Bridport Ceilidhs

Bridport Folk Festival wouldn't be the same without dances and dance workshops and we have Monty Crook from Bridport Ceilidhs to organise this side of the festival and put together an interesting array of folk dancing to learn, improve and enjoy. Below is some information about Bridport Ceilidhs who hold ceilidh dances all year round.

bridportceilidhs.wordpress.com
Bridport Ceilidhs are run 'for the fun of it' 8 times a year, on the first Saturdays in January to March, June, and September to December. Our home base is St Mary's Church House Hall, adjacent to St Mary's Church in South Street.

We look to engage some of the best bands and callers in the area, and mix and match them to give both experienced and new dancers an entertaining and exciting evening.
Whether your main dancing interest is in folk dance, country dancing,  contra dance, square dancing, Playford style, or you just fancy a jolly good knees up at a barn dance - you can be sure of a warm welcome. No partners are required, all dances are talked and walked through and both the caller and other dancers will help you enjoy the evening to its full!
These ceilidhs are run by Mecki Testroet and Monty Crook, a couple who met at Sidmouth Folk Week and now live in Pymore near Bridport. Being keen dancers they wanted to encourage more dances in the area and particularly in Bridport itself. It all started with a (3 days after the event) birthday party in 2011 and was advertised as a ‘Three Days Late’ Ceilidh, and the name stuck. After a few years we changed it to ‘Bridport Ceilidhs’.
The name ceilidh (pronounced kaylee), whilst Gaelic in origin and originally being an Irish or Scottish event comprising a mix of music, song, dance and ‘craic’, is now well established in the English folk dance / festival world. But, what's in a word ? - we are more than happy for you to come along to our barn dance, folk dance, English country dance, or whatever terminology suits you - as long as you come, enjoy yourselves - and come again!
The aim of Bridport Ceilidhs is to attract experienced, keen and enthusiastic dancers with good local bands and callers, as well as to welcome all and everybody, whether experienced or not, single or partnered. Non-dancers are welcome as well, the bands being well worth listening too in their own right.. So if you're near Bridport and you enjoy dancing, come along, bring a friend or two and make a party of it; we’ll provide a good evening’s entertainment.
Whilst Bridport Ceilidhs give you a chance to dance in town 8 times a year, the Bridport Folk Dance Club provides that opportunity almost every week, with breaks only over holiday periods. Now in its 100th year, BFDC meets on Monday nights at 7.30 to 9.30pm, in the WI Hall, North Street, for fun evenings of dance in the English folk tradition. Contact Mecki on 01308 423 442 for more information.

bridportceilidhs.wordpress.com
Bridport Folk Festival 2019. Music, dancing, singing, workshops, songwriting, events, morris, clog, rapper, food, drink, stalls, ceilidh, strict and social dancing, story telling, mummas play, may pole and much more!