-- A round dance
-- For any number of couples [preferably not less than six]
-- A dance traditionally danced on St. John's Eve, around a bonfire [hence the name!]
Movements of the Dance
(a) Advance & Retire
(b) Rings
(c) Advance & Retire
(d) Rings
(e) Side-step In & Out
(f) Link Arms
(g) Side-step In & Out
(h) Link Arms
(i) The Rose
(j) Swing and Exchange Partners
The Bonfire Dance performed by Cumann Ceili Vin, an Irish dancing group in Vienna, Austria
[Anyone else get warm fuzzies knowing how many people love Irish dance worldwide? LOVE.]
Learning the Bonfire Dance is one of my first ceili memories as a beginning Irish dancer. I remember thinking "The Rose" was SO fun. This ceili requires dancers to stand with one hand on hip & one toe pointed during The Rose... so for some reason, that was a blast for my beginning Irish dancer, 6th grade self!
From a teaching standpoint, this dance can be a lot of fun as well! My ceili class learned this dance on Halloween. I used it as an opportunity to talk about how the ancient Celts used to celebrate the festival of Samhain [from which our modern Halloween evolved]. My dancers also loved making a fake "bonfire" out of tutus we had at the studio, and dancing this ceili around the "flames."
Like I said in my last post, Halloween's Ceili Club was a costume class... and yes, that included the teachers! Here are Mrs. Sarah & I dressed in our costumes, a ballerina and a Lord of the Dance star!
How was your Halloween? Did you school do anything special for the holiday? Have you danced the Bonfire Dance?
Keep Dancing,
Moira
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