Ceili Dance
Céilí (pronounced Kay-lee) dances are a wide variety of ensemble folk dances that emerged in Irish culture much earlier than solo dancing. Its name was invented by the Gaelic League to distinguish it from the quadrille-based Set Dance, which can have similar formations but different types of footwork and movements. Céilí is sometimes taught as its own genre in traditional dancing schools, but solo and céilí dances share a similar set of basic steps and are often taught alongside each other. Céilí dancing is considered more accessible for beginner adults, especially seniors, as it is a coordinated skill without the challenging footwork of solo dancing. Social céilí events happen all over the world, sometimes with live Irish traditional music and up to hundreds of participants.
Generally, céilí dances can be performed with between three and sixteen people, but may also be danced in a progressive style, where an unlimited number of couples dance in a line or a circle. For ease of learning, two individuals in a couple are called "male" and "female" but can be two people of any gender - in competitive céilí, the "male" is the taller individual. Competitive céilí dances are performed up to the World Championship level alongside solo dances, and are utilized by dancing schools as a team-building exercise that emphasizes the basic steps "one-two-threes" and "sevens."
