DRUM SHOP AT KCRF 2008 -- 0:50 Faire patrons at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival 2008 had the opportunity to drop by the drum shop near the Main Gate, sit down and bang on any one of many different types of drums. What they might have lacked in talent was certainly made up for by enthusiasm -- and sometimes it wasn't really half bad.

COURTLY DANCING AT KCRF 2008 -- 0:48 The Royals of the Kansas City Renaissance Festival and members of Their Court enjoy a stately dance at the site of the KCRF Maypole during "Beauty and the Beast" weekend, 2008. Unbeknownst to them, a pair of faeries off to one side of the musicians were trying to imitate the various moves of the human dancers -- much to the faeries' own amusement!

FAERIES' MAYPOLE DANCE AT KCRF 2008 -- 0:52 The Dubagee Bards provide the music for the faeries of KCRF 2008 during their Maypole dance at the beginning of the faire day at Canturbury Village.

FAERIE TWIRLERS AT KCRF 2008 -- 01:31 The youngest Fae at KCRF danced and played with colorful streamers, first around the Maypole without music then later twirled in time to the musicians playing for the Royal Court.

GYPSY DANCERS AT KCRF 2008 -- 02:33 One of the more unusual faire performances at KCRF 2008 was the Gypsy Dancers. High-spirited and high energy, they truly delighted the crowd both young and old alike. This clip highlights two of their dances -- The "drama" or "Emo" dance, and the Dance of Staves -- with the finale from an earlier number taken at the opposite end of the Maypole area.

SONIC SIDHE: PRACTICE AT KCRF 2008 -- 01:06 "The Sonic Sidhe Tribe encompasses two overlapping groups of performers. The full Tribe consists of tribal drums, guitars, a melody instrument, and singers, with occasional fire performers. For Renaissance Festivals the Tribe is pared down to tribal drums, a melody instrument, and fire performers." -- Sonic Sidhe MySpace website. In this clip taken at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival in 2008, the male firespinner dances with unlit nunchuck-like torches while the drummers lay down a heavy tribal rhythm behind him.

SONIC SIDHE: DRUMS AND FIRE AT KCRF 2008 -- 03:12 While the drummers of Sonic Sidhe play in the background, the firespinners of the Tribe awe the crowd during a performance at the Kansas Renaissance Festival 2008. According to their MySpace website: "the Sonic Sidhe Tribe encompasses two overlapping groups of performers. The full Tribe consists of tribal drums, guitars, a melody instrument, and singers, with occasional fire performers. For Renaissance Festivals the Tribe is pared down to tribal drums, a melody instrument, and fire performers."