Square dance Square dance A square dance is a dance for four couples (eight dancers in total) arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, facing the middle of the square. Square dances were first documented in 16th-century England but were also quite common in France and throughout Europe. They came to North America with the European settlers and have undergone considerable development there. In some countries and regions, through preservation and repetition, square dances have attained the status of a folk dance. The Western American square dance may be the most widely known form worldwide, possibly due to its
International folk dance every part of the world: Europe, Africa, North and South America, the Middle East, the Far East, Australia and the South Pacific. Disagreements exist within the recreational folk dance community. Perhaps the greatest of these is how dances should be performed. Some believe that dancers should strive to perform the dances "traditionally", adhering as closely as possible to the original pattern and styling of the dance or dance tradition in their country of origin. Others feel that folk dancing should be allowed to evolve, and that each international folk dance club represents another "village" where dances can take on their