As a social event , dance is an event whose primary goal and activity is dancing of all its participants.
48-538: A cèilidh ( / ˈ k eɪ l i / KAY -lee , Scottish Gaelic: [ˈkʲʰeːlɪ] ) or céilí ( Irish: [ˈceːlʲiː] ) is a traditional Scottish and Irish social gathering. In its most basic form, it simply means a social visit. In contemporary usage, it usually involves dancing and playing Gaelic folk music , either at a home or a larger concert at a social hall or other community gathering place. Cèilidhean (plural of cèilidh ) and céilithe (plural of céilí ) originated in
96-515: A cèilidh . Cèilidhean are common fundraising and social events for many societies at the University of Glasgow. Some cèilidh bands intersperse cèilidh dancing with a DJ playing disco music to broaden the appeal of the evening's entertainment. The resurgence in the popularity of the céilí over the last 20 years or so in Northern Ireland has been assisted in no small way by
144-403: A bowed string musical instrument , most often a violin . It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music . Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, the style of the music played may determine specific construction differences between fiddles and classical violins. For example, fiddles may optionally be set up with
192-478: A bridge with a flatter arch to reduce the range of bow-arm motion needed for techniques such as the double shuffle, a form of bariolage involving rapid alternation between pairs of adjacent strings. To produce a "brighter" tone than the deep tones of gut or synthetic core strings, fiddlers often use steel strings. The fiddle is part of many traditional ( folk ) styles, which are typically aural traditions —taught " by ear " rather than via written music. Fiddling
240-539: A good understanding of the mechanics of the tunes and a deep knowledge of regional dances from the UK and beyond. They will confer with the band about what type of tune to play for the dance. This aids the selection of the right dance for the right audience. This skill is so sought after in the south of England that there are callers who are famous in their own right. However, many bands have their own caller, often also an instrumentalist; some have two. During an English ceilidh there
288-470: A progressive style. At the end of one whole iteration of the dance (lead around and body), instead of stopping, the groups move on to the next set of partners in the line. Céilí dances that can be performed progressively are: walls of Limerick, siege of Ennis, haymaker's jig, and fairy reel. When there is a large social gathering, there will often be a caller for the dance, though it is a very different style from square-dancing caller. A céilí caller
336-672: 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 is not always strictly necessary, and dances often alternate with songs, poetry recitals, storytelling and other types of "party pieces". Cèilidh music may be provided by an assortment of instruments including fiddle , flute , tin whistle , accordion , bodhrán (frame-drum), hammered dulcimer , and in more recent times also drums, guitar, mandolin, bouzouki , Scottish smallpipes , and electric bass guitar. The music
384-564: 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. In Ireland, the similar style of dance is called céilí dance or fíor ('true') céilí dance. Some of the dances are named after famous regiments, historical battles, and events, others after items of daily rural life. The " gay Gordons ", "siege of Ennis", "walls of Limerick", and "stack of barley" are popular dances in this genre. Step dancing
432-491: A solo fiddler, or one or two with a group of other instrumentalists, is the norm, though twin fiddling is represented in some North American, Scandinavian, Scottish and Irish styles. Following the folk revivals of the second half of the 20th century, it became common for less formal situations to find large groups of fiddlers playing together—see for example the Calgary Fiddlers, Swedish Spelmanslag folk-musician clubs, and
480-569: A sub-event of a broader event, such as wedding or bar mizvah . In his book The Singing Neanderthals: The Origins of Music, Language, Mind, and Body , Steven J. Mithen writes: "In many societies today dancing is used as a form of display for attracting mate... Dancing is a means to show off one's physical fitness and co-ordination, qualities that would have been useful for survival in prehistoric hunter-gatherer societies." Mithen argues dance and music likely became an important tool of social interaction as soon as humans could walk and talk. Dances of
528-504: A three-stringed variant of the viola —known as the kontra —and by double bass , with cimbalom and clarinet being less standard yet still common additions to a band. In Hungary, a three-stringed viola variant with a flat bridge, called the kontra or háromhúros brácsa makes up part of a traditional rhythm section in Hungarian folk music. The flat bridge lets the musician play three-string chords. A three-stringed double bass variant
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#1733093728600576-551: 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 On long, dark winter nights it
624-456: Is also used. To a greater extent than classical violin playing, fiddle playing is characterized by a huge variety of ethnic or folk music traditions, each of which has its own distinctive sound. American fiddling , a broad category including traditional and modern styles Fiddling remains popular in Canada , and the various homegrown styles of Canadian fiddling are seen as an important part of
672-932: Is another form of dancing often performed at céilithe , the form that was popularised in the 1990s by the 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 cèilidh has been internationalised by the Scottish and Irish diasporas in Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand , where local cèilidhean and traditional music competitions are held. In recent years, cèilidh and traditional music competitions have been frequently won by descendants of emigrants. It bears mention that cèilidhean are common throughout Nova Scotia. The tradition and
720-605: Is cheerful and lively, consisting in Ireland mainly of jigs, reels , hornpipes, polkas, slip-jigs, and waltzes, with Scotland adding strathspeys , and England adding regional forms such as the northeastern rant. The basic steps can be learned easily; a short instructional session is often provided for new dancers before the start of the dance itself. In Ireland, the first céilí band was put together in 1926 by Séamus Clandillon, Radio Éireann's director of music, to have dance music for his studio-based programmes. Dancing at cèilidhean
768-583: Is derived from the Old Irish céle (singular) meaning 'companion'. It later became céilidh and céilidhe , which means 'visit' in Gaelic . In Scottish Gaelic reformed spelling it is spelt cèilidh (plural cèilidhean ) and in Irish reformed spelling as céilí (plural céilithe ). Originally, a cèilidh was a social gathering of any sort, and did not necessarily involve dancing: The 'ceilidh'
816-544: Is often an interval involving the talents of local Morris or rapper side; this also serves to give bands with older members a rest. It is possible to see many diverse and regionally distinct acts at a modern English ceilidh. Acts range from the most traditional, like the Old Swan Band , to the most experimental like the electronic dance music -influenced Monster Ceilidh Band. Many other forms of music have been combined with English ceilidh music including; Irish music from
864-419: Is still the custom in small villages for friends to collect in a house and hold what they call a "ceilidh" (pronounced kay'lee). Young and old are entertained by the reciters of old poems and legendary stories which deal with ancient beliefs, the doings of traditional heroes and heroines, and so on. Some sing old and new songs set to old music or new music composed in the manner of the old. In more recent decades,
912-429: Is the act of playing the fiddle, and fiddlers are musicians who play it. Among musical styles, fiddling tends to produce rhythms that focus on dancing, with associated quick note changes, whereas classical music tends to contain more vibrato and sustained notes. Fiddling is also open to improvisation and embellishment with ornamentation at the player's discretion, in contrast to orchestral performances, which adhere to
960-463: Is usually in the form of cèilidh dances , set dances , or couples' dances. A "set" consists of four to eight 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. About half of the dances in the modern Scots cèilidh , however, are couples' dances performed in
1008-485: Is usually the teacher or most experienced dancer of the group who has the dance memorized. They then call the movements out in a non-stylized way, intended to remind those who are non-dancers when and where to move. Social céilí dances are often the easiest dances and very easy to shuffle through as a non-dancer. A caller makes sure that everyone at a social dance can participate. Embellishments are accepted and fun in social céilí dances, women adding spins or changing
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#17330937286001056-526: The cèilidh to a considerable extent, such events are still an important and popular social outlet in rural parts of Scotland and Ireland, especially in the Gaelic-speaking regions. Cèilidhean are sometimes held on a smaller scale in private or public houses , for example in remote rural areas and during busy festivals. It is common for some clubs and institutions such as sports clubs, schools and universities and even employers to arrange cèilidhs on
1104-559: The Gaelic areas of Scotland and Ireland and are consequently common in the Scottish and Irish diasporas . They are similar to the troyl traditions in Cornwall and twmpath and noson lawen events in Wales, merry neets in Cumbria and North East England , as well as English country dance throughout England which have in some areas undergone a fusion with céilithe. The term
1152-475: The Gaelic revival in the first quarter of the twentieth century and codified by the Irish Dancing Commission . There are about thirty dances that form the basis for examination of céilí dance teachers. Irish céilí is a participatory social event attended by both men and women and accompanied by live Irish traditional music. The dance emerged within cultural nationalist consciousness as during
1200-651: The University of Edinburgh providing a number for students throughout each term, especially the long-running Highland Annual, the oldest cèilidh in Edinburgh and the largest in Scotland, organised by the Highland Society ( An Comann Ceilteach ). Glasgow University Union's annual debating competition, Glasgow Ancients, traditionally ends the night with a cèilidh . The union's Christmas event, Daft Friday, also involves
1248-500: The aristocracy was an important courtly pastime as attested since at least the 14th century. The earliest known dance instruction books are dated by the 15th century and they described the dances of the high society . However, the earliest records of the dancing of ordinary folk date by the end of the 16th century. In 18th and 19th centuries group dances dominated ballrooms, especially the quadrille . In early 1900s dance and etiquette manuals paid attention to ceremonial details of
1296-401: The ballroom. Rules and rituals were established, including the correct ways of issuing party invitations and giving parties and balls, asking a partner to dance, appropriate conversation while dancing a quadrille, and wearing the latest ballroom fashions. A number of types of social dance events can be distinguished. Classified by the type of dance involved: Fiddle A fiddle is
1344-636: The 11th and 12th centuries European writers use the terms fiddle and lira interchangeably when referring to bowed instruments. West African fiddlers have accompanied singing and dancing with one-string gourd fiddles since the twelfth century, and many black musicians in America learned on similar homemade fiddles before switching over to the European violin. As early as the mid-1600s, black fiddlers ("exquisite performers on three-stringed fiddles") were playing for both black and white dancers at street celebrations in
1392-607: The Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam (New York City), and by 1690 slave fiddlers were routinely providing the music at plantation balls in Virginia. The etymology of fiddle is uncertain: it probably derives from the Latin fidula , which is the early word for violin , or it may be natively Germanic. The name appears to be related to Icelandic fiðla and also Old English fiðele . A native Germanic ancestor of fiddle might even be
1440-582: The Scottish cèilidh is by no means limited to the younger generation, and dances vary in speed and complexity to accommodate most age groups and levels of ability. Most private schools in Scotland will also hold cèilidhean on a fairly regular basis. Public cèilidhean are also held, attracting paying participants, often held at dance clubs ; and the annual Ceilidh Culture festival in Edinburgh. Universities in Scotland hold regular cèilidhean , with
1488-473: The Scottish and Irish social dance traditions. The dance figures are similar using couples' dances, square sets, long sets, and circle dances. However, the English style requires a slower tempo of tune accentuating the on-beat, the central instrument often being the English melodeon , a diatonic accordion in the keys of D and G. Dancers often use a skip, a step-hop or rant step depending on region. This contrasts with
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1536-401: The actual music and dancing. Novices are usually among the participants, so a "dance caller" may teach the steps before music begins for each dance. The more versatile bands will demonstrate the dances too. Scottish primary schools frequently teach some Scottish country dancing , often around Christmas time. Bands vary in size but are commonly made up of between two and six players. The appeal of
1584-433: The ancestor of the early Romance form of violin . In medieval times, fiddle also referred to a predecessor of today's violin. Like the violin, it tended to have four strings, but came in a variety of shapes and sizes. Another family of instruments that contributed to the development of the modern fiddle are the viols , which are held between the legs and played vertically, and have fretted fingerboards. In performance,
1632-540: The band Phoenix Ceilidh Band; ska from the band Whapweasel; traditional jazz from the bands Chalktown and Florida; funk fusion from Licence to Ceilidh, Ceilidhography, and Climax Ceilidh Band, rock from the bands Peeping Tom, Aardvark Ceilidh Band, Touchstone, and Tickled Pink; West African- and Indian-influenced music from the band Boka Halattraditional; traditional French music from the band Token Women; traditional Welsh music from Twm Twp; and heavy metal from Glorystrokes. Dance (event) Dance/dancing may be
1680-607: The beat) could push their instrument harder than could a violinist. Various fiddle traditions have differing values. In the very late 20th century, a few artists successfully reconstructed the Scottish tradition of violin and "big fiddle", or cello. Notable recorded examples include Iain Fraser and Christine Hanson, Amelia Kaminski and Christine Hanson's Bonnie Lasses, Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas ' Fire and Grace, and Tim Macdonald and Jeremy Ward's The Wilds . Hungarian, Slovenian, and Romanian fiddle players are often accompanied by
1728-480: The composer's notes to reproduce a work faithfully. It is less common for a classically trained violinist to play folk music, but today, many fiddlers (e.g., Alasdair Fraser , Brittany Haas , and Alison Krauss ) have classical training. The first recorded reference to the bowed lira was in the 9th century by the Persian geographer Ibn Khurradadhbih (d. 911); in his lexicographical discussion of instruments he cited
1776-450: The dancing portion of the event has usurped the older meanings of the term, though the tradition of guests performing music, songs, storytelling, and poetry still persists in some areas. Céilithe / Cèilidhean were originally hosted by a fear-an-tigh (or, in contemporary Scottish Gaelic orthography, fear-an-taighe ), meaning 'man of the house'. The Scottish Gaelic feminine and gender-neutral equivalents are bean-an-taighe (woman of
1824-484: The direction they are facing is common, as are jig-step movements called the "rising step" or "grinding step". Céilí dances may be divided into figures, but a single type of tune is generally used for all the figures and the dancing does not pause between the figures. Unlike square dance and round dance , céilí dances are generally not called by a caller ; the flow of dance is defined by its name. Céilí dances when performed socially are often performed in
1872-539: The house) and duine-an-taighe (person of the house), respectively. The use of these or similar terms is still the form in much of Ireland and Hebridean Scotland, and at gatherings elsewhere at which either Irish or Scottish Gaelic is the predominant social language. In modern events at which English predominates, the host is usually instead referred to as simply the "host" or "master of ceremonies". The cèilidh facilitated courting and prospects of marriage for young people and, although discos and nightclubs have displaced
1920-597: The interest in céilithe amongst the younger generation and bands such as Haste to the Wedding, a céilí band. Céilí dances ( / ˈ k eɪ l i / , Irish: [ˈceːlʲiː] ) or true céilí dances ( fíor céilí ) are a popular form of folk dancing in Ireland and are part of the broader Irish dances . The Irish céilí dances are based on heys ("hedges", or pairs of facing lines), round dances, long dances, and quadrilles , generally revived during
1968-514: The late 19th and early 20th century traditions promoting nationalist agendas, and national identities were regarded as not culturally unified. Irish céilí regained its popularity in the late 19th century, when Ireland made efforts to regain its cultural and political autonomy after being colonized for over 800 years. The goal of the Gaelic League established in 1893 was to promote Irish cultural independence and de- anglicisation , which involved
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2016-638: The lira (lūrā) as a typical instrument of the Byzantines and equivalent to the rabāb played in the Islamic Empires. The medieval fiddle emerged in 10th-century Europe, deriving from the Byzantine lira ( Ancient Greek : λύρα , Latin : lira , English: lyre ), a bowed string instrument of the Byzantine Empire and ancestor of most European bowed instruments. Lira spread widely westward to Europe; in
2064-695: The remergent popularization of the Irish language, literature, and vernacular traditions, such as Irish singing and dancing. Plentiful branches of the Gaelic League giving dance, singing, music, and literature classes were established across Ireland. The style of dance employed for céilí dance differs greatly from that used for set dance , and has more the appearance associated with the style of step dance . In particular, it emphasizes height and extension, with dancers generally dancing on their toes (but not en pointe as in ballet). A movement called "side-step" or "sevens and threes" with which dancers travel sideways to
2112-426: The smoother style and more fluid motion seen in Ireland, Scotland, or (the walking) in contra. Many ceilidh dances involve a couple, but this does not limit the number of partners any one dancer has during the ceilidh. Often dancers will change partners every dance to meet new people. An important part of English ceilidhs is the "caller" who instructs the dancer in the next dance. An experienced ceilidh caller will have
2160-429: The spirit of these gatherings are carried on in most small communities of these Maritime Provinces . Privately organised cèilidhean in the 2020s are extremely common in both rural and urban Scotland, where bands are hired, usually for evening entertainment for a wedding, birthday party, celebratory or fundraising event. These may be more or less formal, and very often omit all other traditional Gaelic activity beyond
2208-508: The style of a swing based on the skill of a partner. Cèilidh in England has evolved a little differently from its counterparts elsewhere in Scotland and Ireland. English cèilidh, usually called ceilidh, without the e-grave but pronounced as it is in Scottish Gaelic, can be considered part of English country dance (and related to contra dance ). English ceilidh has many things in common with
2256-412: The worldwide phenomenon of Irish sessions . Orchestral violins, on the other hand, are commonly grouped in sections, or "chairs" . These contrasting traditions may be vestiges of historical performance settings: large concert halls where violins were played required more instruments, before electronic amplification, than did more intimate dance halls and houses that fiddlers played in. The difference
2304-424: Was likely compounded by the different sounds expected of violin music and fiddle music. Historically, the majority of fiddle music was dance music, while violin music had either grown out of dance music or was something else entirely. Violin music came to value a smoothness that fiddling, with its dance-driven clear beat, did not always follow. In situations that required greater volume, a fiddler (as long as they kept
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