page_title: Folk dance
section_title: Europe
hierarchical_section_title: Folk dance / Europe
context_page_description: 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.
context_section_description: 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.
caption: A Ball de bastons stick dance from Catalonia
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