I love a good dance. I especially love to dance at weddings; dancing with family and friends is my idea of a truly fun time. If only weddings didn’t happen so sporadically! When I was young and carefree, I would sometimes go clubbing. But truth be known, I never enjoyed it. The idea of mindlessly swaying to loud, non-rhythmic music never made much sense to me. I always suspected patrons would get drunk so that they would forget just how not fun the evening was.
For the longest time I thought I was pretty lame, that I didn’t know how to have fun. But then I started reading novels (aka Little House on the Prairie series) which told stories about how the people in the bygone days used to enjoy themselves. Families would gather, young and old, and dance the night away. There would always be a musician or two who would happily play the violin or the piano, and everyone knew the dance steps! It sounded like music to my ears. I have been wishing to replicate that experience, but lacking all kinds of resources except desire, I have never attempted the feat.
Thank God for good friends who came to my rescue. My family was recently invited to attend a ceili, a traditional Irish dance. Friends of ours organized the event at a parish hall, complete with live musicians, great food, and a formidable “caller” (person who teaches and calls out the steps). What an incredible event it was! We danced with great families, known and unknown, young and old. There is something so beautiful about seeing multiple generations on the dance floor, and even more beautiful to see everyone dancing in unison. The latter is definitely a work in progress for us, but we look forward to improving our game at future ceilis.
That evening was one of the most entertaining and edifying evenings I have enjoyed in a long time. As we drove home, my husband and I reflected on the importance of family-friendly dances. This is one way to show our kids how to enjoy wholesome, enriching fun, together.
So thank you to the organizers for making my dreams come true, and I look forward to many more ceilis in the future!
