Folk dance is a term used to describe a large number of dances, mostly of European origin, that tend to share the following attributes:
- originally danced in about the 19th century or earlier (or are, in any case, not copyrighted);
- performance is dominated by an inherited tradition rather than by innovation;
- danced by common people and not exclusively by aristocracy;
- developed spontaneously and there is no governing body that has final say over what "the dance" is or who is authorized to teach it. Copyright is a legal concept enacted by Governments, giving the creator of an original work of authorship Exclusive rights to control its distribution usually for Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations This also means that no one has the final say over the definition of folk dance or the minimum age for such dances.
Folk dances are traditionally performed during social events by people with little or no professional training. Social dance is a major category or classification of Danceforms or dance styles where sociability and socializing are the primary focuses of the dancing New dancers often learn informally by observing others and/or receiving help from others. Folk dancing is viewed as more of a social activity rather than competitive, although there are professional and semi-professional folk dance groups, and occasional folk dance competitions. Competitive dance is a popular widespread activity in which competitors perform dances in any of several permitted dance styles—such as acro, Ballet, jazz
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Terminology
The term "folk dance" is sometimes applied to certain dances of historical importance in European culture and history; typically originated before 20th century. A morris dance is a form of English Folk dance usually accompanied by music Wells Cathedral is a Church of England Cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England. Wells is a small Cathedral city and Civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, on the southern edge of the Mendip England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland For other cultures the terms "ethnic dance" or "traditional dance" are sometimes used, although the latter terms may encompass ceremonial dances. Ceremonial dance is a major category or classification of Dance forms or dance styles where the purpose is ceremonial or Ritualistic This compares
There are a number of modern dances, such as hip hop dance, that evolve spontaneously, but the term "folk dance" is generally not applied to them, and the terms "street dance" or "vernacular dance" are used instead. The term "folk dance" is reserved for dances which are to a significant degree bound by European tradition and originated in the times when the distinction existed between the dances of "common folk" and the dances of the "high society".
A number of modern ballroom dances originated from folk ones.
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, e. g. , Czech polka vs. German polka.
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.
Types of folk dance
Types of folk dance include clogging, English country dance, international folk dance, Irish dance, Maypole dance, Morris dance, Nordic polska dance, Ball de bastons, square dance, and sword dance. Ball de bastons ( Catalan for "stick dance" is the name of a ritual Weapon dance spread throughout Europe and the rest of the Iberian area ( Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. Clogging is a type of Folk dance rooted in traditional European dancing from the British Isles, in which the dancer's footwear is used musically by striking the heel English Country Dance, sometimes abbreviated ECD is a form of Folk dance. International folk dance is a Genre of Dance wherein selected Folk dances from multiple Ethnic groups are done by the same dancers Irish dances can broadly be divided into Social dance and Performance dances Irish social dancing can be divided further into céilí and set Maypole dancing is a form of Folk dance from Western Europe, especially England, Sweden and Germany, with two distinctive traditions A morris dance is a form of English Folk dance usually accompanied by music The polska is a family of music and dance forms shared by the Nordic countries: called polsk in Denmark, polska in Sweden and Ball de bastons ( Catalan for "stick dance" is the name of a ritual Weapon dance spread throughout Europe and the rest of the Iberian area ( Square dance is a Folk dance with four couples (eight dancers arranged in a square with one couple on each side beginning with Couple 1 facing away from the music and going Sword dances are recorded from throughout world history There are various traditions of solo and mock battle ( Pyrrhic) sword dances from Greece, the Middle East Some choreographed dances such as contra dance, Israeli folk dance, Scottish country dance, and modern Western square dance, are called folk dances, though this is not true in the strictest sense. See also, Choreography (literally "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" (circular dance see chorea) and "γραφή" Contra dance (also contradance, contra-dance and other variant spellings refers to several Folk dance styles in which couples dance in two facing lines This article is about Israeli folk dancing For the main article on Jewish dance see Jewish dance. Scottish country dancing ("SCD" for short or "reeling" is a form of Social dance involving groups of mixed couples of dancers tracing progressive patterns Country dance overlaps with contemporary folk dance and ballroom dance. ' Country dancing' is a loose term for a number of Dance forms such as Clogging, Contradance, Cumbia, Galop, Mazurka, Most country dances and ballroom dances originated from folk dances, with gradual refinement over the years.
People familiar with folk dancing can often determine what country a dance is from even if they have not seen that particular dance before. Some countries' dances have features that are unique to that country, although neighboring countries sometimes have similar features. For example, the German and Austrian schuhplattling dance consists of slapping the body and shoes in a fixed pattern, a feature that few other countries' dances have. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich The Schuhplattler is a traditional folk dance from Bavaria and Austria. Folk dances sometimes evolved long before current political boundaries, so that certain dances are shared by several countries. For example, some Serbian, Bulgarian, and Croatian dances share the same or similar dances, and sometimes even use the same name and music for those dances.
Although folk dancing was historically done by the common people of the local culture, international folk dance has received some popularity on college campuses and community centers within the United States and other countries. International folk dance is a Genre of Dance wherein selected Folk dances from multiple Ethnic groups are done by the same dancers The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
Mexican folkloric dance developed over five centuries from the pre-Columbian era, through the Spanish conquest, the French Intervention which included an Austrian influence, the Porfiriato, and the 1910 Revolution, to the modern era. The fusion of these influences with the indigenous culture created over 300 dance styles within the thirty-two Mexican states, to comprise a unique Mexican folk dance tradition. [1]
See also
- Folklore People Community
- Austrian folk dance
- Baile Folklorico
- Boombal
- Bulgarian folk dancing
- China National Ethnic Song and Dance
- Contra dance
- Country and Western dance
- Dance basic topics, a list of general dance topics
- Igor Moiseyev
- Indian folk dances
- International folk dance
- Israeli folk dancing
- Kolo
- List of folk dances sorted by origin, a sorted list of specific ethnic, folk, traditional, and regional dances
- Morris dance
- Nordic polska dance
- Scottish country dance
- Scottish highland dance
- Social Dance
- Square dancing
- Tinikling (Philippines)
- Ukrainian dance
References
External links
- Folk festivals around the world
- Folk Dancing at the Open Directory Project
- Additional folk dance information
- Folk Dance Association (US and Canada)
- International folk dance articles
- Largest collection of folk dance videos online on Dancilla
Dictionary
folk dance
-noun
- Any dance traditionally performed by the common people of a specific region.
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