www.thistledubh.com/
Thistle Dubh Ceilidh Band - What's A Ceilidh?
So, you want to hire a Scottish Ceilidh Band for your function, but are unsure what a
Ceilidh really involves. Read on....
 A Ceilidh (which is
pronounced "kay-lee", or Ceili) used to mean a visit or informal gathering of friends and neighbours. However,
these days in Scotland, it means a Ceilidh Dance where everyone can get up on the dance floor and enjoy
themselves by having an amazing party!
The usual run of events is for a great Scottish Ceilidh Band to be employed (a
band just like www.thistledubh.com) to
talk, walk and dance the'Jiggers' through a selection of popular Scottish Ceilidh Dances.
NB. When we say 'Jiggers', we'd like to stress that we don't mean the Jiggers Ceilidh Band.
The Jiggers Ceilidh Band are a completely different band from the Thistle Dubh Ceilidh Band & Disco.
To round the evening off, a Disco is a great way to
compliment an evening of first class Scottish Ceilidh Music & Dancing.
Slainte!
What is a Ceilidh Band?
The modern, traditional, Scottish ceilidh band is composed of accordion, fiddle and
drums; however, these days, the line up can be more eclectic with other instruments such as penny whistle,
mandolin, big scottish drum, piano, and even bagpipes! There is no set rules about the line up, so just pick
the band you like the best.
Won't some people be left
out?
Not at all. Ceilidh Dances (unlike
strict, formal Scottish Country Dancing) are much more inclusive than many other forms of dancing because the
dances are so easy to learn and great fun for all. Everyone can participate, regardless of age and
experience....and a good Ceilidh band (assuming they do their job correctly by playing well and calling all the
dances) should minimize the risk of people making wall flowers of themselves. I should point out, some dances are
for couples (with lots of changes of partners) but many others are for groups of people....so everyone can
participate!
But we don't know the steps!
Many people worry that some of the guests will be left out
because they don't know the steps to the Scottish Ceilidh Dances. However, exactly the reverse is true. As I
mentioned above, most good ceilidh bands can provide a "Caller" who will go over the steps before each dance and
"Call" the steps during the dance. Don't worry if you can't remember the steps....bumping into people is part of
the fun...and also a great way to meet people!
Don't worry!
With a good Ceilidh Band and Caller, all your guests will soon be 'hooching',
'setting' and 'casting off' with the best of them...and if they get it wrong, don't worry! There will always be a
friendly neighbour on hand to 'push' them in the right direction. Remeber, a Ceilidh is a gathering of folk where everyone is
encouraged to join in and everyone helps one another. It's a great ice-breaker.
We live abroad and want a Scottish Ceilidh Band!
If you can't find a Ceilidh band, then you're just not looking hard enough. Whilst there are
many ceilidh bands in Scotland today, you'll also find
others the world over. All that is required on your part, is a little 'forward planning' and research! If
you plan well in advance and do a little internet surfing, there should be no reason why you shouldn't
get a good quality ceilidh band like www.thistledubh.com to play at your function.
If you live abroad, one of your first ports of call should be 'YouTube'. You'll find lots of Ceilidh Bands in Scotland listed and in the comfort of your
own home, get a golden opportunity to view the Ceilidh Band of your choice before you buy...it's the next best
thing to being at a live Scottish Ceilidh Band gig!
Perhaps you live in a place that has a local 'Scottish Ceilidh Dancing Society' right on your door step. If
that's the case, why not contact them with a view to learning some dances...and if you're having your wedding
abroad, they may even be able to source a Scottish Ceilidh Band for you. Happy hunting!
To sum things up then...
Scottish Ceilidh Dancing is among the most exciting, exhilarating and fun types of dancing in the world!
It's fast, lively and it doesn't matter if you have got two left feet....or three! You will dance as you have never
danced before and think you have got wings on your heels!
Have a lovely Scottish Traditional wedding!
Ceilidh Bands Scotland - Ceilidh
Bands Glasgow - Ceilidh Bands
Edinburgh
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