Barn dances, Shindigs and Ceilidhs (pronounced Kay-leas btw) are all variations of a gathering or party that takes place in barns, houses and village halls all over the world 🌍. Don’t forget of course Tipi’s, Function Rooms, Marquees, Castles, Boats and even London Zoo🤯!
They’re all about socialising, having fun along with the music and dancing!
The three different styles usually have a Caller leading the dancing. A Barn Dance has more American associations- Stetsons and chequered shirts and line dances whereas a Ceilidh is historically a village party where singing 🎶, poetry, comedy stories and dancing were celebrated by tradition. Over the years it has diluted to focus more on the music and dancing side whilst still retaining the spotlight on socialising and having fun. A ceilidh would go off into the wee small hours🎉. Shindig is an Irish☘️ term meaning lively party which focuses on drinking lots of alcohol outside in the summertime.
A Caller is the person up front with the mic 🎤 who is directs the dancing. A lot of folks come to these types of dances after hearing how much fun they are, watching them on YouTube or after being at a wedding that had one as the evening entertainment. These dances are nowhere near so technical that you need to be taught how to do them so a Caller is there to get the dancers set up and guide you through the dances💛.
It’s all about being inclusive and social. If you have any experience of doing this type of dancing when you were in school- these are a lot more fun and a lot less stressful. All the dances are simple enough for beginners, and the pace is fast enough for those with more experience to enjoy themselves. The emphasis is on having fun and being inclusive!😍
A Barn Dance is usually a country-western 🤠style social dance that originated in the United States and is still hugely popular here in the UK. The term Barn Dance can mean a few different types of dances. A slower ceilidh, line dancing, square, or contra 🎸; these are often done as couples or in sets (groups) with partners.
There is even a Broom dance for those of us so inclined🧹.
A barn dance is a fun social event. It’s an informal gathering where you can do some dancing, talk to friends, and drink some drinks🍻. Sounds familiar right?!
A Shindig is a type of ☘️party that you can have outside in the summertime. It’s usually lively with lots of instruments and people dancing. It also lasts until late with plenty of drinking going on. If you are brave enough, have a read of the antics annually at the Castlemorton Common Shindig and Worcestershire’s Shindig Home to join in the fun.
Traditional Ceilidhs have their Celtic roots across Scotland & Ireland where folk would come together to sing songs, tell jokes and stories as well as dancing✨. The focus of the night was for everyone to have fun, to be social and inclusive. Whilst ceilidhs have evolved to focus more on the dancing these days, that ethos of fun, socialising and being inclusive certainly hasn’t changed. When you evoke the image of a ceilidh, it should be folk dancing together without the stress of having to worry about getting it right🧡. Actually, mistakes are half the fun of this sort of ‘contact sport’. That’s where the inclusive side comes in, it doesn’t matter about ability, where you are from or who you are. It’s all about being comfortable within yourself and this makes ceilidh dancing accessible to anyone.
If we haven’t met before, well hello 👋 My name is Schuggie, base in the East Midlands and I host all three types, Ceilidh (obvs) being my favourite🎵. The dances are much or such the same across the three styles, certainly more yeehaw in Barn Dancing! I have various packages with different Ceilidh and Barn Dance bands along with a very popular Ceilidh DJ offer if space is a concern.
All three varieties focus on being fun, inclusive and mine have a caller🎤 (me) to direct and help the dancers.
So you can have Barn Dances, Shindigs, Contra Ceilidhs, Folk Ceilidhs, Scottish Style Ceilidhs (my fav sort) and a whole variety in between. All of these styles are about bringing people together for a shared experience. These dances are about having fun and socialising with your friends and family, dancing, singing and creating a memorable evening💕.
If you are coming along in high heels, bring a change of shoes with you. Likewise layer up so you can strip off a bit, and still put them back on if it is frosty when you leave your venue.
Barn Dances usually involve cowboy/cowgirl attire, so Stetsons, boots👢 and chequered shirts are the order of the day- as well as something that represents a Country & Western style. No whips though, that’s a completely different type of party🤣.
For Shindigs & Ceilidhs, well anything goes. Tartan is always appreciated, and a kilt means you can show off skooshing across the floor and although it’s not a pre-requisite, who doesn’t like a swinging sporran, right?
One important thing to check for any sort of dance is whether the organiser has a theme for the evening. I’ve hosted all sorts, Cowboys & Aliens Barn Dances, Steam Punk, Pirates, Peaky Blinders, Outlander and Goth style ceilidhs💀. You can check out some of my reviews here📜.
Whether it’s a Barn Dance, Shindig or Ceilidh, what you wear doesn’t really matter as long as it’s comfortable to dance in. Depending on the occasion, such as a wedding or a posh Burns Supper then hot pants and ripped jeans might not be appropriate- however other than those restrictions anything goes.
If you need some inspiration; I have created a Pinterest Boards called ☘️What do you wear to a Ceilidh full of neat ideas📌.
Now you know the difference, fancy giving them a go?
There are folk dance and ceilidh clubs in almost every town and city across the UK 🗺️. For those in the East Midlands, we have our own Nottingham Folk Dance Group, Mumpers Ceilidh Club, Derby Ceilidhs and the Nottingham Ceilidh Club🏹 to name just a few.
Loughborough Folk Dance Club is just down the M1 as well.
All of these offer a great opportunity to go along so you can get a sense of how the dances work, they will have callers to guide you along and loads of friendly folk to dance with👩❤️👩.
I describe my ceilidhs as authentic Scottish style with a contemporary twist. The authentic Scottish bit, well I’m from Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland. So you get the full Schuggie experience; accent, kilt and glittery beard- the works. Scottish style ceilidhs are fast and furious, so I host (and call) at a much faster tempo than the traditional dances you would find across the East Midlands, where I now call home. I believe this lively delivery helps generate a wonderful atmosphere for guests to enjoy. If you are after something serious- they probably aren’t for you.
The contemporary twist is all about including modern tweaks to the usual traditional ceilidh dances. Sneaking in a cheeky wee floss in the Gay Gordons and renaming a formation the Matt Hancock for pure comedy value.
If you are intrigued, give me a shout (click here) and I’ll let you know when my next open public ceilidhs are📅.
Barn Dances, Shindigs and Ceilidhs are all types of lively parties that people can attend to have fun with their friends or family. They all have their own unique styles and are generally informal where you can do some dancing, talk to friends, and drink some drinks. Unless they are formal affairs like a wedding, there’s no set dress code but jeans are common attire for these types of events. All three are social, something we have all been missing over the last few years 🕺💃.
Are you looking for someone to host your next party? 👍
I’m an award-winning Ceilidh Caller based in the East Midlands who loves to create entertaining memorable dances for all sorts of events; from birthdays and weddings right the way through to village festivals and charity fundraisers. My goal is to provide the best dance experience possible, so you can focus on having fun with your friends and family.
You don’t need any experience to enjoy these types of events, but if you do want some pointers beforehand, I’ve got plenty of tips that will help you have the time of your life!
Click here now to have a chat about booking me as your caller today! 📅
Why have a Ceilidh? Read here for 9 amazing reasons you need one at your next event!
Every dance called, everyone included — and a full dancefloor all night.