What dances work at Wedding Ceildhs ?

What are PROGRESSIVE and NON- PROGRESSIVE dances exactly ?

Traditionally,Ceilidhs and Barn Dances involved dancing with a partner of the opposite sex – so,a man and woman dancing together with their chosen partner but usually as part of a larger 'set' of dance couples.It's not uncommon either to have couples of the same sex dancing with each other.

By the way,a 'set' means more than one couple is dancing in an identified group – the 'set' might include 3,4,5 or 6 couples.It might mean a 'longways' set (where you dance in position facing your partner),square sets or even circle sets where you start shoulder to shoulder/hand in hand with your partner – all the sort of stuff which the caller will simply explain at the beginning of each dance.

So....there you are with your partner....the dance starts....and you might do the dance moves 8,9 or 10 times through.....and each time you keep your partner.During the dance you may have briefly turned,swung etc with another person – but you will keep with and finish with your chosen partner at the end of each phase of the dance.You will not 'lose' your partner.That's non-progressive !

In the progressive dances you will lose your partner ! You've asked someone to dance with you as your partner.....but after completing the first phase the actual dance moves will force you to leave your original partner and dance the next time through with an entirely different dance partner – and so on for maybe 8 times through till the dance finishes.Meaning you've danced with 8 different dance partners in the course of one dance !

There are 'pros' and 'cons' with progressive dances – and this can vary from person to person.For example,very young children may only want to remain with Mum or Dad throughout the dance.Very shy people may feel a bit uncomfortable dancing with a different partner each time.Conversely,some people enjoy the variety and it can be interesting to see different dance styles and techniques of other dancers......and occasionally suddenly find yourself dancing with the man or woman of your dreams ! Most callers will warn dancers beforehand if the dance is progressive or not so that each dancer has the chance to decide if they want to join in or miss out on the experience.

At wedding receptions,particularly,the progressive dances can be a real 'ice-breaker'......people dancing together for a few minutes who had never met before until that day.Dancing is also very tactile and dancing with somebody for a couple of minutes or so can be a lot more fun in breaking down 'barriers' than 20 minutes of 'small talk' and 'weather topics' !! Plus,of course,there is that 'shared experience' thing which can lead on to establishing some common ground for later conversations rather than just continuing to nod politely.