Sandfields Comprehensive - Welsh Folk Dancing

Year 7 pupils at Sandfields Comprehensive are going to perform a traditional Welsh Folk Dance. Evolving from natural, spontaneous behaviour on festive occasions, Welsh folk dancing, or dawnsio gwerin in Welsh, developed through the centuries into set moves for single sex groups and groups of men and women usually to the accompainment of simple, handmade musical instruments.

With the advent of Non-Conformist sects in the 18th and 19th centuries, Welsh folk dancing was seen as a 'sinful' form of entertainment, and attempts were made to stamp out the dances throughout Wales. Therefore, for nearly 200 years, Welsh folk dancing played a very small part in Welsh culture.

It took the formation of the Welsh Folk Dancing Society in 1949 to promote folk dancing once more in Wales, and with the continuing resurgence in interest in Welsh culture, the popularity of folk dancing is once again on the rise, being seen as an important element of our rich culture here in Wales.