Occasions
Why a dance is done: for company, a festival, a wedding, a harvest, a rite, a stage or a prize.
For company and pleasureDanced at parties, halls and gatherings with no other reason needed.439Festival dancesDone for a festival, a fair or a public holiday.406Wedding dancesDanced at weddings and betrothals, by the couple, the families or the guests.135Worship and offeringDanced in a temple, shrine, church or lodge, or as an act of devotion.269Harvest and seasonal dancesTied to sowing, rain, harvest or the turn of the year.31Courtship dancesIn which partners meet, flirt and choose.22War, hunt and challengePreparing for a fight, recalling one, or showing strength.26Rites of passageFor birth, coming of age, initiation and other thresholds.12Mourning and remembranceDanced at funerals and to honour the dead.10Healing and tranceDanced to cure, to protect, or to meet the spirits.14Stage performancePresented to an audience in a theatre or a concert.578CompetitionJudged or danced as a contest, from the feis to the battle.81