Court dances
Made for palaces and their ceremonies, exact and slow to change.
🇵🇱 Poland and 3 morePolonaisePolonez, chodzony
A stately walking dance in triple time, opening Polish celebrations and ballsFolk dance · Couple · Procession
🇫🇷 FranceGavotte
A French dance with skipping steps, once danced in lines or circles at court and in villagesFolk dance · Line or chain · Circle
🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreAllemande
A Baroque instrumental dance and a later Swiss triple-time social dance.Social dance · Line or chain · Couple
🇮🇹 Italy and 3 morePavanepavana
A slow, processional couple dance of the European Renaissance.Court dance · Procession · Couple
🇫🇷 FranceBourrée
A lively French dance in double or triple time, once found in both villages and courtsFolk dance · Couple · Circle
🇯🇵 JapanKagura神楽
A Shinto ritual dance where performers channel deities through slow circling and energetic leaping.Ritual dance · Group · Procession
🇹🇭 ThailandKhonโขน
A masked dance drama from Thailand, performed to the Ramakien epic.Dance-drama · Group
🇮🇹 ItalySaltarello
A fast Italian folk dance defined by its characteristic leaping step.Folk dance
🇰🇷 South KoreaBuchaechum부채춤
A group fan dance created in 1954, performed by women using large painted fans.Folk dance · Group
🇰🇭 CambodiaApsara Danceរបាំទេពអប្សរា
A Cambodian court dance performed by women in elaborate costumes to tell ancient myths.Court dance · Solo
🇪🇬 EgyptRaqs sharqiرقص شرقي
The classical Egyptian stage style of belly dance developed in the early twentieth century.Social dance · Solo
🇫🇷 France and 2 moreBaroque dance
Court and social dances from Europe’s Baroque era, 1600–1750Historical dance · Solo · Couple
🇨🇺 Cuba and 5 moreContradanzacontradanza criolla
A Cuban partner dance with African rhythms that influenced jazz and tangoFolk dance · Couple
🇹🇷 Turkey and 3 moreSamaسَماع (samā)
A Sufi ritual of listening, prayer, and whirling dance to reach spiritual ecstasyRitual dance · Circle · Group
🇪🇸 Spain and 1 moreSarabandezarabanda
A triple-meter dance that evolved from a lively Spanish folk form to a slow Baroque court staple.Folk dance · Couple
InternationalCourante
A triple metre dance from the Renaissance and Baroque eras, appearing in two distinct styles.Social dance
🇪🇸 SpainBolero
A Spanish partner dance in 3/4 time, accompanied by guitar and castanets.Social dance · Solo · Couple
🇫🇷 FrancePassepied
A fast French court dance from Brittany, danced in triple time with light steps.Court dance
🇰🇷 South KoreaCheoyongmu처용무
A five-person mask dance from Korea, danced to banish bad luck at year's end.Court dance · Group
🇮🇩 IndonesiaWayang wongꦮꦪꦁꦮꦺꦴꦁ (wayang wong)
A Javanese and Balinese dance drama enacting the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics with stylised court movements.Classical dance · Group
🇫🇷 FranceTourdion
A brisk French court dance of the sixteenth century, danced in pairs to triple meter.Court dance · Couple
🇫🇷 FranceBallet de cour
A 16th and 17th century French court dance form blending spectacle, politics, and geometry.Court dance · Group
🇲🇬 MadagascarHiragasyhira gasy
A day-long show of song, dance and poetic speech by Merina troupes, often a contestFolk dance · Group · Circle
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Polonaise: Korneli Szlegel, Public domain, source
- Cheoyongmu: Sotiale, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bourrée: Pierre André Leclercq, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Khon: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ballet de cour: Attributed to Hieronymous Francken I, Public domain, source
- Apsara Dance: Remi Jouan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Buchaechum: originally by photoren, CC BY 2.0, source
- Raqs sharqi: 13th century artist, Public domain, source
- Contradanza: Étienne Carjat, Public domain, source
- Pavane: Edwin Austin Abbey, Public domain, source
- Allemande: User:Hyacinth, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Courante: User:Hyacinth, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Baroque dance: John Hewat of Canberra, Australia, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Wayang wong: Gunawan Kartapranata, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gavotte: Randolph Caldecott, Public domain, source
- Sufi whirling: myself, Public domain, source
- Kagura: Elstner Hilton, Public domain, source
- Bolero: Antoni Salvà, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sarabande: AnaG, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hiragasy: Hopeandlink, CC BY-SA 4.0, source