Special birthday parties are wonderful. You’ve got your family and friends all lined up to come along. You’ve booked a nice hall in your local village or town. Your friends are helping out with the catering, so there will be lots of yummy food and drinks to put all the children and adults alike in a great mood.
Now comes the question of dance music! What sort of dance music should you have to suit all ages and generations? What music will get everyone up and happily dancing, from 5 year old children to granny and grandad?
Well, why not consider a ceilidh or barn dance? English country dancing can be the ideal solution for your 21st, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th or whatever birthday party!
Here’s why! Country dancing is incredibly social. Most of the dancing is done in groups which can be made up of almost any number of people and mixture of ages.
Country dancing is also incredibly easy to do and no previous experience is needed. The dance steps are for each individual to decide. They can walk, skip or gallop as they like. Energetic teenagers are therefore happy and so are the less ambulant older generations!
And, here’s perhaps the best bit! No previous knowledge is required because English country dancing has a dance caller who leads the dancers through the dance beforehand and then keep calling the moves for as long as needed during the dance. Your family and friends can come with a partner or find one on the dance floor. The dance caller will help with that too in a way that everyone finds welcoming.
Dance callers are a bit like MCs and are experts at ensuring everyone joins in with the fun and has a good time. This can take quite a bit of pressure off you and allow you to enjoy the party yourself. Quite likely they will have a good line in banter too. It’s all about entertainment.
So, what exactly is this dancing like? Well, for example, the Circassian circle is a dance that often begins and ends an English country dancing birthday party. The dancers, among other moves, form a massive circle around the room and take it in turns to gallop into the centre and whoop! It’s a bit silly but lots of fun, (a bit like the Hokey Cokey!) Sometimes the birthday person can be in the middle of the circle too…well you are special! There is usually lots of giggling and laughter. So much that the band can hardly hear themselves playing sometimes even with the benefit of up to date amplification. It doesn’t matter because it’s all about having fun!
Other dances are made up of lines facing each other, for example, the country dance called Galopede. The lines take it in turns to advance and retreat in time to the music, often with a ‘hello’ in the middle. It’s quite a good dance to start with as it introduces everyone.
There are loads more dances and the dance caller will choose the ones to suit the moment and those present.
Lastly, but of course not least, the music! Country dance music is very bouncy and has been getting people on the dance floor for centuries. Fiddles, guitars, accordions and wind instruments are all generally involved making a great musical atmosphere that no single generation owns so is great for everyone’s enjoyment.
Here’s an example video (warning flashing lights, provided by the host).
Intrigued? We hope so! If you are now thinking of holding a ceilidh barn dance and you are local to Somerset or Devon, Judy, our Barnbuskers Ceilidh Dance Band leader and organiser, would love to hear from you to discuss arrangements and our availability. Simply visit our Barnbuskers contact page. We look forward to hearing from you and sharing the fun of country dancing at your very special birthday party.
Barnbuskers 