Indigenous and ancestral dance traditions
Ceremonial dances of first peoples, and spirit and ancestor traditions.
🇳🇿 New ZealandHaka
A ceremonial group dance from New Zealand featuring vigorous movement and chanted words.Folk dance · Group
🇳🇬 Nigeria and 1 moreEgungunEgúngún
A Yoruba ancestor masquerade where robed dancers embody the spirits of the dead.Ritual dance · Group · Procession
🇪🇨 EcuadorSanjuanito
A circle dance and music from Ecuador’s Andean highlands, often for Inti RaymiFolk dance · Circle · Group
🇺🇸 United States and 1 morePowwow
A gathering of Indigenous communities with dance, song, and ceremonyFolk dance · Circle · Group
🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago and 5 moreMocko jumbie
Tall stilt dancers in masks, leading Carnival parades across the CaribbeanFolk dance · Solo · Group
🇧🇷 BrazilMaracatu
A parade of drums, song and royal court figures from Pernambuco, BrazilFolk dance · Procession · Group
🇦🇺 AustraliaWangga
A ceremonial song and dance tradition of northern Aboriginal Australian communitiesRitual dance · Group
🇧🇧 BarbadosBarbados Land-ship
A parade and dance tradition in Barbados, mimicking naval maneuvers on landFolk dance · Group · Procession
🇺🇸 United StatesHula
A Hawaiian dance that interprets song or chant through movement and gestureFolk dance · Solo · Group
🇧🇴 Bolivia and 2 moreDiablada
A masked devil dance from the Andes, led by Saint Michael at CarnivalFolk dance · Procession · 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
🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 moreTalchum탈춤
A Korean mask dance-drama mixing satire, ritual and storyFolk dance · Group · Circle
🇧🇷 BrazilSamba
A lively Brazilian dance with fast footwork and syncopated rhythmsFolk dance · Solo · Couple
🇰🇪 Kenya and 1 moreAdumu
A vertical leaping dance performed by Maasai warriors in a circle to show strength and agility.Folk dance · Circle
🇦🇺 AustraliaCorroboree
A gathering of Aboriginal Australians with dance, music, and body decorationFolk dance · Group
🇰🇷 South Korea and 2 morePungmul풍물
A Korean folk performance with drumming, dance, and song, rooted in farming lifeFolk dance · Group · Solo
🇲🇦 MoroccoAhidusⴰⵃⵢⴷⵓⵙ (aḥidous)
A Berber circle dance from Morocco, performed by tribes for celebration and unity.Folk dance · Circle · Line or chain
🇰🇷 South KoreaBuchaechum부채춤
A group fan dance created in 1954, performed by women using large painted fans.Folk dance · Group
🇧🇴 BoliviaTinku
A Bolivian dance that echoes ritual combat, with bold costumes and warlike rhythmsFolk dance · Circle · Group
🇮🇩 IndonesiaBarong danceᬩᬅᬭᬑᬂ
A Balinese dance-drama of Barong and Rangda, showing the struggle of good and evilFolk dance · Group · Procession
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan and 3 moreKara JorgaQara jorğa
A Kazakh folk dance mimicking the ambling gait of a horse through rhythmic shoulder movements.Folk dance · Group · Solo
🇲🇦 MoroccoAhwashⴰⵃⵡⴰⵛ
A Shilha collective dance and song tradition from the Atlas Mountains of MoroccoFolk dance · Group
🇯🇲 JamaicaKumina
A Jamaican spirit-healing dance tradition rooted in Kongo ancestry and drumming.Ritual dance
🇫🇯 FijiMeke
A traditional Fijian group dance performed at celebrations and festivalsFolk dance · Group
🇧🇴 Bolivia and 1 moreLlamerada
A dance honoring llama herders of the Andean highlandsFolk dance · Group
🇲🇽 Mexico and 2 moreMatachines
A masked ritual dance of Native American communities in the Americas, blending Spanish and indigenous traditions.Ritual dance · Group
🇲🇽 MexicoDanza de los Viejitos
A comic folk dance from Michoacán, performed by men in old men's masks and hatsFolk dance · Group
🇲🇾 MalaysiaSumazau
A paired dance with outstretched arms, performed to gongs in Sabah’s Kaamatan festivalFolk dance · Couple · Group
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreNative American Hoop Dance
A solo dance using multiple hoops to form shapes of animals and the cycle of life.Folk dance · Solo
🇲🇲 MyanmarBurmese dance
Energetic and angular dances from Myanmar, shaped by history and mythClassical dance · Solo · Couple
🇺🇸 United StatesFancy dance
A fast, athletic Native American dance performed at powwows by men and women in colorful regalia.Folk dance · Solo
🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreConcheros
A ceremonial group dance blending indigenous and Catholic traditions in MexicoFolk dance · Group · Circle
🇲🇼 Malawi and 3 moreNyau
A masked ritual dance of the Chewa people in Central and Southern AfricaRitual dance · Group
🇺🇸 United StatesGhost DanceNanissaanah
A circle dance of Native Americans that reunites the living with spirits of the dead.Ritual dance · Circle · Group
🇺🇸 United StatesGourd Dance
A ceremonial circle dance of the Kiowa people, marked by strict regalia and songs honoring a red wolf.Ritual dance · Circle
🇼🇸 Samoa and 1 moreTaualuga
A solo ceremonial dance of Samoa, performed by chiefs' children as the finale of celebrations.Folk dance · Solo
🇺🇸 United StatesJingle dress dance
A healing pow wow dance for women, performed in a dress adorned with metal cones that jingle as they move.Folk dance · Solo
🇲🇾 Malaysia and 1 moreMak yongTarian Mak Yong
A traditional Kelantanese dance-drama with ritual roots and a royal lead.Folk dance · Group
🇮🇩 IndonesiaBalinese dancetarian Bali / igélan Bali
A dynamic and angular dance tradition from the Indonesian island of Bali.Ritual dance · Group · Solo
🇹🇭 Thailand and 1 moreMenoraมโนราห์
A traditional Thai dance-drama from the south, featuring acrobatics and ornate costumes.Dance-drama · Group
🇮🇩 IndonesiaPiring danceTari Piring
A Minangkabau plate dance from West Sumatra where dancers balance spinning ceramics on their palms.Folk dance · Group · Couple
🇵🇪 PeruDanza de tijerasSupaypa wasin tusuq
A ritual challenge dance from the Peruvian Andes where dancers compete with acrobatic steps and clapping scissors.Folk dance · Group
🇮🇩 IndonesiaTopeng danceTari Topeng
A masked Indonesian dance-drama telling ancient stories through movement and gamelan musicDance-drama · Solo · Group
🇳🇿 New ZealandKa Mate
A Māori haka composed by Te Rauparaha to celebrate survival from enemies.Ritual dance · Group
🇲🇼 Malawi and 2 moreVimbuzaGule wa Vimbuza
A healing dance of spirit possession performed by the Tumbuka people to restore balance and cure illness.Ritual dance · Solo · Group
🇨🇻 Cape VerdeBatuque
A Cape Verdean circle dance performed by women with polyrhythmic clapping and singing.Folk dance · Circle
🇹🇻 TuvaluFatele
A traditional dance song of Tuvalu performed in lines with rhythmic clapping and singing.Folk dance · Line or chain · Group
🇹🇻 TuvaluFakanau
A traditional male dance of Tuvalu performed with singing and clapping.Folk dance · Circle
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Haka: Merrett, Joseph Jenner, 1816-1854., Public domain, source
- Vimbuza: unesco, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Balinese dance: Crisco 1492, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Piring dance: Syofiardi Bachyul Jb, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Farandole: Hans Thoma, Public domain, source
- Batuque: TenIslands, Public domain, source
- Topeng dance: Sudanto Ponco Sularso, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Burmese dance: Scott O'Connor, Public domain, source
- Danza de tijeras: Art DiNo, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Menora: AjarnRichard, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Buchaechum: originally by photoren, CC BY 2.0, source
- Samba: Jonik, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Hula: Ron Ardis, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Hooping: AbsconditumEtIncognitum, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kara Jorga: Ulan Alimbek, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Gourd Dance: Donovan Shortey, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Jingle dress dance: Montanabw, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Maracatu: Prefeitura de Olinda, CC BY 2.0, source
- Mocko jumbie: COD Newsroom, CC BY 2.0, source
- Powwow: Smithsonian Institution, No restrictions, source
- Sanjuanito: G.Garitan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Barbados Land-ship: Ronaldwalcott, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Talchum: originally by photoren, CC BY 2.0, source
- Concheros: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Danza de los Viejitos: Jessicatena, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Diablada: Elemaki, CC BY 3.0, source
- Tinku: CassandraW1, CC BY 2.0, source
- Llamerada: Elizabeth Condori Natali Conde, CC BY 4.0, source
- Pungmul: Vero Villa, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Sumazau: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Barong dance: Zsolt67 at Hungarian Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Meke: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Ahidus: Fotograaf / photographer: Drs. F.M. (Frits) Cowan (1931 - 2010), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ahwash: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Egungun: Ìṣẹ̀ṣeAssembly, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Adumu: K15photos, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Matachines: Ernesto Perales Soto, CC BY 2.0, source
- Gulewamkulu: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Taualuga: Churchill, Llewella Pierce, Mrs. [from old catalog], No restrictions, source
- Fancy dance: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ghost Dance: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Ka Mate: Alasdair Massie, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Fatele: JialiangGao, CC BY-SA 4.0, source