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Which formations are common in European folk dances?
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Western dance
Egyptian dancing, detail from a tomb painting from Shaykh ʿAbd al-Qurnah, Egypt, c. 1400 bce; in the British Museum, London.
European folk dances are characterized by a strong emphasis on ordered patterns and specific group formations. While styles vary by region, several common formations are found throughout these traditions:1
- Circles: The most fundamental formation, often involving dancers holding hands, wrists, or shoulders while facing the center. This can include single circles or two concentric circles, sometimes separating men and women.12
- Chains: A long line of dancers, often linked by hands or handkerchiefs, who may follow a leader through complex, serpentine patterns.1
- Processions: Dancers move in a line, often in couples, sometimes traveling through an entire village or halting periodically to dance together.1
- Sets: Groups of dancers, typically about eight, who perform within a restricted space using various formations.1
- Longways (Contra) Dances: A formation consisting of a double file of couples.3
- Square Formations: Used in dances such as the cotillon or quadrille, where couples are arranged to form the sides of a square.3
These formations often incorporate intricate floor patterns, such as the figure eight, where dancers weave around one another.2