by Treva Bedinghaus
Folk dance is a form of dance developed
by a group of people that reflects the
traditional life of a certain country or
region. Folk dancing represents the
dance forms of the common people as
opposed to those from the upper classes.
Folk dances may emerge spontaneously
among groups of people or derive from
previous styles. The style can be free-
form or rigidly structures. Once
established, folk dance steps are passed
down through generations and rarely
change.
Usually associated with social activity
Usually associated with social activities,
some dances are also performed
competitively, and in some regions, folk
dancing is even involved in cultural
education.
NORTH AMERICA
A few famous folk dances from North
America include contra dancing, square
dancing and clogging, in addition to the
dances of Native Americans. In contra
dancing, lines of couples follow the
instructions of a caller who chooses from
between six and 12 short dance
sequences. The dance goes for 64 beats
while the dancers make their moves and
change partners as they progress down
the line. Like contra dancing, square
dancing has couples dancing to the
instructions of a caller, but with square
dancing, four couples begin the dance
facing one another in a square. Clogging
is most well known through the
Appalachian region and is the official
state dance of North Carolina and
Kentucky. Team clogging routines are
intensely choreographed.
Native American folk dances are linked
more to religious and cultural rituals
than other social dances of North
America. Intertribal dancing associations
were common. Types of dances include
the Fancy Dance, the War Dance, the
Hoop Dance, the Gourd Dance and the
Stomp Dance. Often associated with
celebrations, marriages and birthdays
were marked by dances involving nearly
everyone in the tribes.
Perhaps on no other continent is dance
as integral to the culture as it is in Africa.
Dances can involve a method of
education, teaching morals and etiquette,
as well as welcoming or celebrating
members of the community. Among the
myriad examples, one interesting folk
dance from Africa is Eskista, a traditional
Ethiopian dance for both men and
women. The dance focuses on rolling the
shoulder blades, bouncing the shoulders
and contracting the chest. Because of its
technical nature, Eskista is considered
one of the most complex traditional
dance forms in that nation.
If you know your Traditions so well name any folk dance of your place you know
For me is Ajah' ogwirinya and so on :D
