Social dances
Danced for company and pleasure, at a party, a hall or a club.
🇦🇷 Argentina and 1 moreTango
A partner dance from the Río de la Plata, danced in close or open embraceSocial dance · Couple
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreFolk dance
Traditional group dances rooted in local life and passed down through generationsFolk dance · Group · Circle
🇪🇬 Egypt and 3 moreBelly danceرقص شرقي
A Middle Eastern dance focused on hip and torso articulation.Folk dance · Solo
🇦🇷 Argentina and 1 moreArgentine tango
A partner dance from Buenos Aires suburbs, defined by the bandoneon and an intimate embrace.Social dance · Couple
🇸🇪 SwedenSmå grodorna
A playful Swedish dance around the maypole for Midsummer, miming frog movementsFolk dance · Circle · Group
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreGarba
A circle dance from Gujarat performed around a clay pot during the Navratri festival.Folk dance · Circle
🇯🇲 JamaicaDancehall
A Jamaican street dance style shaped by sound system parties and fast rhythmsStreet or club dance · Group · Solo
🇵🇱 Poland and 3 morePolonaisePolonez, chodzony
A stately walking dance in triple time, opening Polish celebrations and ballsFolk dance · Couple · Procession
🇵🇱 Poland and 5 moreMazurka
A lively Polish folk dance in triple time, known for its shifting accentsFolk dance · Couple · Group
🇨🇺 Cuba and 2 moreSalsa
A lively partner dance with spins and footwork, danced to salsa music worldwideSocial dance · Couple · Solo
🇫🇷 FranceMinuetmenuet
A French social dance for two people in triple time, known for its graceful and controlled steps.Social dance · Couple
🇫🇷 France and 1 moreCan-can
A high-energy French dance featuring vigorous kicks and skirt manipulation.Social dance · Couple · Group
🇺🇸 United StatesFoxtrot
A smooth ballroom partner dance that travels around the floor to big band musicBallroom or Latin dance · Couple
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreBallroom dance
Partner dances performed socially and in competition, with roots in EuropeSocial dance · Couple · Group
🇨🇺 Cuba and 2 moreCha-cha-cha
A Cuban partner dance with a shuffling triple step, danced to a steady four-four beat.Social dance · Couple
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreTwist
A solo dance where the hips swivel while the feet stay planted and the arms move in opposition.Social dance · Solo
🇨🇺 Cuba and 2 moreMambo
A lively Cuban dance with syncopated steps and expressive movementSocial dance · Couple · Group
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreJive
A lively partner dance from 1930s African American communities in the USSocial dance · Couple
🇩🇪 Germany and 1 moreAllemande
A Baroque instrumental dance and a later Swiss triple-time social dance.Social dance · Line or chain · Couple
🇺🇸 United States and 4 morePole dance
A vertical acrobatic dance combining strength and artistry on a chrome or steel column.Social dance · Solo
🇫🇷 France and 4 moreQuadrille
A social dance for four couples in a square, with set figures and changing musicSocial dance · Set or square · Group
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreSirtakiσυρτάκι
A line dance that starts slow and speeds up, created for the film Zorba the Greek.Folk dance · Line or chain · Circle
🇮🇹 Italy and 3 morePavanepavana
A slow, processional couple dance of the European Renaissance.Court dance · Procession · Couple
🇵🇱 PolandKrakowiak
A fast Polish partner dance from Kraków, known for its syncopated rhythm and circle formation.Folk dance · Couple · Circle
🇨🇴 Colombia and 1 moreCumbia
A circle dance from Colombia’s Caribbean coast, led by couples with candles and musicians in the centerFolk dance · Couple · Circle
🇺🇸 United StatesCharleston
A fast-paced dance with kicks and twists, first popular in 1920s AmericaSocial dance · Solo · Couple
🇦🇹 Austria and 2 moreViennese waltz
A fast-turning partner dance from Vienna, danced in a closed holdBallroom or Latin dance · Couple
🇪🇸 Spain and 4 moreFandango
A lively Spanish partner dance in triple meter, accompanied by guitars and castanets.Folk dance · Couple · Group
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreSwing dance
A lively group of partner dances born with jazz in 1920s–40s AmericaSocial dance · Couple · Circle
🇦🇴 Angola and 4 moreKizomba
A slow partner dance from Angola, blending Semba steps with Zouk rhythms for social gatherings.Social dance · Couple
🇫🇷 FranceFarandolefarandola
A long chain dance of Provence, led by a drummer with a tambourine and flute.Folk dance · Group
🇵🇱 Poland and 1 moreOberek
A fast Polish folk dance in triple metre, defined by spinning and jumps.Folk dance · Group
🇷🇴 Romania and 6 moreHora
A group circle dance found across Southeast Europe and in Jewish communitiesFolk dance · Circle · Line or chain
🇦🇹 Austria and 4 moreLändler
A lively partner dance with hops and stamps, found across Austria and its neighborsFolk dance · Couple
🇦🇺 Australia and 1 moreMelbourne shuffle
A freestyle club dance with sliding steps and quick footwork from Melbourne’s rave sceneStreet or club 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
🇩🇴 Dominican RepublicBachata
A partner dance from the Dominican Republic with hip accents and side-to-side stepsSocial dance · Couple
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreMorris dance
A group folk dance from England, with bells, sticks or handkerchiefsFolk dance · Group · Procession
🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago and 3 moreLimbo
A contest to pass backward under a bar set lower each roundFolk dance · Solo · Group
🇺🇸 United StatesPopping
A street dance built on quick muscle contractions, born in California’s funk sceneStreet or club dance · Solo · Group
🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreCircle dance
A group dance in a circle or curved line, joined by hand and led around the floorFolk dance · Circle · Line or chain
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreLine dance
A group choreography where dancers face the same direction in rows without touching.Social dance · Line or chain
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreHip-hop dance
Improvised street dance styles shaped by hip-hop music and cultureStreet or club dance · Solo · Group
🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreJitterbug
A lively partner dance with fast footwork and spins, rooted in swing musicSocial dance · Couple · Group
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreVogue
A stylized dance of poses and battles from the Harlem ballroom sceneStreet or club dance · Solo · Group
🇨🇺 CubaCuban rumba
A street and courtyard dance with song and drums from Havana and MatanzasFolk dance · Group
🇺🇸 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
🇸🇳 Senegal and 2 moreMbalax
Urban dance from Senegal built on Wolof sabar drumming and modern pop soundsFolk dance · Group
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Argentine tango: Manticora87, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Polonaise: Korneli Szlegel, Public domain, source
- Mazurka: Huster, Public domain, source
- Mambo: Angélica Martínez, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Can-can: Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri de, Public domain, source
- Sirtaki: Simon Bonaventure, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Viennese waltz: Sigismund von Dobschütz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hora: Chajeshukarie ( talk ), Public domain, source
- Oberek: Józef Chełmoński, Public domain, source
- Farandole: Hans Thoma, Public domain, source
- Cumbia: Joseacuario, CC0, source
- Kizomba: Obe Images, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bachata: Salsauom, CC0, source
- Line dance: Sebastiaan ter Burg, CC BY 2.0, source
- Ballroom dance: Johnston, Frances Benjamin, 1864-1952, photographer., Public domain, source
- Square dance: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Limbo: Anneli Salo, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Raqs sharqi: 13th century artist, Public domain, source
- Morris dance: Des Blenkinsopp, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Ländler: Emil Rau, Public domain, source
- Salsa: Edil Villa, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pavane: Edwin Austin Abbey, Public domain, source
- Pole dance: Raul Lanus, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Allemande: User:Hyacinth, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Små grodorna: Uploaded by Mikael Häggström, CC0, source
- Dancehall: Desiresibbs, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Twist: Hochneder, Christa, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, source
- Tango: carlos luque, CC BY 2.5, source
- Cuban rumba: Manuel Díaz Reyes, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mbalax: Kotoviski photograph by Henryk Kotowski, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Contra dance: Sdkb, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Jive: Ailura, CC BY-SA 3.0 at, source
- Swing dance: Anthonydpadgett, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Folk dance: Francisco Pajares, Jr., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Quadrille: Silar, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Jitterbug: Marion Post Wolcott, Public domain, source
- Charleston: Walery , Polish-British, 1863-1929, Public domain, source
- Vogue: S Pakhrin, CC BY 2.0, source
- Hip-hop dance: E. Başak, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Fandango: Pierre Chasselat, Public domain, source
- Garba: anurag agnihotri, CC BY 2.0, source
- Cha-cha-cha: Ailura, CC BY-SA 3.0 at, source
- Krakowiak: Władysław Bakałowicz, Public domain, source