Run by freelance ceilidh & barndance caller & teacher, Kate Smith, working with bands across Cornwall & Devon: classes, workshops, weddings, parties, team building. Ceilidh Cornwall is about building community, sharing the love of dance, and promoting ceilidh dancing in Cornwall. We’d love for you to join us, the more dancers the merrier. Ceilidh dancing, similar to barn dancing, is fabulous for physical and mental wellbeing, great for making friends and is an excellent alternative to more regular forms of exercise. It is beginner-friendly, you don't need a partner and 2 left feet are not a hindrance to having fun. Arguably the best thing about ceilidh is that it is joyous and involves lots of smiling and laughter. This page aims to share information about ceilidh dancing and similar dance-forms across Cornwall, freely making information available about events organised by many different groups and bands. If you would like your event to be shared on this page please do get in touch. Ceilidh Cornwall itself is a one-person enterprise offering ceilidh dance events with excellent local ceilidh bands, freelance calling and ceilidh classes and workshops. Kate Smith (that's me) an experienced ceilidh caller runs Ceilidh Cornwall. I'm an enthusiastic ceilidh dancer who enjoys encouraging others to dance. I grew up in northeast Scotland and learned to dance as a child in the kitchen at home, at school and at PE classes and at weddings. I play whistle and flute and regularly call with bands across Cornwall and Devon for weddings, parties, community and corporate events. I also runs a series of regular ceilidh dance classes around Cornwall and workshops for all ages, home educating families, community groups and team building. I began calling and teaching ceilidh when I moved to Iceland and missed dancing, so, along with a wonderful group of folk musician friends set up the Ceilidh in Reykjavik project and The Reel Thing Ceilidh Band. I now regularly call with The Brim Ceilidh Band and The Rosevilles Ceilidh Band and sometimes with the Hilltop Ceilidh Band, The Celtic Ceilidh Collective and The Freedom Fields Ceilidh Band. I also work as a freelance caller so do get in touch if you are in need of a caller. Outside of the ceilidh world I have over 25 years' experience in higher education and in designing and running workshops and outreach for schools and community events. I love living in Cornwall, the beautiful environment here and thriving cultural traditions. I enjoy spending time with my family and folk music loving cat. I love colour, creativity, volcanoes, mountains, trees, tomatoes and drinking tea. As a one-person enterprise I try to keep up with events and communications and I try to offer classes across a range of locations. I know that people would like me to run more classes in a wider range of locations, and I'd also love to do so. I'm gradually growing the classes that I can offer but this will take time. Please do suggest venues to me, and let me know you'd like classes in your area, or book me (and a band) for a ceilidh workshop or dance night in your local village hall or even in your garden - we'd love to bring ceilidh to you and your part of the world. If you send me a message please know that it is important to me to get back to you but it might take me a day or two - feel most welcome to send me a reminder if you don't hear back quickly enough. I'm also a night owl so often reply to messages at funny times - I absolutely don't expect you to be checking your email at 1am though! I look forward to dancing with you somewhere, sometime. Please do get in touch if you'd like more ceilidh in your life.
