Set and square dances of the world
Couples in squares or facing rows, trading places through figures.
🇦🇹 Austria and 5 moreWaltzWalzer
A gliding partner dance in triple time, performed in a turning closed embraceBallroom or Latin dance · Couple · Set or square
🇫🇷 France and 4 moreQuadrille
A social dance for four couples in a square, with set figures and changing musicSocial dance · Set or square · Group
🇮🇪 Ireland and 3 moreIrish dance
Solo and group dances from Ireland, known for fast footwork and lively formationsFolk dance · Solo · Group
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreContra dance
A social line dance for pairs, led by a caller and set to live folk tunesFolk dance · Couple · Line or chain
🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreSquare dance
A group dance for four couples in a square, led by a caller or set routineFolk dance · Set or square · Group
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreCéilidh
A social dance gathering with live music from Scotland and IrelandFolk dance · Couple · Set or square
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreReel
A lively folk dance from Scotland and Ireland, done to quick, even-paced musicFolk dance · Solo · Group
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreCountry dance
A group social dance with set figures, danced in lines, squares or circlesSocial dance · Couple · Set or square
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreScottish country dance
A social dance for sets of couples, using Scottish steps and figuresFolk dance · Set or square · Line or chain
🇫🇷 France and 2 moreBaroque dance
Court and social dances from Europe’s Baroque era, 1600–1750Historical dance · Solo · Couple
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreBarn dance
A social dance event with simple steps, often guided by a callerSocial dance · Group · Circle
🇪🇸 SpainBall de bastons
A ritual stick dance from Catalonia featuring intricate clashing patterns in two rows.Folk dance · Set or square
🇬🇧 United KingdomStrip the willow
A longways set dance where couples spin and swing down a line of partners.Social dance · Set or square
InternationalSher
A square formation set dance in Klezmer music, where couples cross like scissors.Folk dance · Set or square
🇺🇸 United States and 2 morePartner dance
A coordinated dance between two people, guided by lead and follow or side-by-side touchSocial dance · Couple · Set or square
🇦🇲 ArmeniaYarkhushtaՅարխուշտա
An Armenian martial clap dance danced by men in facing rows.Folk dance · Set or square · Line or chain
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreYayue雅樂
Stately ritual court and temple music and dance from ancient ChinaCourt dance · Group · Set or square
🇮🇳 IndiaKachchhi Ghodi
A Rajasthani mock-fight folk dance performed inside decorative dummy horsesFolk dance · Group · Set or square
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 morePop Goes the Weasel
A lively 19th-century English country dance and social singing gameFolk dance · Line or chain · Set or square
🇮🇩 IndonesiaSrimpiꦱꦿꦶꦩ꧀ꦥꦶ
A graceful classical court dance of Central Java performed by matched female dancersClassical dance · Group · Set or square
🇮🇳 IndiaGhumuraଘୁମୁରା
A male drum dance from western Odisha danced with an earthen pitcherFolk dance · Circle · Group
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreLes Lanciers
A four-couple square dance of five figures, famously preserved in DenmarkBallroom or Latin dance · Set or square
🇮🇳 IndiaDuffmuttu
A rhythmic group drum dance and song tradition from the Malabar regionFolk dance · Group · Set or square
🇵🇱 Poland and 1 moreTrojak
A Silesian folk dance performed by groups of one man and two womenFolk dance · Group · Circle
🇪🇸 SpainBasque folk dance
A collection of roughly four hundred folk dances from the Basque Country, featuring sticks, swords, and communal circlesFolk dance · Circle · Set or square
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreFormation dance
Synchronized ballroom and Latin team routines danced by groups of couplesBallroom or Latin dance · Group · Couple
🇮🇩 IndonesiaJangerᬚᬗᬾᬃ
A flirtatious Balinese youth dance-drama performed by seated lines of men and womenDance-drama · Group · Line or chain
🇬🇧 United KingdomRapper sword
A fast-moving English coalfield dance linked by flexible two-handled steel swordsFolk dance · Set or square · Group
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 1 moreMagunatip
A dynamic Murut bamboo dance of quick footwork between clapping polesFolk dance · Set or square · Group
🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreCeili dancecéilí
A social gathering in Gaelic tradition featuring group and couple folk dances to live music.Folk dance · Couple · Circle
🇺🇸 United StatesCountry–western dance
Informal American social, line, and partner dances done to country music.Social dance · Couple · Line or chain
🇬🇧 United KingdomStrathspey
A Scottish country dance in four-four time with distinctive dotted rhythms.Folk dance · Set or square
🇮🇪 IrelandSlidesleamhnán
A fast Irish dance tune in 12/8 time, danced by groups in southwest IrelandFolk dance · Group · Set or square
🇸🇦 Saudi ArabiaSamriسامري
A traditional music and dance from Najd with poetry, drums, and swayingFolk dance · Line or chain · Set or square
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreCountry dance
A social group dance from England with set patterns and partner swapping.Folk dance · Line or chain · Set or square
🇵🇦 PanamaCumbia
A Panamanian circle dance of couples stepping to rhythmic drumming and accordionFolk dance · Circle · Couple
🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreWeapon dance
A ceremonial reenactment of combat using swords, staffs, spears, and archery bowsWar or martial dance · Solo · Circle
🇦🇺 Australia and 1 moreBush dance
A social partner dance from Australia, performed to live folk tunes in community halls.Folk dance · Circle · Line or chain
🇬🇷 GreecePirgousikos
A Greek trio dance performed in a V shape for Carnival and weddingsFolk dance · Group · Set or square
🇬🇧 United KingdomMolly dance
A winter Morris tradition from East Anglia featuring cross-dressing and blackened faces, danced by unemployed farmworkerFolk dance · Set or square · Group
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreVirginia reel
A line dance of couples performing set figures in two rows.Folk dance · Line or chain · Set or square
🇭🇹 HaitiAffranchi
A Haitian folk dance blending French figures with African improvisation.Folk dance · Line or chain · Set or square
🇬🇧 United KingdomStave dancing
A south-west English folk dance performed while carrying decorated wooden polesFolk dance · Set or square · Procession
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreParai Attam
A Tamil drum dance where performers play a strapped frame drum with two wooden sticksFolk dance · Group · Procession
InternationalDanish folk dance
An accessible social tradition of group and partner dances from DenmarkFolk dance · Couple · Group
🇹🇴 TongaTautoga
A formal Rotuman group dance of dignity, choral singing, and contrasting gender rolesFolk dance · Group · Line or chain
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreMoney Musk
A classic country dance known for its shifting lines and lively turnsFolk dance · Set or square · Line or chain
InternationalHop-tu-Naa
A traditional Manx processional folk dance performed by paired couplesFolk dance · Procession · Set or square
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Scottish country dance: © James F. Perry, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Yayue: Huanokinhejo, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Formation dance: Thornard 13:41, 12 June 2007 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Srimpi: Ziko, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Irish dance: U.S. Army, Public domain, source
- Square dance: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Baroque dance: John Hewat of Canberra, Australia, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Waltz: unknown engraver, Public domain, source
- Reel: Skubik at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Contra dance: Sdkb, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Quadrille: Silar, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Barn dance: Melissa Hanhirova, CC BY 4.0, source
- Céilidh: Smithsonian Institution, No restrictions, source
- Country dance: Engraving by William Hogarth, CC BY 4.0, source
- Basque folk dance: Mikelarri (Tagzania user ID: 24649), CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ceili dance: Dave Conner, CC BY 2.0, source
- Cumbia: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ggunter/, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Les Lanciers: Notman Studio, Public domain, source
- Partner dance: Sigismund von Dobschütz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Yarkhushta: Hablabar, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Janger: Hendri Suhandi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Duffmuttu: Irshad Yusuf, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Magunatip: Taufik, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kachchhi Ghodi: shankar s., CC BY 2.0, source
- Pop Goes the Weasel: Jas. W. Porter (arrangement), Public domain, source
- Ghumura: Akkkanksha, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Weapon dance: Jean-Léon Gérôme, Public domain, source
- Trojak: Sikorka, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Country–western dance: ToddCombs, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Molly dance: Ninja of the Eagles, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Parai Attam: Ravindraboopathi, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Danish folk dance: Viggo Johansen, Public domain, source
- Money Musk: Greg Stringham, CC BY-SA 2.0, source