A folk dance is a dance that reflects the life of the people of a certain country or region. Not all ethnic dances are folk dances. For example, ritual dances or dances of ritual origin are not considered to be folk dances. Ritual dances are usually called "religious dances" because of their purpose.
The terms "ethnic" and "traditional" are used when it is required to emphasize the cultural roots of the dance. In this sense, nearly all folk dances are ethnic ones. If some dances, such as polka, cross ethnic boundaries and even cross the boundary between "folk" and "ballroom dance", ethnic differences are often considerable enough to mention.[1]
Background
Traditional dancers and performance during the Pulljay festivities in Tarabuco.
Folk dances share several commonly recognized characteristics:
They are typically performed at social gatherings or community events by people with little or no professional training, often accompanied by traditional or folk music.[2]
Folk dances generally originate as participatory social activities rather than as staged performances, although some may later be adapted or stylized for theatrical presentation.[3]
Their form and execution are primarily guided by inherited traditions transmitted across generations, reflecting local or regional identities, though gradual adaptation and change are common.[4]
New dancers typically learn through informal means—by observing, imitating, and receiving assistance from more experienced participants—rather than through formal instruction.[4][3]
Modern social dances such as hip hop and other street styles have often evolved spontaneously within communities, but the term folk dance is generally not applied to them. Instead, they are more commonly referred to as street dances or vernacular dances.[5][6] The term folk dance is typically reserved for dance forms that are significantly bound by tradition and that originated during periods when a clear distinction existed between the dances of the “common folk” and those of the social elite, many of which later evolved into modern ballroom and theatrical dance forms.[7]
Europe
Italians dancing the tarantella.Serbian folk group dancing at a festival.Rapper Sword Dancers - Sheffield Steel.Turkey folk dance.
Country dance shares historical and stylistic features with both contemporary folk dance and ballroom dance. Many country and ballroom dances trace their origins to earlier folk traditions, having undergone gradual refinement and formalization over time.[10][7]
Folk dances often developed long before the establishment of modern national or political boundaries, resulting in certain dance forms being shared across multiple countries and cultures. For example, several Serbian, Bulgarian, and Croatian dances exhibit closely related steps, styles, and musical structures, and in some cases even share the same names and melodies.[11][12][13]
International folk dance groups exist in many cities and on college campuses around the world, where participants learn and perform traditional dances from a wide variety of cultures for recreation and social connection.[14][15][6]
Balfolk refers to social dance events featuring live folk-inspired music, popular primarily in Western and Central Europe. The movement originated during the folk revival of the 1970s and has grown in popularity since around 2000. Balfolk events typically include partner dances that were fashionable across Europe in the late 19th century—such as the schottische, polka, mazurka, and waltz—along with a variety of regional and traditional dances, mainly from France, but also from Sweden, Spain, and other European countries.[16][17][6]
The regions of the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia are home to a vast array of folk dance traditions that reflect centuries of cultural exchange, migration, and shared heritage across ancient trade routes such as the Silk Road. Folk dances in these areas often feature rhythmic footwork, expressive gestures, and distinctive regional music, serving as integral parts of weddings, festivals, and communal celebrations. In the Middle East, circle and line dances such as the Dabke are performed across Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan. Central Asian traditions include energetic group dances such as the Attan of Afghanistan and the Lezginka found across the Caucasus and Central Asia. In South Asia, folk dances such as Bhangra and Giddha from Punjab, Garba and Dandiya Raas from Gujarat, and the Kummi and Kolattam dances of southern India express agricultural, seasonal, and social themes through movement and music.[18][19][20][21]
Bihu, an Assamese dance celebrating the arrival of spring, traditionally the beginning of the Assamese New Year
Attan - The national dance of Afghanistan. Also a popular folk dance of the Pashtun tribes of Pakistan, including the unique styles of Quetta and Waziristan in Pakistan.
India has a rich and diverse tradition of folk dances, reflecting its regional, linguistic, and cultural variety. Nearly every state and community maintains distinctive dance forms associated with agricultural cycles, festivals, rituals, and social gatherings. In northern India, dances such as Bhangra and Giddha from Punjab and Rouf from Jammu and Kashmir celebrate seasonal and festive occasions, while in western India, Garba and Dandiya Raas from Gujarat, and Lavani from Maharashtra, blend rhythm and storytelling. Eastern India features dances such as Chhau of Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, and Bihu from Assam, whereas in southern India, forms such as Kummi, Kolattam, and Oppana are performed during festivals and community events. These dances often emphasize collective participation, traditional costume, and regionally distinct music and instruments.[19][23][24][6]
East and Southeast Asia
East and Southeast Asia encompass a wide range of folk dance traditions that reflect the region’s diverse ethnic groups, religious influences, and historical interactions. In East Asia, dance forms such as Bon Odori in Japan, Yangge and Lion dances in China, and Talchum in Korea are performed during festivals and community celebrations, often combining music, costume, and symbolism. In Southeast Asia, folk and social dances like the Tinikling of the Philippines, Ramwong of Thailand, Apsara dance of Cambodia, Zapin of Malaysia, and Legong of Bali, Indonesia, express local legends, agricultural traditions, and ceremonial customs. Across the region, folk dances frequently serve as living expressions of cultural identity and communal harmony.[19][6][25][26]
Singkil, traditional folk dance of the Maranao people of the Philippines depicting parts of the epic poem, Darangen.Members from the Philippine Cultural Dancers group perform tinikling during the 2007 Asian Pacific Heritage Month celebration at the Kadena Air Base, Japan.
↑ Buckland, Theresa. "Definitions of Folk Dance: Some Explorations." Folk Music Journal 4, no. 5 (1983): 281–296. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/4522127 JSTOR 4522127].
1 2 Lykesas, Georgios, Koutsouba, Maria, and Tyrovola, Vassiliki. "The Transformation of Traditional Dance from Its First to Its Second Existence." International Journal of Education and Practice 5, no. 10 (2017): 147–157. [https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1166100.pdf ERIC EJ1166100].
↑ Schloss, Joseph G. Foundation: B-boys, B-girls and Hip-Hop Culture in New York. Oxford University Press, 2009.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Thomas, Helen. The Routledge Encyclopedia of Dance Studies. Routledge, 2014.
1 2 Kealiʻinohomoku, Joann. "An Anthropologist Looks at Ballet as a Form of Ethnic Dance." In What Is Dance? Readings in Theory and Criticism, edited by Roger Copeland and Marshall Cohen. Oxford University Press, 1983 (orig. 1970).
↑ Forrest, John. The History of Morris Dancing, 1458–1750. University of Toronto Press, 2011.
↑ Sharp, Cecil J., and Karpeles, Maud. The Country Dance Book. London: Novello & Co., 1912.
↑ Hilton, Wendy. Dance and Music of Court and Theater: Selected Writings of Wendy Hilton. Pendragon Press, 1990.
↑ Rice, Timothy. Bulgaria: Songs from the Shopi Region. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 2003.
↑ Giurchescu, Anca, and László Felföldi. "Dance as Shared Culture: The Balkans as a Dance Area." In Dance and Society: Dancer as a Cultural Performer, edited by Elsie Ivancich Dunin et al., Nordic Institute of Folk Life, 1994.
↑ Milošević, Vlastimir. Traditional Dances of Serbia: Their History and Development. Institute of Musicology SASA, 2019.
↑ Shapiro, Shona. International Folk Dance: A Community for All Ages. Folk Dance Federation of California, 2008.
↑ Tucker, Jonathan. The Folk Dance Handbook: Learning, Teaching, and Creating Community. Routledge, 2013.
↑ Rühlmann, André. "The Balfolk Movement: Between Folk Tradition and Contemporary Social Dance." Yearbook for Traditional Music 47 (2015): 145–162.
↑ Bithell, Caroline, and Juniper Hill, eds. The Oxford Handbook of Music Revival. Oxford University Press, 2014.
↑ Shay, Anthony. Choreographic Politics: State Folk Dance Companies, Representation, and Power. Wesleyan University Press, 2005.
1 2 3 Roy, Ananya. Dance in South Asia: Traditions and Transformations. Cambridge University Press, 2010.
↑ Naroditskaya, Inna. Song from the Land of Fire: Continuity and Change in Azerbaijanian Mugham. Routledge, 2003.
↑ Nahachewsky, Andriy. Ukrainian Dance: A Cross-Cultural Approach. McFarland, 2012.
↑ Vatsyayan, Kapila. Indian Classical Dance. Publications Division, Government of India, 1974.
↑ Srivastava, Ranjana. Folk Culture and Oral Tradition in India. Rawat Publications, 2004.
↑ Wrazen, Louise. “Music and Dance in East and Southeast Asia.” In The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: East Asia: China, Japan, and Korea, edited by Robert C. Provine, Yosihiko Tokumaru, and J. Lawrence Witzleben. Routledge, 2007.
↑ Hanna, Judith Lynne. Dance, Sex, and Gender: Signs of Identity, Dominance, Defiance, and Desire. University of Chicago Press, 1988.
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