Folk dance

A folk dance is a type of dance that mirrors the everyday life of a specific country or region. However, not every ethnic dance qualifies as a folk dance; dances with ritual origins are typically set apart and called religious dances. When the focus is on a dance's cultural roots, the terms "ethnic" or "traditional" are used, and in this sense, nearly all folk dances are ethnic. If a dance like the polka spreads across different cultures and even blurs the line between folk and ballroom, its ethnic variations are usually still significant enough to note.

Folk dances tend to share common traits. They are usually performed at community gatherings or social events by people who lack formal professional training, often to traditional or folk music. These dances start out as participatory social activities rather than staged shows, though some may later be adapted for the theater. Their form and execution are shaped by traditions passed down through generations, reflecting local or regional identity, though gradual change is common. New dancers typically pick up the steps informally by watching, imitating, and getting help from more experienced dancers.

Modern social dances like hip hop and other street styles often emerge spontaneously within communities, but they are not usually called folk dances. Instead, they are referred to as street or vernacular dances. The term "folk dance" is generally reserved for dances that are strongly bound by tradition and that originated when there was a clear divide between the dances of common people and those of the elite—many of which later evolved into modern ballroom and theatrical forms.

In Europe, sword dances include traditional forms like long sword dances and rapper dancing. Some choreographed social dances, such as contra dance, Scottish highland dance, Scottish country dance, and modern Western square dance, are sometimes described as folk dances, though this is not strictly accurate from an ethnological standpoint. Country dance shares historical and stylistic features with both folk and ballroom dance, and many country and ballroom dances trace their roots to earlier folk traditions that were gradually refined and formalized. Since folk dances often developed before modern national borders existed, many are shared across countries; for instance, several Serbian, Bulgarian, and Croatian dances have closely related steps, styles, and music, and sometimes even share names and melodies. International folk dance groups exist in many cities and on college campuses worldwide, where people learn and perform traditional dances from various cultures for recreation and social connection.

Balfolk refers to social dance events with live folk-inspired music, popular mainly in Western and Central Europe. This movement began during the folk revival of the 1970s and has grown since around 2000. Balfolk events typically include partner dances that were fashionable across Europe in the late 19th century—like the schottische, polka, mazurka, and waltz—along with regional and traditional dances, mostly from France, but also from Sweden, Spain, and other European countries. Varieties of European folk dances include Austrian folk dance, ball de bastons, barn dance, Bulgarian dances (such as pravo horo, paidushko horo, gankino horo, and daychovo horo), circle dance, Dutch crossing, English country dance, fandango, flamenco, freilekhs, Georgian dance, Greek dances, hora, international folk dance, Irish dance (including ceili dance), Italian folk dance (tarantella, Calabrian tarantella, pizzica, monferrina, ballu tundu), jenkka, jota, kolo, ländler, maypole dance, Morris dance, polka, Polish folk dances (polonaise, oberek, krakowiak, mazurka, kujawiak), Russian folk dance, Turkish dance, Ukrainian dance, verbuňk, Nordic polska dance, schuhplattler, square dance, sword dance, weapon dance, Welsh dance, and zwiefacher.

In the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia, a vast array of folk dance traditions reflect centuries of cultural exchange, migration, and shared heritage along ancient trade routes like the Silk Road. These dances often feature rhythmic footwork, expressive gestures, and distinctive regional music, and are integral to weddings, festivals, and communal celebrations. In the Middle East, circle and line dances like 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 like 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. Specific examples include ardah, Armenian dance, Assyrian folk dance, Azerbaijani dances, bihu (an Assamese dance celebrating spring and the Assamese New Year), and attan (the national dance of Afghanistan, also a popular folk dance of the Pashtun tribes of Pakistan, including unique styles from Quetta and Wazi).