Folk dance :

Folk dance is a term used to describe a large number of dances, mostly of European origin, that tend to share the following attributes:

· They were originally danced in about the 19th century or earlier (or are, in any case, not currently copyrighted);
· Their performance is dominated by an inherited tradition rather than by innovation;
· They were danced by common people and not exclusively by aristocracy;
· They have been developed spontaneously and there is no governing body that has final say over what "the dance" is or who is authorized to teach it. This also means that no one has the final say over the definition of folk dance or the minimum age for such dances.

Folk dances are traditionally performed during social events by people with little or no professional training. New dancers often learn informally by observing others and/or receiving help from others. Folk dancing is viewed as more of a social activity rather than competitive, although there are professional and semi-professional folk dance groups, and occasional folk dance competitions.

The term "folk dance" is sometimes applied to dances of historical European culture, typically originated before 20th century. For other cultures the terms ethnic dance or traditional dance are sometimes used, although the latter terms may encompass ceremonial dances.

There are a number of modern dances such as hip hop dance that evolve spontaneously, but the term "folk dances" is generally not applied to them, and the terms "street dance" or "vernacular dance" are used instead. The term "folk dances" is reserved for dances which are to a significant degree bound by European tradition and originated in the times when the distinction existed between the dances of "common folk" and the dances of the "high society".