Folk Dance

I

Introduction

Folk Dance, recreational or ceremonial dance usually performed by members of the community to which the dance is traditional. To differentiate folk dance from other kinds of dance, varying criteria have been used, each of which can be shown to have exceptions. The idea of folk dance is frequently connected with concepts of ethnicity, the lower classes, rural culture, authenticity, and tradition. This reflects the evolution of the idea of “the folk” from 18th-century Europe during the development of nation states and increasing industrialization and urbanization. Today, the use of the term is wide-ranging, but it is mainly used to distinguish dances that are perceived to have originated with, and been practised by, the people.

II

The Dancers

Folk dance is sometimes defined as dance performed by agricultural peoples who live in close-knit communities. People in modern industrialized cities, however, participate regularly in what are called folk dances, which were brought to the city by immigrants from rural areas or, sometimes, from other nations. Although the dances of rural Europe are called folk dances, in Africa—which has no peasant-aristocracy division comparable to that of 18th-century Europe—rural dances that in function and complexity are comparable to European folk dances are instead often called tribal dances; confusingly and inconsistently, African traditional stories are often called folk tales.

III

Spectators

Folk dance is usually viewed as being strictly for the pleasure of the participants, as not requiring an audience, and, despite the dancers’ enjoyment, as often being of little interest to spectators. If participant pleasure is the only criterion, folk dance overlaps somewhat with much tribal dance and with modern popular and social dance, for example, the waltz and the twist. Paradoxically, some traditional ritual and ceremonial dances, such as the English morris dance and the Romanian caluşari, have for generations attracted local informal audiences. On the other hand, when a traditional recreational dance is performed on-stage in a formal concert, its origin, steps, and patterns may be those of folk dance, but it has been removed from the context of folk culture.

IV

Level of Complexity

Folk dances are usually thought to be simple dances composed of repetitive, easy-to-learn steps. Many folk dances, however, are highly complex and may even be performed as solo virtuosic pieces, an example being the Highland fling of Scotland. Although folk dancing may be considered a non-professional activity, some people make their living by performing staged adaptations of folk dances.