Knees Up!

Barn dancing (also known as English ceilidh) is a riotous and eclectic variation on English community dancing that's very new in the United States. In fact, the English ceilidh series run by the Bay Area Country Dance Society is the only all-ceilidh dance series in the US, as far as we know.

In England, a barn dance is a big event, where you may have hundreds of dancers turn up in an evening, younger and older adults and even some children. English ceilidh dances are sometimes held in pubs, which explains why the dances are simple enough for many kids and for someone who might have had a beer or two. (Note: Drinking is not required.) Basically, if you can tell your left from the right most of the time without too much prompting, and if you're willing to follow the caller's directions when he or she teaches the dance, then you can probably enjoy an English ceilidh dance. Previous dance experience isn't required either. You don't have to bring a partner; dancers usually switch partners throughout the evening.

English ceilidh bands use a mix of traditional and recent tunes and variety of styles, with threads of rock among the folk -- at the very least, there's a good strong dance beat. As far as dance styles go, ceilidh is bouncier than contra dancing, though you might find an occasional polka or a waltz. Ceilidh dances often involve skipping or a couple of other very simple steps. If you're already a dance caller, think "Community Dance Manual".

There are several different kinds of ceilidh in the British Isles. In Ireland, they spell it "ceili", and you'll encounter Irish set dances or Irish-style stepping. The Scots, who originated the term "ceilidh", offer more Scottish steps -- however you spell it, or whatever you call it, the community feeling of the evening is much the same.

To find out more about English ceilidh in general, you can check these pages at Webfeet. To find out more about this BACDS ceilidh dance in Oakland, California, read here for the lowdown on the next dance or email the series programmer here.