Swing Your Partners

Derek Kingscote, Barn Dance and Ceilidh Caller

A Brief Guide to Organising a Barn Dance/Ceilidh

Introduction

Venues

Organising a Barn Dance

- some things to consider -

What is a Barn Dance

Chambers dictionary states: "a kind of party at which there is music and country dancing, originally held in a barn". The country dancing indicated here uses dances mostly from within and around the British Isles and you may be familiar with terminology such as do-si-do, right hand star and swing your partners etc.

What are your aims for holding a Barn Dance

A social event
A party
An evening party on your wedding day
For fund raising – including novel and fun ways to raise extra money
A ceilidh – an evening of dancing and singing
A dance for dancers

What are the benefits of a Barn Dance

A brilliant way for people to have fun, socialise and meet others
It is suitable for all ages
You don’t necessarily need experience, the caller will walk you through the dance before the music starts
You don’t necessarily need to bring a partner with you
The music is not loud or noisy – unless you want it to be
The evening can be structured with rests or it can be non-stop dancing if that is what you prefer
I can give help and advice concerning almost everything to ensure your event is a success (the "almost" exception is the people – your guests/customers – you will need to supply those !!!)
I can advise you concerning arrangements on the night, and also provide hints and tips to help ensure a successful evening

What to wear

Your guests may ask you what they should wear for dancing. Something casual and loose fitting is best and flat comfortable shoes will enable them to participate fully. For the ladies, dancing in high heels is an acquired and special skill and is not recommended.

You may want to organise a theme evening if your aim is fund raising or if the event is a party.

A special note here for the Bride : your bridal gown is special and you may want to wear it for the whole day. However, it is difficult to join in the dancing if you have a dress that is very full or one that has a long train.

At one wedding, I was very impressed by the bride who wore her dress for the first hour and a half in the evening to show her friends. She then went off and changed into jeans and got down to some truly serious dancing!

Be sure to book early to avoid disappointment.