Have you ever wondered why folk dances always come from another country? Can you even name a Canadian dance? Never fear, most Canadians can’t, a clear case of being too close to something to see it. When you began to look you’ll be discover that there are in fact many different dance traditions that are distinctly Canadian. Here are a few places to start:

1. Aboriginal Dance
There is a whole world to be explored here. Contact any Aboriginal cultural organization in your area.

2. Prairie Wedding Dance
Anyone who has every lived on the Canadian prairies knows what I’m talking about. At every wedding you will experience a repertoire of dances that reflects the ethnic origins of the original settlers: Czech, Polish, German, Scandinavian, Ukrainian. These include the Polka, Waltz, Two-step, Foxtrot, Schottische, Heel-toe polka, French Minuet, Seven Step, and everyone’s favourite, the Butterfly. In some places you can add Square Dances, the Hop Polka, Virginia Reel, Kolomeike, and the Czech polka. See Step Lively 2: Canadian Dance Favourites.

3. History of Step Dancing in Canada http://www.fiddle.on.ca/fiddle/valley.htm

4. Quadrille Tradition in Eastern Canada, including Quebec and the Maritime provinces. See Simone Voyer’s wonderful book “La Danse traditionelle dans l’est du Canada”.

5. Société Pour la Promotion de la Dance Traditionelle Québécoise http://www.spdtq.qc.ca

6. Maritimes – each of the eastern provinces has a distinct traditional dance style.
Cape Breton http://www.celtic-colours.com/culture.html

7. Metis Dance
http://www.metisdance.com
http://collections.ic.gc.ca/albertametis/culture/ musicdance.htm
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Atrium/4832/ dance.html

8. Old Time Square Dancing (different from modern square dancing)