Join The Brim Ceilidh Band and I for a night of merriment and music at Devoran Village Hall on 10th October.
Wonderful, upbeat Celtic music and varied, fun dances. A bar provided by the hall committee.
Doors open 19:30. Dancing from 20:00.
Tag: barndance
Summer: ceilidh season
Weddings – birthdays – garden parties – community fairs – festivals
The warmth of summer, the bright skies and long days make for a joyous season, and it is the natural time for celebrating with dancing. Since becoming a ceilidh caller I’ve attended more parties and weddings than I’d ever done before, and seen such a variety of event styling and party vibes, from smart, formal weddings in grand hotels to relaxed events in family gardens and cowsheds. All have their own special appeal.
If you fancy something that will bring all your guests together, of all ages, then a ceilidh is for you. You need space (1m2 per dancer is a good guide, and space for a minimum of 8 people to dance), a couple of electrical sockets, a band with caller and some friends and/or family.
“Thank you SO much to your incredible band! We couldn’t have asked for a better band. Everyone commented on how fun it was… one of their favourite parts. And G said you had the best caller he’d ever experienced!”
“You and The Brim were brilliant!! I’ve heard lots of really lovely comments about the music and the dancing. I realise it was probably a pretty tough gig for you given the acoustics, heat and uncontrollable members of the party, but you coped with the demands magnificently!! We’re both so happy we decided to have a ceilidh, and that you were the chosen band!!“
Summer 2025 is fairly full (weddings, parties, village halls, and a cider festival!), especially the weekends, but do get in touch if you want to book a ceilidh for your event and we’ll do our best to fit you in and make your party one to remember. Having now experienced many wedding and party ceilidhs feel free also to ask for advice, I’m happy to share what could work best for your occasion and group to have the best time.
Dance to The Brim Ceilidh Band – 16th May, Devoran Village Hall
We are excited about our upcoming ceilidh with The Brim Ceilidh Band on 16th May in the lovely Devoran Village Hall. Do come and join us. Everyone welcome!
What people said last time:
“The music was outstanding. The caller was super clear. Loved it!”
“Great crowd, great music and dance choices”
“Really friendly people. Great musicians, clear instructions. The whole event was fun and inclusive”
Doors open 19:30. Dancing from 20:00.
A bar will be run by volunteers from the Devoran Village Hall Committee and will support the village hall.
The hall has a car park and the village is served by public buses 36, 36A and U1.
A hybrid of Cornwall’s top folk musicians, The Brim Ceilidh Band specialise in providing an upbeat ceilidh / barn dance with an exciting and energetic mix of both new and traditional dances combined with an upbeat and full sound from the band. Check them out at www.brimceilidh.co.uk – accordion, fiddle and bouzouki.
No need to have any idea what ceilidh dancing is, just an enthusiasm to have some fun. Ceilidh dancing is very inclusive, suitable for everyone even those with two left feet. No experience or partner required. Kate Smith will be the caller for the evening and will show you how to do all the dances.
We want to keep our public ceilidhs affordable for everyone so you will see there are different adult tickets prices for those booking in advance. The regular price (£8.50) will cover our costs. The supporter price (£12) allows us to pay the band a modest fee. The budget price (£5) is because we don’t want you to be excluded from dancing if you would struggle to afford the regular price. Please pay as you feel you can afford. Accompanied children age 8 – 16 £3. Under 8s free, but please still book a ticket.
Do book in advance if you can to ensure you can come – there are limited tickets numbers due to venue capacity. Last time, in October, we sold out before the doors opened. If any tickets are left then we’ll have some available on the door at the set price of £12.
We very much look forward to seeing your smiling faces on the dancefloor!
Ceilidh class news: lovely friendly groups, new venues from February and a new dance, Woodland Valley Romp!
I’m sat in a patch of sunlight filtering in through the winter realising that the day has a real spring feel to it. We’ve now had a month of new ceilidh classes around Cornwall already and I’m delighted to say that time has flown by.
Our regular ceilidh classes in Penryn, St Erth, Carharrack and Ladock/Grampound Road are doing well and each group has a positive, friendly atmosphere. Our all-ages class on a Friday has also been fun and I’m happy to say we are achieving our aim of creating a multi-generational class with people from under 10 to over 80.
Thanks Kate! Had a great time and felt really enlivened for the rest of the day,. Exercise and laughter. Can’t get better than that. See you next week. 🙂
Class attendee at St Erth regular ceilidh class, January 2025.
Fancy joining us? We have spaces in all classes and welcome everyone. No experience and partner required. ‘Regular’ classes are for adults and teens welcome too (age 12+ is the recommended age but please get in touch to ask about suitability if not sure). All-ages classes are just that, suitable for all ages.
Ladock and Grampound Road Wednesday regular classes – new venues
In fact, our Ladock class has grown beyond the capacity of the space we were using so we have new venues from next week (12th February 2025) and we will be dancing some weeks at Ladock Community Hall and Grampound Road Village Hall (also called Sir Robert Harvey Memorial Hall). Both of these halls have plentiful space and good floors for dancing, so we will be able to twirl and spin to our hearts’ content.
Check the venue schedule here to be sure you go to the correct hall each week.
On this note, I would like to heartily thank Woodland Valley Farm near Ladock for supporting the development of these classes throughout January and for providing us with a beautiful converted barn to dance in. If anyone wants a good venue for a party or a special event, including with accommodation we’d recommend Woodland Valley Farm, and we look forward to popping back for a visit later in the year to learn about the exciting Beaver Project and maybe even to dance in the bigger barn once the weather warms up.
The Woodland Valley Romp
To honour our time at Woodland Valley Farm we have created a new dance and our Ladock class have tried and tested it, and given it a name: The Woodland Valley Romp. Our set of 16 people fit beautifully in the space!
8 couple longways set (line facing a line, standing opposite your partner). 32 bar jig or reel.
A part:
First corners (those with nobody standing to their right in each line) meet in the middle of the set (this takes 4 beats), turn each other with both hands (8 beats), and return to place (another 4 beats).
Second corners (those with nobody standing to their left in each line) meeting in the middle of the set (4 beats), turn each other with both bands (8 beats), and return to place (4 beats).
B part:
Stars: Couples 2 and 3, 4 and 5, 6 and 7 make right stars (turn for 8 beats), then left hand stars (8 beats).
Over their heads: The top two couples then stand in a line across the top of the set all facing down the set. Others make sure they are in their original places, lines, standing opposite their partners. The two top couples join hands in their line and raise them into a row of arches, then run over everyone’s heads to the bottom of the set (2 people down the middle, one person either side of the set) – as in Riverside Jig. (8 beats*)
All swing: Everyone swings or spins their partners (8 beats*)
*If you need more time for the ‘over the head’ part then you can use a 40 bar tune and adjust the time for the B part accordingly, or remove the ‘all swing’.
Explore Fun Ceilidh Classes for Kids and Adults
Class booking for 2025 now open.
Ceilidh Cornwall is growing and we are starting new classes around Cornwall. We have three types of classes for you, aimed at different age groups. Pre-booking is advised because some classes are already filling up fast. It also helps us get started dancing straight away in each session.
Ceilidh Tots is for preschool aged children and their adults. Dances are simplified ceilidh dances and will involve circles, lines, and counting up to 8. They include movements to the right and left. We have fun games too with varied types of ceilidh and folk music. These are morning classes running 09:30 – 10:15 on Tuesdays in St Erth and Wednesdays near Ladock. You are welcome to stay afterwards for a cup of tea or coffee. It is good to have time to catch up with your ceilidh friends.
All ages ceilidh class sessions occur in the late afternoon. They are after-school classes suitable for everyone. Families, teens, and adults of any age can join in. These focus on multi-generational folk dancing, including everyone in the dance. These classes are great if you’ve got energy to use up after school or if you want some exercise and socialising but an evening class is too late for you, or if the energy of an all ages class appeals to you. One of the joys of ceilidh dancing is how everyone can get involved from 3 to 103. Under 3s and over 103s are also most welcome! These run on Wednesdays near Ladock (16:30-18:00) and on Fridays in Devoran (16:15-17:45).
Adult classes (also suitable for teens age 12+) are held during the daytime in Penryn (13:15-14:45) and St. Erth (11:00-12:30) and evening in Carharrack (19:30-21:00) and near Ladock (18:30-20:00). These classes will be good for you if fancy learning the steps a little more, prefer a group with fewer small children or you’d like to try out a greater variety of dances. These classes will ultimately get into more complex dances than the other classes, but they are still suitable for beginners – we won’t leave anyone behind.
All classes focus on having fun, joining in and making everyone feel welcome. In all the classes you’ll get a good workout too and leave feeling uplifted (we hope). No experience or partner is required, though experienced dancers and partners are invited too and they also tell us they have fun!
Free Newquay ceilidh series!
Join us for a free ceilidh with The Brim every second Tuesday throughout the winter!
We are very excited to announce a new series of ceilidhs at Project 83, Wesley Yard in Newquay – do come along and have a dance, have some tasty street food and say hello!
Project Eighty Three, along with The Brim, are holding public ceilidhs with FREE entry in Newquay on the second Tuesday of every month from November to March. Here are the dates:
- 12th November
- 10th December
- 14th January
- 11th February
- 11th March
Project Eight Three is a multi-purpose event space with a caf̩ bar, so you can get hot and cold drinks and there will be Latin American street food available from 5 Р9pm. It is a friendly, welcoming venue with space for dancing and comfy sofas for sitting listening to the music.
Parking is available at St George’s Road car park, free from November to March, and just 5 minutes from the ceilidh.
A hybrid of Cornwall’s top folk musicians, The Brim Ceilidh Band specialise in providing an upbeat ceilidh / barn dance with an exciting and energetic mix of both new and traditional dances combined with an upbeat and full sound from the band. Check them out at www.brimceilidh.co.uk. At Project 83 we’ll be dancing to The Brim duo – accordion and guitar.
No need to have any idea what ceilidh dancing is, just an enthusiasm to have some fun. Ceilidh dancing is very inclusive, suitable for everyone even those with two left feet. No experience or partner required. Kate Smith (Ceilidh Cornwall) will be the caller for the evening and will show you how to do all the dances.
We look forward to dancing with you to live music very soon.
Dance to The Brim Ceilidh Band – 11th October, Devoran Village Hall
We are excited about our upcoming ceilidh with The Brim Ceilidh Band on 11th October in the lovely Devoran Village Hall. Do come and join us.
Doors open 19:30. Dancing from 20:00.
A bar will be run by volunteers from the Devoran Village Hall Committee and will support the village hall.
The hall has a car park and the village is served by public buses 36, 36A and U1.
A hybrid of Cornwall’s top folk musicians, The Brim Ceilidh Band specialise in providing an upbeat ceilidh / barn dance with an exciting and energetic mix of both new and traditional dances combined with an upbeat and full sound from the band. Check them out at www.brimceilidh.co.uk – accordion, fiddle and bouzouki.
No need to have any idea what ceilidh dancing is, just an enthusiasm to have some fun. Ceilidh dancing is very inclusive, suitable for everyone even those with two left feet. No experience or partner required. Kate Smith will be the caller for the evening and will show you how to do all the dances.
We want to keep our public ceilidhs affordable for everyone so you will see there are different adult tickets prices for those booking in advance. The regular price (£8.50) will cover our costs. The supporter price (£12) allows us to pay the band a modest fee. The budget price (£5) is because we don’t want you to be excluded from dancing if you would struggle to afford the regular price. Please pay as you feel you can afford. Accompanied children age 8 – 16 £3. Under 8s free, but please still book a ticket.
Do book in advance if you can to ensure you can come – there are limited tickets numbers due to venue capacity. If any tickets are left then we’ll have some available on the door at the set price of £12.
We very much look forward to seeing your smiling faces on the dancefloor!
Ceilidh class notes (5/12/23)
Our final class before Christmas! How lovely to have met so many friendly people this term, thanks so much for coming along to our ceilidh classes. It has been a real pleasure to see you develop your ceilidh skills and to see all your smiling faces!
So, in our final class we went over a few dances we had done before, and then we learned a couple of new ones:
Nina’s Double Troika
Nina Fenner is also a ceilidh caller with The Rosevilles Ceilidh Band and she will be calling a few dances at our Christmas-ish Ceilidh on Friday 8th December so we learned a dance that she created.
Danced in groups of 3, it is a bit unusual in that each figure takes 4 beats rather than the more common 8. So, at times you might have to move fast. It can be danced to jigs and reels. Here are the instructions:
3 people in a circle. Circle left for 4. Then right for 4.
Break the circle into a line with joined hands. You’ll do this a few times in the dance and it is easiest if you keep in the same order in your three, but if you wish to have more of a challenge then you can vary who takes each place in the line by breaking the circle at different point each time through.
The middle person raises their hands. The person on the right hand end of the line dances first, turning anticlockwise towards the middle person and under the nearest arch to them. This takes 4 beats.
The person on the left hand end of the line now does the same through the arch nearest to them. Again, 4 beats.
Reform the circle. Circle left for 4 and right for 4.
Break the circle into a line again as before with joined hands.
The middle person raises their arms again into arches. The person on the right hand end of the line dances first, passing in front of the middle person and through the arch further away from them. The middle person will also need to turn on the spot. Hold hands loosely so you don’t get into a tangle. This move also takes 4 beats and you need to be faster than before.
The person on the left hand end of the line now does the same, passing in front of the middle person and through the arch farthest from them. The middle person turns on the spot. 4 beats.
Back to the start of the dance.
Clopton Bridge (ceilidh style)
Longways set for 4 couples (though we also managed with five couples and an extra pointy star). 32 bar hornpipe or jig as we did. This English ceilidh dance was written by John Chapman and published in 1987.
This was fun, and a gentler introduction to ‘corners’ than our previous attempt at the Reel of the 51st Division! I do like the unusual figure of first corners turning each other in the middle of the dance and then second corners doing this next.
Generally this dance is done to a hornpipe with step-hop footwork (see any video of Clopton Bridge, and below). To be more ceilidh-ish and suitable for events where there are ceilidh beginners we danced this with simple travelling steps and to a jig.
Lisa Heywood describes a variation for advanced dancers where the end couples do rights and lefts around the outside of the set while the middle couples dance right and left hand stars. It is fun, but requires fast movement and for everyone to know what they are doing! Lots more here from Webfeet about extra variations!
Next stop ceilidh! Join us on 8th December!
And new classes start on 9th January – block book in advance here!
Ceilidh class notes (21/11/23)
Somewhat international this time, with a Danish dance mocking the Swedes and danced in Scotland, two American dances and an English barn dance, as well as one of my own.
Jonny’s Birthday Reel
We started the class with an easy longways set for as many as want to join in, one devised at a birthday party earlier this year for Jonny who liked dances with arches. Still not caught it one video, but you can read about it here.
Swedish Masquerade
This dance was a request at our last Rosevilles public ceilidh – so the band have learned the tune and ready to dance it on December 8th.
The Swedish Masquerade is a fairly common ceilidh dance in Scotland. It isn’t Scottish and it isn’t Swedish. It is purported to be Danish. A similar dance is danced across Scandinavia and in Germany.
The distinguishing characteristics of the Swedish Masquerade are the three sections – a 4/4/ march, a waltz and a polka (or hopsa). The walking section allows for some pantomime as the Danes make fun of the Swedes, with exaggerated proper dancing.
This next video breaks the dance down into sections and has a fun variations with hands together as you balance (or pas de basque) away and together in the middle waltz section, and with a kick in the polka section. Despite what the presenter says the waltz section is not in 4/4 but is in 3/4 as a waltz should be!
Snowball
Since the winter has started to reach Cornwall I thought we’d do this wintery sounding English style barndance written by Martin Hodges. Snowball refers to the gradual increase in the number of the dancers with each 16 beats of the music. It’s a good one for early in a ceilidh to teach a few basic moves. With 5 couples in the dance it is a bit longer than many dances – you’ll need a 48 bar jig for this one.
Polka Dots
I enjoy dances that are a bit different. This one is excellent for not needing to have a partner at all – you dance as a group of 5 and you dance with everyone in the group. It is also great practice for a reel of three figure, or if you prefer you can do si do.
I found it in a book called ‘Barn Dance Hoedown’ by the Ring O’Bells band and haven’t found any videos of it yet. So, here is a summary of the dance:
Arrange yourselves like the dots on the 5 side of a dice: 4 people each standing in the corner of a square, one person standing in the middle.
First half of the dance:
A1: The person in the middle initially faces the person nearest the band (with their back to the band), and then next with the person directly opposite (facing the band) – these three dancers form a line aligned up and down the dance hall from the band to the end of the room. The original dance involves these three dancing a reel of three together (see notes from the last class), but to make it simpler for beginners or dancers at a ceilidh, I suggest dancing a do si do with the first person, then turning and dancing do si do with the second person in this line. This takes 16 beats.
A2: After this, repeat this figure with the other two dancers (aligned across the dance hall). This takes another 16 beats.
Second half of the dance:
B1: The same dancer is still in the middle, and they again face the person who has their back to the band. With this person, set (jump right, jump left), then turn that person by a half turn using the right arm, so that they are in the middle and you take their place. This takes 8 beats.
This person then does the same with the next person around the formation – set then half turn to swap places. Another 8 beats.
B2: The third dancer now dances sets and half turns to swap places with the next person in the formation. 8 beats. And that fourth person does the same with the final fifth person. Final 8 beats.
The fifth person is now in the middle ready to start the dance again.
Sashay the Donut
This is one of my favourite first dances for a wedding, starting with the newly wed couple leading the dance. It is very similar to the first half of a Virginia Reel bent around in a circle formation – personally I think it is a dough ring rather than a doughnut. See what I mean here:
The dance is from this book of the same name, and is Anglo-American in origin.
What’s next? Some dates for your diaries
Our last class on the autumn term of ceilidh classes is tomorrow, Tuesday 5th December. Do join us – we’ll have a couple of new dances and some refreshers! Feel free to make requests.
Then, we have our Christmas-ish ceilidh on Friday 8th December with The Rosevilles Ceilidh Band. If you get your ticket at the class tomorrow, that is the cheapest way, otherwise, £5+fees on eventbrite or £7.50 on the door – whichever way it is excellent value for an evening of happy, upbeat music, fun dancing that everyone can join in with and an evening in a gathering of friendly folk. Hope to see you there.
We’re then taking a wee break over the holiday time, but back on Thursday 28th December for a free ceilidh workshop (19:30 – 21:00) at Carharrack Social Club, with some guest contributions of Cornish dancing alongside our other ceilidh-ish plans.
And, how fast time has flown, our next term will start on 9th January, and run fortnightly until the end of March. All welcome. No experience or partner needed! £5 per class or a bit cheaper if you block book.
Do pop these all in your diaries please – booking coming soon!
Ceilidh class notes (07/11/23)
So many lovely dances and dancers on the 7th November – thanks so much for joining us! This was class 5 of 7, so two more left before our end of term ceilidh.
Interested in joining us for a Christmas-ish celebration? If so, the cheapest way to buy a ticket is in our classes (21st November and 5th December) – tickets there are £5/adult – it costs a bit more on Eventbrite due to the Eventbrite booking fees, and a bit more again in person on the door, but still a good value night out (£7.50).
Bring the whole family – accompanied under 16s have free entry (but still book a ticket please so we can estimate numbers).
Holmfirth Square
Like so many ceilidh dances there are variations. Here we have two videos with slightly different starts: either starting by circling left and right, or by advancing into and out of the circle twice. We danced in and out of the circle in class, which is the original version. This dance was written as an English barn dance by Eileen Keys in 1980.
All versions then have one couple go around the circle making an arch over the heads of all the dancers in the set. We added a little flourish in class by going over the first couple, under the arch of the second couple, then over the heads of the third couple. Each couple in the dances has a number allocated to them. 1 = head couple with back to the band, 2 = next couple moving around anti-clockwise, 3 = couple facing the band, 4 = final couple. The first time through the dance couple 1 arch over the other couples, second time couple 2, then couple 3, then couple 4. If the band keep playing listen to the caller – they may mess around with which couple or couples will dance around the circle after everyone has had a turn.
The next step of the Holmfirth Square is the lovely Grand Chain move that I like. It feels like an achievement when you get it right because when it goes wrong it gets into quite a muddle! Key tricks for a Grand Chain: face your partner – if you are now facing anti-clockwise around the circle you will keep going anti-clockwise around the circle, don’t change direction. Likewise for if you are facing clockwise. Next, take right hands with your partner, shake if you like, then (gently) pull them passed you so that you meet the next person travelling around the circle. Repeat with this next person, taking left hands with this person and pulling them passed you, right hands with the next person, left hands with the next etc etc until you return to your partner.
Finish the dance with spinning your partner, then start the dance again.
Virginia Reel
Virigina Reel is a common ceilidh dance in Scotland, and the version taught in class was the one most common in Scotland. There is a little more about it here in our introductory dances page, along with the following video taken at a wedding with The Rosevilles ceilidh band:
Reels of Three
The ‘reel of three’ is a figure common in ceilidh and folk dancing, and is often a figure used in the dance Dashing White Sergeant, which we looked at previously with simpler spinning moves in the class notes for last time.
The reel of three, sometimes called a figure of eight move, involves three dancers in a line making an eight pattern on the floor. It looks like this:
Thanks Jackie and Liz for helping explain this move in class.
St. Bernard’s Waltz
Saying that we rarely dance slowly in ceilidh, one rare time that we do is when we dance a waltz. It is good for when everyone is tired after jigs and reels, but sometimes catches dancers out if they expect to be moving a bit faster. St. Bernard’s Waltz, a sequence or old-time dance, is a dance for couples. Many ceilidh bands choose the beautiful tune of Margaret’s Waltz for this dance.
The dance goes like this:
A waltz at a ceilidh can scare people off a bit, if they don’t have any ballroom dancing experience, but the elegance and simplicity of this dance makes it a lovely rest between higher energy dances. Waltz in a ceilidh context is much simpler than ballroom so if you can’t actually waltz, don’t worry, most of any ceilidh waltz isn’t what ballroom dancers would consider to be waltzing, only the last 4 bars have a 1,2,3 waltz pattern and you can just turn in a circle with four step (beat 1)-hop (beat 2)-pause (beat 3) steps if you are not sure. However, if you’d like to waltz and fit that into the end of the St. Bernard’s Waltz (4 x 1, 2, 3 counts) then here, below, is a good slow-motion video. In this case they call it ‘rotary waltz’ and this is a good way to think of it because you turn as you step:
Looking forward to dancing with you again soon, next class is on Tuesday 21st November!
Ceilidh Cornwall 