A ceilidh was traditionally a social gathering that had its roots in Scotland and Ireland and did not necessarily involve dancing. Rather, people met to tell stories, recite poetry, and sing. In the course of time, however, the music and dancing became more and more important and today determine the main program of the gatherings.
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Jigs, reels, polkas, line, square and circle dances are danced to live music from melodeons, fiddles, whistles and many other traditional instruments.
In modern e-ceilidh, traditional dance sets are mostly danced, but the music for them may well be played by a mix of traditional and modern instruments, e.g. melodeon, fiddle, electric bass and percussion.
The beat of the music is usually very lively, the dances full of energy and easy to learn, even without previous dance experience.
