My first cèilidh was in a village hall in Schotland, when I was around 10. Being hurdled about by elderly Scottish ladies was quite the experience, and I’ve brought the story up quite some times. This valentines day, my partner took me to the Natural History Museum for a special evening where scientists where on site to tell you about their work, special tours, workshops, and a cèilidh!
We both really enjoyed the event, and the cèilidh was the cherry on top! A cèilidh is originally a social gathering, not perse related to dance, but is now generally used to talk about the traditional form of dance associated with it. Most dances take place in pairs, but it’s not a 1-on-1 thing; while generally staying together, couples weave through each other, pair up with other partners, and re-join each other throughout the dances. It’s a very social event, and it’s a really fun, intimate and yet somewhat whimsical experience to share with a partner and friend, but also total strangers.
After this great experience at the Natural History Museum, I was ready for more, and was very happy to learn that Fiddle Pardiddle also organises pop up cèilidhat the Small Beer taproom. We recruited some friends and joined one of them.
Small beer is a great brewery, with a small selection of really good mid-alcohol beers (2-3.5%). I particularly enjoyed the Blanche, a subtle, citrussy beer. Their cider is also very nice; sweet enough to be easy-drinking, but with enough funk to stay interesting till the bottom of the pint. They allow outside food and (after dealing with some delivery issues) we enjoyed a succulent Chinese meal with a pint on the side.
The cèilidh was very nicely organised; every dance was preceded by step-by-step instruction, and the pace was gradually built up throughout. The crowd was amazing too; a mix of first-time and experienced dancers, very welcoming and excited. Don’t be afraid of being there alone; for the dances that my partner sat out, it was easy enough to find someone else to pair up with. Short breaks were given every few dances, which where definitely needed; I was wearing dungarees and and a sweater, and I envied the people who showed up in kilts!
Fiddle Paradiddle organises pop-up cèilidh at various locations in and around London; check out their website for upcoming events. The ticket prices of £18.50 might seem a bit high, but you’ll get an evening you won’t forget!