Spring 10 - Ceilidh

Ceilidh Night 

by Nathan Winklepleck

Experiencing different cultures is one of the foremost reasons to spend a semester abroad at Harlaxton College. This can only happen when you go out and immerse yourself in the environment and really experience life in that environment. The Ceilidh was a little taste of a new culture brought right to us - no travel guide needed!

In the days before, everyone was asking “what in the world is a Ceilidh (actually pronounced ‘kay-lee’)?” Ceilidh is actually a form of traditional Scottish music and dancing that is often used in weddings & other events. A little Googling would have gone a long way, but many (including me) went into the mysterious event with not a clue about it except that it involved dancing.

Dancing is definitely not my cup of tea, but I decided to go and check it out! I found very quickly that the dancing that comes to my mind is very different than the Scottish Ceilidh dancing. There was a full Ceilidh band set up in the Great Hall - singer, guitar, drums, and the whole nine yards! The music was upbeat to say the least. It was pop-rock music with a distinct Celtic flavor and cool accents!

On the singer’s orders, everyone partnered up and we were introduced to some different Scottish dances, none of which was overly complicated (which was a good thing)! Rather than singing, the lead vocalist helped us through the dances with the music clamoring on in the background.

The dances had a more community feel than American dances. They emphasized branching out to dance in groups of 4, 6, 8, and sometimes more. There were several that incorporated the entire group into one big mass of twisting & twirling. The best part was that there was no experience or talent needed! The focus was not on how well you were doing it, but just that you did do it.

One of the biggest things Harlaxton does is get you out of your comfort zone & challenge you to try new things. Challenge you to think of things differently & understand that there is more to it than our personal viewpoint. There’s more to dancing than hip-hop music & strobe lights. Get out there and try new things! And if you ever get the chance to sit it out or dance, dance!

There are some photos, so select "this link" to access the photo gallery.