Ethnic Dance Connection (EDC2)
Dancing As a Second Language
http://www.ethnicdance.org - - Mobile: (847)-846-8139 - Skype: (773)-634-9381
About Dance Types
 
What Is Ethnic Dance?
How does one determine what is ethnic dance and what is folk dance? Is there a difference between ethnic dance and folk dance?  Do all folk dances fall under the category of ethnic dance and do all ethnic dances fall under the category of folk dance?

Ethnic Dance Example - EDC
Hora et Labora
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Vlachs (?) Kolo Dancing in Vienna #1 - EDC
Porodinka Kolo Lesson in Chinese
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  • Definitions of ethnic dance include:

    • Expressive movement
    • Incidental movement as from excitement or emotion
    • Movement to rhythm
    • Movement to music
    • Movement for its own sake
    • Movement outside the normal movements of life

  • Ethnic dance is any dance form which can be identified as originating with an ethnic culture and expressing the movement aesthetics of that culture.

  • It would cover all ethnic cultures, whether European, American, African, Polynesian, Asian, Middle Eastern. It would also include village folk dance, urban popular dance (swing, tango), classic dance (Kathak, Bharat Nayam), tribal dance, tap/step dance, educational dance and many more types. 

  • The primary criteria is simply identification with an ethnic culture of origin