From classic folk dance staples to hidden gems. Introducing recommended tracks!

Shoemaker Dance

Shoemaker Dance

When I hear “Shoemaker Dance,” nothing immediately comes to mind, but once you listen to the music—surprise! It’s a tune everyone has probably heard at least once since childhood.

It’s very similar to the Japanese children’s song “Ito Maki no Uta” (“The Spool-Winding Song”), isn’t it? It’s actually a children’s dance song from Scandinavia.

I’ve heard that some of the choreography resembles “Ito Maki no Uta” as well.

It would feel refreshing to hear this song during a folk dance.

Since it’s a dance tune for children, one of its charms is how quickly you can learn the moves and start dancing.

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kurichan

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RakukaraMekishiko min’yō

La Cucaracha

It has been suggested that the title alludes to Victoriano Huerta, Villa’s arch-enemy.

While it can also mean “cockroach” or “aphid,” documents have been discovered indicating that this song was a favorite among Villa’s troops, who were formed at the time to overthrow Huerta.

Gustavs Skor

8. Gustafs Skål eller Collin

This piece is a Swedish folk dance named after King Gustav II Adolf, from the period when 17th-century Sweden was at its zenith.

Originally, it was an elegant court dance performed by the nobility, but it later spread among commoners as a folk dance.

As a result, the piece is said to have evolved into a two-part structure: the first half in an aristocratic style and the second half in a peasant style.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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corridos

Corrido

“Corrido” is a Spanish word that means “a story-like song.” It is considered a Mexican dance, but it was created by an American, who is said to have assembled steps from various Mexican dances.

In Mexico, they reportedly dance this Mexican dance that was made in the United States and then reintroduced back into the country.

Golden Slippers

Golden Slipper Two Step

“Golden Slippers” is an American popular song also known as a folk dance tune, and in Japan it is sometimes titled as the folk dance piece “Ano Machi Kono Machi.” It is a folk dance performed to a lively, country-style rhythm, in which male-female couples dance while continually changing partners.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Tango Irishman

I’ll show you a folk dance/tango—Irishman (UK)

It’s a British folk dance.

Tango refers to the dance and music of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay, as well as things modeled after them.

It’s danced in pairs, taking each other’s hands and moving forward, and I think it’s the kind of dance that lets you really feel like you’re dancing.

Lauterbach

Lauterbacher

The name varies by region, so it’s sometimes called Lauter and sometimes Luther.

The piece originated in Germany, and the dance is from southern Germany.

It features turning movements, danced in a circle, with the men circulating so that partners change little by little.