Welsh Dancing

Dances

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Figures

Stepping

History & References

In Wales itself, the profile of welsh dancing is low in comparison with that of music, song and poetry, the traditional art forms that are emphasised at eisteddfods in Wales. This is attributed to Welsh dancing having almost died out in the 19th century largely due to the Calvinistic religious revival movement which regarded dancing as wicked.

Welsh dancing includes;

  • Country Dances from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, which have strong affinities with English and Scottish Country Dances      of the same period
  • 19th century South Wales fair dances, some of which have affinities with Morris Dancing
  • Solo clog dances (the only authentically Welsh style of dance that has survived unbroken through the ages)
  • Modern barn dances (‘dawnsiau twmpath’ in Welsh), and
  • Modern country and fair dances based on traditional patterns and figures.

Welsh dancing saw a revival in the 20th century through the efforts of dance historians and the formation of the Welsh Folk Dance Society in 1949. Welsh dances share many features in common with other dance forms in the British Isles, with Scottish and English Country Dancing in particular and Morris dancing as well. What differentiates Welsh dancing from the Scottish and English is the style and variety of music danced to (Wales being a musical nation) and also the complexity of many popular Welsh dances. For information on dancing in Wales and the various publications (books, CDs, DVDs and other resources) that have been produced over the years, visit http://dawnsio.com/en/

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