Apart from these the rest of the evening would be taken up with other fun dances of no particular ethnic origin but done to Irish Jigs, Reels, Hornpipes and Polkas. The band would also be able to play a Waltz and may be a slow Air. Some bands also have Accordian and Bass Guitar. All these types of bands come with an experienced Caller who will encourage the guests to get up on the floor, will quickly walk through the dance before the music starts and then call reminds over the top of the music. T his sort of Dancing is suitable for most ages.
Children especially love the rhythm and are usually first on to the floor.
Since River Dance came into popularity, interest in Irish Dancing has really taken off and when the band plays without the caller it is not unusual for a number of guests to do their own thing to steps they learned in Irish Dancing Classes. At a proper Ceilidh it is not unusual for them to dance together to dances learned as they were growing up. The Irish teach what is called 'set' dancing in their schools but this is too complicated for novices to be taught in a short space of time. W e often get calls from potential clients who want music like The Corrs, The Dubliners, The Chieftans, The Pogues etc. or singers like Daniel O' Donnel, Mick Flavin, Philomena Begley etc. T he Corrs play a highly stylised type of Irish Music and we can usually find someone similar but prices would tend to be on the high-side.