Céilidh Totally Explained

Everything about C Ilidh totally explained

A céilidh (pronounced /ˈkʲʰeːlʲiː/) (in modern usage) is a traditional Gaelic social dance in Ireland, Scotland and Atlantic Canada. Other spellings encountered are ceilidh, céilí (Irish reformed spelling) and cèilidh (Scottish Gaelic reformed spelling). Before discos and nightclubs, there were Céilidhs in most town and village halls on Friday or Saturday nights; they're still common today. The feminine first name, Kailey, is derived from this word.

History

Originally, a ceilidh was a social gathering of any sort, and didn't necessarily involve dancing.

The 'ceilidh' is a literary entertainment where stories and tales, poems and ballads, are rehearsed and recited, and songs are sung, conundrums are put, proverbs are quoted, and many other literary matters are related and discussed.

The ceilidh of the Western Hebrides corresponds to the veillée of Lower Brittany […], and to similar story-telling festivals which formerly flourished among all the Celtic peoples.

In more recent decades, the dancing portion of the event has usurped the older meanings of the term.

Modern ceilidhs

Céilidhs facilitated courting and prospects of marriage for young people and, although discos and nightclubs have displaced céilidhs to a considerable extent, they're still an important and popular social outlet in rural parts of Ireland and Scotland, especially in the Gaelic-speaking west coast regions. Céilidhs are sometimes held on a smaller scale in private or public houses, for example in remote rural hinterlands and during busy festivals. It is common for some clubs and institutions such as sports clubs, schools and universities and even employers to arrange céilidhs on a regular or at least annual basis. The formality of these can vary. Some mix modern pop music with a Scottish country dancing band and dress codes range from compulsory highland dress to informal. Knowledge and use of the basic dance steps isn't always strictly necessary, and dances often alternate with songs, poetry recitals, story telling and other types of "party pieces".
   Céilidh music may be provided by an assortment of fiddle, flute, tin whistle, accordion, bodhrán, and in more recent times also drums and electric bass guitar. The music is cheerful and lively, and the basic steps can be learned easily; a short instructional session is often provided for new dancers before the start of the dance itself.
   The general format of céilidh dancing is the "Set". A Set consists of four couples, with each pair of couples facing another in a square or rectangular formation. Each couple exchanges position with the facing couple, and also facing couples exchange partners, while all the time keeping in step with the beat of the music.
   However, about half of the dances in the modern Scots céilidh are couple dances performed in a ring. These can be performed by fixed couples or in the more sociable "progressive" manner, with the lady moving to the next gentleman in the ring at or near the end of each repetition of the steps.
   There is also a form of dancing in Ireland: e. g. the "Siege of Ennis", "The Walls of Limerick" and "The Stack of Barley" being the most popular dances in this genre. Some of the céilidh dance formations are named after famous historical battles and events, others after items of daily rural life, as the last three examples show. Step dancing is another form of dancing often performed at céilidhs, the form that was popularised in the 1990s by the world-famous Riverdance ensemble. Whereas Set dancing involves all present, whatever their skill, Step dancing is usually reserved for show, being performed only by the most talented of dancers.
   The céilidh has been internationalised by the Scottish and Irish diasporas in Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand, where local céilidhs and traditional music competitions are held. In recent years, céilidh and traditional music competitions have been frequently won by descendants of emigrants.

Modern Scottish céilidh

Between 1997 and 2001 the Scottish céilidh grew in popularity again amongst youths. Since then a subculture in some Scottish cities has evolved where some people attend céilidhs on a regular basis and at the céilidh they find out from the other dancers when and where the next céilidh will be.
   Privately organised céilidhs are now extremely common, where bands are hired, usually for evening entertainment for a wedding, birthday party or other celebratory event. These bands vary in size, although are commonly made up of between 2 and 6 players. The appeal of the Scottish céilidh is by no means limited to the younger generation, and dances vary in speed and complexity in order to accommodate most age groups and levels of ability.
   Public céilidhs are also held. Universities in Scotland hold regular célidhs, with the University of Edinburgh providing a number of ones for students throughout each term.
   Some céilidh bands intersperse céilidh dancing with a DJ playing disco music in order to broaden the appeal of the evening's entertainment.
   Modern céilidh dancing is a mixture of three things, all done to a less exacting standard than the groups of people who originally devised them.

English Ceilidh

What is now called English Ceilidh (sometimes abbreviated to eCeilidh) has many things in common with the Scottish/Irish social dance traditions and can be considered part of English Country Dance and thus related to Contra, which often has a similar high-energy feel. The dance figures are similar but tunes used tend to be slower and accentuate the beat, so dancers will often use a skip, step hop or rant step (hop on left twice, step on right, hop on right twice, step on left) rather than the smoother motion seen in Ireland and Scotland, or the walking in Contra. There is often a 'spot' halfway through the evening to give the band a rest, often involving the local Morris side. Like barn dances, English Ceilidhs always use a caller who calls the dance figures the dancers need to make. Almost all the dances involve couples staying together for the whole dance, though people often change partners after every one or two dances; if you stick with someone for more than three, it's often assumed you're emotionally involved with them.
At English Ceilidh events you'll find bands making the most of the English tradition (Old Swan Band for example) but also many bands picking up strong influences from other forms of music, for example ska for Whapweasel, French traditional for Token Women, Welsh traditional for Twm Twp, Jazz for Chalktown, Funk Fusion for Ceilidhography, Rock for Peeping Tom and Tickled Pink, West African and Indian for Boka Halat and self-penned material for Climax Ceilidh Band.

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