp3.zip(danceable)
king_of_poland-fast-074-bnntcap-08.mp3.zip(fast)
king_of_poland--014.mp3.zip (moderate)

   A    8  Turn neighbors 1 1/2 times.
        4  Partners change places (right)
        4  Partners half turn right
   B1   4  First couple lead up while second cast
        8  3 changes of circular hey (begin with partner)
   B2   8  First couple half-figure-eight up
        4  First couple half turn

Bare Necessities has two recordings of the music for this dance. One is VERY fast. Peter Barnes, when asked why it was so fast, responded “We were younger then.” However, even the recording on the “At the Ball” CD is quite brisk. There is an older recording from the English Dance Master LP which has a good pace. However, King of Poland is one of the more tricky dances in the repertoire. It has quite simple figures, but they allow no time for recovery from delays.

A minor relaxation of the usual “lady goes first” convention for the half-figure-eight near the end of the dance helps. If the man goes first, the figure is easier to execute in a tidy way. Otherwise the lady has to do a very quick change of direction as she completes the circular hey. If the man goes first, he need only make a left turn into the 1/2 figure of eight, while the lady can make a turn single R into the 1/2 figure eight after he has passed. This makes for a smoother flow and less rushing. (JN 20130223)

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkd5hUDTJBI&t=51s
History: https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:King_of_Poland_(The)

Title honored the achievement of King Jan Ill Sobieski (1629-1696), the elective monarch of Poland and Lithuania, who in 1683 repelled the army of the Ottoman Turks from the walls of Vienna, for which he was hailed as the savior of Europe. Widespread gratitude, and even the naming of a constellation for his signature shield, did not dissuade one French diplomat from remarking, “He is a perfect oval which from a distance looks like a very large egg stood on the small end”

A1  Two hand switch with neighbour
    Cross with partner
A2  Two hand switch with partner
    2s cast as 1s lead up
B1  Three changes of R and L, starting with partner
B2  1s half figure 8 up
    1s two hand switch partner