folk dance

American  

noun

folk dances plural

1. a dance that originated among, and has been transmitted through, the common people.

2. a piece of music for such a dance.

---

folk dance British  

noun

1. any of various traditional rustic dances often originating from festivals or rituals

2. a piece of music composed for such a dance

---

verb

1. to perform a folk dance

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• folk dancer
  noun
• folk dancing
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• folk dances
  plural

Etymology

Origin of folk dance

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

But after Trump Jr. touched down, the two men toured the Ambanis’ private zoo, and at night they performed a Gujarati folk dance, grinning as they moved together to the music.

From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026

This 1898 divertissement by Marius Petipa, to the melodious music of Alexander Glazunov, is accented with moves shaped by Hungarian folk dance and has long been a staple of various classical ballet companies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

At the forefront is Unitree, which went viral in January after its humanoid robots performed a Chinese folk dance live, marching rhythmically while tossing and twirling handkerchiefs.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2025

Arm in arm, young people of different faiths perform the dabke, an Arabic folk dance, in the Italian port of Ostia, elated by a visit from Pope Leo XIV.

From Barron's • Oct. 18, 2025

This is the first time I get to dance Tinikling, a folk dance that mimics a tikling bird hopping between stems of grass and running over tree branches.

From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio