Folklore: Cape Breton ceildh dance - name?

14 Apr 05 - 12:06 PM (#1461137)
Subject: Folklore: Cape Breton ceildh dance - name?
From: Mr Red

A recent question on dances and their history prompted my memory of someone mentioning a story about a lost dance found at a Cape Breton Sat evening dance.

The dance was known by name only from references in documentation of Ireland but the precise sequence was lost until.......

Someone went to a ceilidh on Cape Breton and found it had been danced since memories began there.

Now, can anyone recognise the story and the name of the dance AND where to get the instructions?

this is for my curiosity, the general e-mail community on E-celidh and the webmeister at Webfeet

TIA

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14 Apr 05 - 03:30 PM (#1461360)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Cape Breton ceildh dance - name?
From: George Seto - [e-mail]

Umm, I've not come across this tale before. Will ask some of my dance friends.

IRISH? Some of my friends who are Irish SET dancers say that much of the Cape Breton Set dances are similar to the stuff they do. They have the opinion that the dances came to both Ireland and Scotland at the same time from the European continent, where it passed down from Gentry to the general populace. Over time the dances mutated so they are no longer exactly the same as each other or their European counterparts.

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14 Apr 05 - 05:20 PM (#1461466)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Cape Breton ceildh dance - name?
From: George Seto - [e-mail]

I know the Cape Breton Step-dance tradition, and our Set-dance tradition was carried over from Scotland, and the tradition withered in the "Old Country". Is that what you are referring to? There is some information to be found on the subject in this web-article:

Cape Breton Step-Dancing

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14 Apr 05 - 05:28 PM (#1461472)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Cape Breton ceildh dance - name?
From: George Seto - [e-mail]

And... another little article

Step-Dancing in Cape Breton

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14 Apr 05 - 05:34 PM (#1461478)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Cape Breton ceildh dance - name?
From: George Seto - [e-mail]

From the musician (piper) side of the question

Gaelic Musical Traditions from Nova Scotia

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14 Apr 05 - 05:36 PM (#1461482)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Cape Breton ceildh dance - name?
From: George Seto - [e-mail]

Barry also had an eye for the

Historical Dancing

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16 Apr 05 - 10:57 AM (#1462959)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Cape Breton ceildh dance - name?
From: Mr Red

not step dancing, unless that is the same as "Set Dancing" - AKA cross-roads dancing.

Definitely social dancing, not display dancing.

My problem is I can't remember who told me.

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17 Apr 05 - 04:06 PM (#1463742)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Cape Breton ceildh dance - name?
From: George Seto - [e-mail]

So it could be the Set Dancing, or even the less common "Scotch Four"

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17 Apr 05 - 06:22 PM (#1463830)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Cape Breton ceildh dance - name?
From: Sandy Mc Lean

or the 8 hand reel..................

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