folk dancegenerally, a traditional, secular, recreational dance
characteristic of a regional, ethnic, or national group. As thus
defined, the term is applicable to a variety of dance traditions
in the European world but is not so appropriate among peoples
whose dances constitute an integral part of communal ritual, as
in many parts of Africa, or in cultures where the dances
continue to have a religious content, as in many parts of India
and Asia. For such religious dances, the term ritual dance or
ethnic dance is increasingly used, but precise distinctions
remain a subject of scholarly debate. Toward a definition of
folk dance  Scholars and dancers further differ in what they
admit under the label of folk dance. One may see folk dance as
the traditional dances of a country that evolve spontaneously
from the everyday activities and experiences of its people.
Another may define it as embracing only dances with magical and
economic functions, or as comprising all nonprofessional dances.
The discussions dwell on