From classic folk dance staples to hidden gems. Introducing recommended tracks!
Folk dancing, a familiar sight at school events and recreational activities.There are many nostalgic tunes that make your body start moving the moment the music begins!When it comes to folk dance songs, there’s an incredible variety—from timeless standards everyone has danced to at least once, to pieces that let you enjoy traditional rhythms from around the world.You might have suddenly wondered, “What was the name of that song again?”In this article, we’ll present a broad list of folk dance tracks.Whether you’re unsure what to pick for an event or searching for a song filled with memories, we hope you’ll find this helpful!
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From classic staples of folk dance tunes to hidden gems. Introducing recommended tracks! (11–20)
Kinderpolka
This song is a German children’s folk dance tune also known as the “Kid Goat Polka.” Some say it’s an arrangement of the adult folk dance from Lithuania called “Krumpakojis,” adapted for children.
The moves are simple enough for kids, but because partners change as you dance, it’s enjoyable for adults as well.
Dances with partner changes make you imagine how, in the past, there might have been such dances in rural areas for people to find marriage partners, don’t they?
harmonica
Here is a song called “Harmonica,” which in Israel means accordion.
It’s a dance where people hold hands and energetically step together, and they sometimes call out cheers in the middle.
Adding the calls seems like it would boost the sense of unity and make it even more exciting.
The step where you cross your left foot in front of your right is apparently called the Harmonica Step, and it’s interesting that the step’s name appears in the title.
There are many different dances depending on the country or region, so it’s fun to compare them.
Mayim Mayim
Many people say that this song, “Mayim Mayim,” is the most memorable of the folk dances they did at school.
It is said to be a song celebrating the discovery of water, and “mayim” means water.
Composed in Israel in 1942, it has a melody that somehow evokes the Middle East.
The choreography currently danced in Japan is said to be the same as the original local style, and the part where everyone joins hands and moves toward the center of the circle is said to represent people gathering at a well.
Jenka
Jenka is a folk dance from Finland in Northern Europe.
The dance performed in Japan, where several people line up and hop along, is called “Letkiss,” which is said to mean “let’s dance in a line.” It’s not only danced as a dance but also used as a game: when the music stops, the leaders at the front of each line play rock-paper-scissors, and the losing team joins the back of the winning team’s line.
When Kyu Sakamoto released a record of this song in 1966 and it became a hit, it started being danced all across Japan.
Doudlebská Polka
This dance is performed in male-female pairs, but partway through it splits into a men’s team and a women’s team that do different movements, making it a folk dance full of variety.
It’s a Czech dance, and I’m told that “Doudlevská” means “double” in English.
The name seems to come from the action of clapping twice.
In the section where the men’s and women’s teams circle separately, you can also sing along with the melody, which I think makes the folk dance even more enjoyable.
By all means, try dancing while singing.
Turkey in the straw
One of the best-known folk dances in Japan is the Oklahoma Mixer, and one of the tunes used when dancing it is Turkey in the Straw.
Many people may have felt a bit shy about pairing up as boy-and-girl partners for the dance.
There are several other songs used for the Oklahoma Mixer, but in Japan this tune is the most famous and firmly established.
The song Everyone Is a Hero, which the AI sang as a parody for an au commercial, uses this melody.
From folk dance classics to hidden gems. Introducing recommended songs! (21–30)
Black Hawk Waltz
This work by Mary E.
Walsh, a female composer who enlivened salon culture in late 19th-century America, is characterized by flowing, beautiful melodies and an approachable triple-time rhythm.
It has long been cherished not only as a piano solo piece but also as accompaniment for folk dances.
As a historic waltz, this is a piece I highly recommend.
The sheet music published in Boston in 1874 still survives, and an SP record recorded by the Symphonic Trio in 1927 also remains, showing how it has been passed down across generations in various forms.
Its elegance, coupled with an unpretentious brilliance, makes it ideal not only as background music for dancing but also as a piano piece for moments of relaxation.
Be sure to check it out.