Christmas ceilidh rocks into Cardiff

What is a ceilidh?
‘Ceilidh’ is the Scottish word for country dancing or barn dancing. A caller will explain the steps in a walk through and then announce reminders during the dance. The common formations for the dances include: large circles, square sets and longways sets. It is a tradition in this country too and the Welsh word used to refer to these dances is ‘Twmpath’. 

Dancers usually stand in line with a partner but guests do not need to bring one, as ceilidhs are a great opportunity to meet new people!

There is no complicated footwork and all the steps are really easy to learn. The music played is a mixture of jigs and polkas but there may also be influences from jazz, rock, bluegrass and even pop.

The band
Juice have been performing since the 1970s, when the late Jenny and Gill KilBride set up the group. Their son Bernie KilBride, who plays the fiddle, is now a key figure in the band as it has seen musicians come and go.

Juice member Imogen O’Rourke gives the lowdown on the band: 

“Bernard KilBride – fiddle. The big boss man.

“Imogen O’Rourke – flute. That’s me. The cute, funny one.

“Dean Ryan – Double Bass. He’s been playing with the band for at least 20 years and is trusty side-kick to Bernard. 

“Daniel James – mandocello. A relatively recent addition to the band. He’s a hard working, conscientious and altogether excellent bloke. He also runs his own folk music radio show on Blaenavon FM!

“Sam Mabbet – melodeon. The newest (and by far the youngest) bright new talent on the scene. We’re all doing our best to keep up with him.”

The band have been influenced by many musical flavours over the years, such as traditional Brettagne, Shetland, Scottish, Irish and of course, Welsh music, but it’s also picked up some pop, rock and funk on the way too.

Imogen said, “Juice are really looking forward to the Christmas Ruff Ceilidh. We particularly enjoy this event because we’ve been playing at it in some incarnation or other for the best part of thirty years. For us, it’s a bit like coming home for Christmas.

“But it isn’t just special to us for nostalgic reasons: the atmosphere is so inclusive and welcoming. Over the years we’ve seen so many new faces being welcomed into the fold and friendships forming and blossoming.

“Also, amid all the fun and laughter, we’ve been lucky enough to witness the active passing on of the folk dance tradition from one generation to the next, ensuring that it will still be there for future generations to fall in love with and enjoy for years to come.”

Dave Parsons

Dave has also called with the band since the 1970s and the job of a caller is to succinctly explain the dance before it starts. They will then announce the dance steps as the music is playing.

Dave said, “Juice are a very tight band and they are great to dance to. If people fall out of time, they will always adjust the music according to the dancers.”     

http://bit.ly/JuiceCeilidhBand 

Folk dance in Cardiff
The Ruff Ceilidh Folk Dance Committee are organising the Ruff events and for those who want to learn trickier routines, there is a Folk Dance Club at St Andrew’s Methodist Church, Caerphilly Road. On Monday evenings dance enthusiasts can learn how to call and also have the chance to practice some American-style square dances as well as contra dances.

They also hope to teach some 17th and 18th century English dances in the future and Dave is one of the main callers there. 

http://bit.ly/RuffCeilidhFacebook 

Ruff Ceilidh
The ceilidh starts at 8pm and admission is £10 on the door. Tickets can be bought for £8 in advance, while there will also be a real ale bar with soft drinks and filled rolls. 

http://bit.ly/RuffCeilidh