Scottish ceilidh in Edinburgh
A ceilidh is a traditional Scottish night. Originally ceilidhs were informal social gatherings in people’s homes. Families, friends and neighbours gathered together and shared music, singing, dancing, poetry and storytelling.
More recently, the word is used to describe a night based on Scottish traditional dancing. In Scotland, ceilidhs can happen at festivals, or may be organised as fundraising events. Ceilidh dancing is also a common way to celebrate family events such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries etc. Ceilidhs occur across the country, form the smallest village hall, to large venues in the city. Ceilidhs are often family friendly events, with people of all ages able to either join in the dancing. It’s not uncommon to see several generations enjoying dancing together.
Generally there will be a live band playing for dancing. The band often also includes a ‘caller’ who will give the dancers instructions for the dances. Common dances include the Gay Gordons, Dashing White Sergeant, and Strip the Willow. Instructions for many of the dances can be found online.
There are many ceilidh dance bands in Scotland. Many have websites where you can listen to samples of the band’s music.
Other forms of traditional dance include Scottish country dancing, and Highland dancing. Both of these are much more formal than ceilidh dancing. They are often seen in competitions, and Highland games events etc