It is a beautiful evening and you would like to have a fabulous time. You have been invited for a barn dance and you are in two minds whether to go or not. Do not worry it is a wonderful form of recreation and you need not be a great dancer to enjoy yourself to the maximum. You will be taught a few steps and then you can just tap along as you like, keep changing partners and have a jolly good time with some homely folk music.

There are certain terms connected with barn dancing, one of which is the Ceilidh, it is a type of dance wherein the music is lively and entertaining and basic steps can be learned quite easily. Celidh and barn dance are used interchangeably and mean the same almost. The general format is a set of four couples facing each other either in a rectangular or a square formation and as the music continues each couple changes position with the facing couple. Barn dances may also be performed in a ring by either fixed couples or in a progressive manner with the lady moving to the next man in the ring each time the steps are repeated.

Barn dance features square dancing in which four couples, one on each side moving counter clockwise and maintaining the square formation. Since barn dancing is a community type of dance mostly done to folk music, it includes Morris dancing wherein the participants dance in accordance with the rhythm and cause execution of choreographed figures by wielding sticks, swords and handkerchiefs. If it a small dance you can even have trained dancers dancing on a pair of clay tobacco pipes. Another barn dancing style is the contra dance wherein couples dance in two facing lines of indefinite length. Whatever the type of dance be barn dancing is enjoyable and interesting and will ensure you have loads of fun at the end of it…you may never want it to end though.