Folk dance facts for kids

Morris dancing in the grounds of Wells Cathedral, England

A folk dance is a dance that has some or all of the following:

• They are dances at social functions by people with little or no professional training. They are often to traditional music or music based on traditional music.
• They are not made for public performance or the stage. Traditional folkdances may be later arranged and set for stage performances.
• The way they are done is strongly about inherited tradition rather than making changes. Although like all folk traditions they do change over time.
• New dancers often learn informally by watching others and/or getting help from others.

Even though some people argue with it, folk dancing can be dancing for with no governing body or dancing for which there are no competitive or professional performances.

Europe

A Ball de bastons stick dance from Catalonia

Cyprus folk dance with glasses in Paphos

Types of European folk dance include:

• Polonez (Polish),
• clogging,
• English country dance,
• international folk dance,
• Irish dance,
• Maypole dance,
• Morris dance,
• Turkish dance,
• Welsh Morris Dance,
• Nordic polska dance,
• Ball de bastons,
• square dance, and
• sword dance.

Sword dances include Longsword dances and rapier dancing. Some choreographed dances such as contra dance, Scottish country dance, and modern Western square dance, are called folk dances, though this is not true in the strictest sense. Country dance overlaps with contemporary folk dance and ballroom dance. Most country dances and ballroom dances are from folk dances, with small changes over the years.

Middle East & South Asia

• Attan - The national dance of Afghanistan
• Azerbaijani dances
• Kurdish dance
• Assyrian folk dance
• Georgian Folk Dances
  

  Mtiuluri
• Bhangra a Punjabi harvest dance and music style that has become popular worldwide.
• Ghoomar a traditional Bhil tribe women's folk dance of Rajasthan, India.
• Ghumura Dance: War Dance from Kingdom of Kalahandi, Orissa, India
• Kalbelia is one of the most sensuous dance forms of Rajasthan, performed by the kalbelia tribe.
• Israeli folk dance

Images for kids

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  Balinese dance, Indonesian folk dance

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  Malambo, Argentine folk dance

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  Traditional Valencian dances

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  Rapper Sword Dancers - Sheffield Steel

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  Folk Dancing at Jack in the Green May Day festival in Hastings, UK.

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  Turkey folk dance

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  Armenian dancers. HlushenkovFolkFest in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine.

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  Punjabi Folk Dance in Pakistan and India

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  Cambodian Peacock dance

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  Javanese dancer performing Srimpi dance in Java, Indonesia

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  Singkil, traditional folk dance of the Maranao people of the Philippines depicting parts of the epic poem, Darangen.

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  Members from the Philippine Cultural Dancers group perform tinikling during the 2007 Asian Pacific Heritage Month celebration at the Kadena Air Base, Japan

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  Kyushtdepdi

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  Assyrians dancing khigga.

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  Mtiuluri

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  Macedonian female folk dance, Tresenica, performed by Tanec

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  Podhale Gorals dancing

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  Traditional Russian squat dancing

See also

In Spanish: Danza folclórica para niños