Come and dance

At Gŵyl Ifan this year there will be a chance for everyone to dance.

It all kicks off with the Grand Procession through the streets of Cardiff at 11am on Saturday, 16 June.

Then come down to the Wales Millenium Centre (WMC) in Cardiff Bay to see the dancers perform, then have a go yourselves.

Groups will be appearing at the Lanfa, WMC between 12.30pm - 4pm on Saturday, 16 June.

Our friends, Meskajou from Brittany will be returning and for the first time the folk group, La Picouline, France will be attending.

La Picouline

Eleni bydd La Picouline o Villard de Lans, ger Grenoble yn ne-ddwyrain Ffrainc yn diddanu’r torfeydd yng Nghaerdydd.

Mae’r grŵp dros 30 mlwydd oed ac mae hanner o aelodau’r tîm yn blant. 

Maen nhw’n perfformio hen draddodiadau a dawnsiau o ardal Dauphiné yn rheolaidd ac yn arddangos mewn parciau gwyliau a gwyliau lleol mewn pentrefi yn Ffrainc.

This year, La Picouline from Villard de Lans, near Grenoble in south-east France will be entertaining the crowds in Cardiff.

The group is more than thirty years old with half of the members being children.

In France they regularly perform old customs and dances from the  Dauphiné region at holiday parks and local village fêtes.

Gŵyl Ifan 2012

Gŵyl o Ddawnsio Gwerin Cymreig yw Gŵyl Ifan ble mae timoedd o ddawnswyr a cherddorion o bob cwr o Gymru a thu hwnt yn dod i Gaerdydd i ddathlu Canol Haf. 

Mae’r Ŵyl yn para dros benwythnos.

Ar ddydd Sadwrn mae Gorymdaith Fawr trwy’r Ddinas, Codi’r Pawl Haf a dawnsio mewn llefydd amrywiol o gwmpas y Ddinas a’r Bae, yn cynnwys Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru, Parc Cathays a’r Lanfa yng Nghanolfan y Mileniwm.

Pencadlys yr Ŵyl unwaith eto eleni fydd Gwesty’r Angel, Caerdydd lle y cynhelir y Twmpath nos Wener a’r Daplas nos Sadwrn.

Cysylltwch â ni drwy e-bostio: post@gwylifan.org

The raising of the Summer Pole

Gŵyl Ifan is the largest festival of its kind in Wales, attracting 100s of dancers to Cardiff from all over Wales to parade through the the streets and raise the Summer Pole.

Following a summer festival by the Welsh Folk Dance Society in 1976, the idea of holding an annual folk dance festival was discussed and Gŵyl Ifan was born.

The festival has changed over the years in length and location. The first Taplas was held in Cardiff Castle before moving to Caerphilly Castle and City Hall.

The custom of raising the Summer Pole has developed over the years. 

The pole was first raised at St Fagans National History Museum then in front of City Hall and in Cardiff Bay.

Althought there have been many changes the nature and ideal of the festival remains the same - giving people the chance to meet and dance together from all over the world.

Over the years Gŵyl Ifan has invited groups from fellow Celtic countries as well as some further afield.

These have included Brittany, Cornwall, Ireland, Scotland, the Isel of Man as well as England, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway and even Japan.