Let me tell you about one of the best things in the whole, wide world - Breton dancing and its magical properties.
The Bretons dance at events called "Festou-Noz" or "Night Festivals." They are gatherings of locals and visitors who come together to celebrate "Breton-ness" (my word). These dances encapsulate everything about being a proud Celt and wanting to show it off. The music is mesmerizing and performed on everything from a capella voices through medieval bagpipe and rustic oboe to synths and drum sets. The dances are simple and hypnotic. They are performed by everyone from the youngest to the very oldest in the community in circles, lines and spirals. Add to the music and dance, fantastic crepes, frites, oysters, cidre and wine, and you have the makings of a really good night out (IMHO). There has been a huge renaissance of interest in the music and dance of Brittany in the last number of years, and younger and younger folks are dancing the dances and learning to play the music.
It was the summer of 1993 and I had just gone back to England from California where I had led dances on a tour of the west coast. During the trip I had decided that I would try living in California for a while. There were a few weeks before going back to California, so I thought that I would like to visit Brittany during the time, as it might be quite a while before my next visit.
Accompanied by a friend from Bristol named Angela, we set off. Angela was an avid circle dancer, but had never been to Brittany or a Fest Noz. I had been to many, of all kinds. They had varied from huge events at the big festivals such as Lorient and Quimper and small, local affairs in far flung villages.
We made our way to the tiny, fairly remote village of Logonna-Daoulas which was situated on the rocky coast just south of Brest.
Logonna-Daoulas certainly took some finding, even with a good map. We did find it in the late afternoon and there were many villagers building a huge bonfire on the village green. We were much too early, as most Festou-Noz don't start until about 10:00pm. Having assured ourselves that we'd found the right place, we set off to find lodging. Home on that night turned out to be a beautiful converted watermill nearby. The thing with a Fest Noz is that if it's successful it continues on until the early hours of the morning. We may not need these beds after all (but they would be good for sleeping off the festivities the next day). We snoozed in the garden and ate a hearty Breton meal in the restaurant of the mill to prepare ourselves for the dancing.
At around 10:00 we drove back into the village and things seemed as though they weren't going to get going for quite a while. We went into the local bar and had some drinks and only slowly did things start to happen. We found that the dance was to commemorate the burning of Joan of Arc and that "things never get going until late around here."
At about 10:45 there was a rush of people to the bar and the excitement began to grow. We went outside just in time to see the lighting of the bonfire, which by this time was as tall as a three story house! The musicians would play from a stage made of a farm trailer with a cover and the outside bar was beginning to do brisk business. The main band for the evening was one of my favorites. "Skolvan" appeared on stage and it was straight into a gavotte and we were off - no introductions, no big build up. In fact there wasn't a single announcement of any kind all night.
The dances kept coming - an dro, plin, laride, rond de Loudeac on into the night ...
When Skolvan were having a break, we danced to an elderly couple of men from the village who sang "Kan ha Diskan", an a capella style of singing. The tempo wavered greatly, but it was wonderful to experience. We also danced to two young musicians called "sonerion" (in Breton) or "sonneurs de couple" (in French). This was the music that Alan Stivell envisioned for a Fest Noz as played on the biniou koz (old bagpipe) and the bombarde (rustic oboe). They were really hot and I could see that in a couple of years they were going to be well known in Brittany.
The fire was constantly replenished and it was incredibly hot. The steps of Breton dances are simple and hypnotic and as the night wore on I could feel that I was getting into a very deep place within myself. I consider the dances 'moving meditations.'
At around about 3:00am it began to rain very heavily and all of us who were dancing in the spiral just moved closer to the fire and were protected by a dome of steam. Those still drinking at the bar were getting soaked. I began to feel very strange. It was as though a huge serpent was uncurling in my belly and was beginning to move up my spine. My chakras were opening with a whoosh as the snake got to them and I was getting lighter and lighter. The dances just kept coming, no conversation between them, no introductions, the band struck up and we danced. Eventually the serpent reached my crown chakra and opened it with a huge burst of flame. I was flying.
I continued to dance in this ecstatic state for hours. 4:00am, 5:00am came and I really felt that at last I understood what these dances were about. Obviously I was experiencing the opening of the Kundalini energy as is taught in eastern traditions and I hadn't even been trying. At about 6:00am I felt the serpent begin to recede, down through the chakras, closing them as it went. Suddenly I began to feel incredibly tired and asked Angela if she would like to leave. We did and she drove back to the watermill.
I have wondered since if many Bretons have had the experience that I did whilst dancing; and thought maybe I'd had it due to my experience of sacred circle dance. It was September 1995 before I thought of it again. I was dancing with the band Ad Vielle Que Pourra at the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley, California. Benoit from the band was teaching an An Dro and he was talking about raising the serpent. I went to talk to him at the end, and he told me that he had experienced it on a number of occasions.
It's now 2007, and I have danced at hundreds more Festou-Noz. The serpent has risen on many occasions where I have been able to give myself to the music and dance without having to be concerned about teaching or performing. A Fest Noz can be attended at many levels from pure entertainment, through a community gathering to a spiritual event. When in Brittany look for the magic words FEST NOZ on posters in tabac windows, on notice boards or telegraph poles. For the price of a few Euros, you can join in the dance and have a peak into a Celtic world that almost disappeared. With all the music and dance enthusiasts in Brittany right now, I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon.
- Ray Price
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