First let's briefly explain the difference between a Barn Dance and a Ceilidh, it's pronounced Kay-lee.
The dances tend be very similar but there is usually a bit more expertise and energy shown at a Ceilidh than
a Barn Dance. A Ceilidh is defined as a social event, usually Celtic, which incorporates singing, dancing and
story telling. In the UK we've sort of comandeered the name to describe an energetic Barn Dance.
If you've never been to a barn dance then the following description will help. The whole evening is run
by the caller. He or she will choose a dance suitable for the ability of the dancers and then teach it to them
by walking through each of the figures of the dance and explaining, sometimes with demonstrations, how it all
fits together. After a couple of walk throughs the band will play the music and the caller will call each of the
figures to remind the dancers what they should be doing at that point in the music.
It's generally accepted, especially when there are lots of beginners, that there will be mistakes and much
hilarity as people go the wrong way, miss out a bit, do the same bit twice. A really good caller will somehow
keep this mayhem under control and usually, after a few times through the dance, most people get the hang of it and everybody
has a great time.
After a suitable pause the caller will introduce the dancers to another dance and the evening progresses in that way.
You're Going To Need A Hall
If you're organising a dance you will need a venue. Try and avoid dusty old barns, yes I know they are called
Barn Dances but they only danced in Barns before they built Village Halls and similar social spaces.
If you are visiting a hall to see if it's suitable, stand in the middle and clap your hands and listen for an echo.
If there is a noticeable one, take note of how hard it is to talk to someone in the hall. Echoey halls can be a nightmare,
beware of those with a vaulted (barrel) ceilings and a hall where even though you're within a foot or two of someone else
you seem to have to shout to make yourself heard. Fortunately there are fewer of them every year as managers invest in
acoustic tiles and curtains, which damp things down.
It's good to have a stage for the band. You can see them and they can see you dancing. If the band sits on the
floor all they see is bums and knees going past all evening and sometimes the dancers get tangled up with the band,
which can be painful. A stage also helps to get speakers up in the air and the sound quality improves as a result.
It's also good to have a plain floor, we have played in many rooms with carpets and it does work but it's better
without. You also need quite a bit of space, more than you do for a disco. As a quick guide a hall with a badminton court
painted on the floor will just about accomodate 80-90 dancers without tables round the side. Most village halls work well.
Weddings have rules of their own however and you are often at the mercy of what a Hotel is prepared to offer you.
One Of Our Favourite Halls
