Ethnic Dance: Welsh Folk Dancing


Figure 1.--Dancers perform in traditionl costumes which best I can tell look loosely like 18th century clohing, although we have few details at this time. I'm not sure if the Welsh Folk Dance Society provides any guidance as to costuming or if this is left up to individual groups.

We know very little about Welsh dancing. We know nothing about medieval Welsh dancing. The growing importance of Non-conformist sects in the 18th and 19th centuries adversely affected traditioinal dance forms. Church leaders saw dance in general as well as other forms of Welsh folk arts and customs as essentially sinful. Religious leaders set out to stamp out sinful Welsh practices and traditional damcing was one of the activities considered the most sinful. To a large extent they were successful, but written records survived as well as dances which were adopted outside Wales. Welsh folk dancing and other aspects of Welsch folk culture by the beginning of the 20th century was no longer an important part of Welsh life. Only gradually did an interest develop in reviving lost Welsh folk traditions. After World War II, enthusiasts founded the Welsh Folk Dance Society (1949). There are now several adult folk dancing teams active in Wales and many children's groups in Welsh schools.

History

We know nothing about medieval Welsh dancing. The growing importance of Non-conformist sects in the 18th and 19th centuries adversely affected traditioinal dance forms. Church leaders saw dance in general as well as other forms of Welsh folk arts and customs as essentially sinful. Religious leaders set out to stamp out sinful Welsh practices and traditional damcing was one of the activities considered the most sinful. Leaders like Thomas Charles preached against folk entertainment. Besides dancing they also encouraged the Welsh to turn against folk singing as well as Mabsant festivals where folk traditions were celebrated. The one musical form that was promoted was hymn singing and other religious music. The Welsh cultural tradition was largely oral and thus the effort to stamp out the Welsh traditioin could have permanently destroyed it. There were individuals who objected go the religious assault on traditional culture. Thus there was an effort to make written records of some of the dances. There were efforts to collect and publish Welsh dances beginning in the mid-17th century. At the time there was considerable exchangees between dancing traditiins within the United Kingdom (England, Irelamd, Scotland, and Wales) as well as with European dancing. As a result, some Welsh dances became accepted else where in Britain. Often but not alwys they retained their original Welsh names translated into English. (Welsh is totoriously difficult to translate.) Welsh folk culture, however, largely disappeared in Wales under the religious onslaught. Welsh folk dancing and other aspects of Welsch folk culture by the beginning of the 20th century was no longer an important part of Welsh life. Only gradually did an interest develop in reviving lost Welsh folk traditions. After World War II, enthusiasts founded the Welsh Folk Dance Society (1949).

Dance Forms


Competitioins and Festivals

There are now several adult folk dancing teams active in Wales and many children's groups in Welsh schools. The Urdd National Eisteddfod ctively promotes Welsh dancing and has succeeded in interesting children and youth in folk dancing competitions. Important annual events are the Gwent Children's Festival and the Welsh Children's Festival. Interest in traditional dancing is especiallystrong in southern Wales, I'm not sure why this is. Particularly important is the St John's Eve Festival (Gwyl Ifan) held in Cardiff every midsummer.

Costumes

Dancers perform in traditionl costumes which best I can tell look loosely like 18th century clohing, although we have few details at this time. I'm not sure if the Welsh Folk Dance Society provides any guidance as to costuming or if this is left up to individual groups.







HBC





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Created: 11:46 AM 8/3/2004
Last updated: 11:46 AM 8/3/2004