Dutch folk dance are the
traditional dances that were performed by the
folk.
Foreigners and the Dutch, alike, associate Dutch folk dance with
clog dancing, though
clog
Clogs are a type of footwear made in part or completely from wood. Used in many parts of the world, their forms can vary by culture, but often remained unchanged for centuries within a culture.
Traditional clogs remain in use as protective fo ...
s in practice limit the dance moves. Therefore, the folk dance is mostly danced in
shoes
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. They are often worn with a sock. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration and fashion. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture t ...
. Historically the Dutch danced in shoes as this was part of their Church going clothing. Clogs were used for work only. On harvest feasts the farmers often did dance on clogs though, as the feast followed the harvest, where they had been wearing clogs.
In the East of the Netherlands dances like ''Driekusman'', ''Hoksebarger'', ''Veleta'', ''Kruispolka'' and the ''Spaanse Wals'' share the origin with German dances, but some are even danced in countries further away, like Poland and Lithuania. Or at least using the same melodies. The actual dances may differ.
The "Veleta" used to be a common dance in many parts of the Netherlands during the 1950s till the 1970s on weddings and even in dancings, just like the ballroom dances Waltz, Quickstep and Tango.
Nowadays, new folk dances are still being created. It concerns new
dance moves (patterns) that borrow from the traditional dances.
Folk dances are not often danced anymore. Some old-fashioned farmer weddings still feature them, and in old people homes the dances are used as exercise. Nevertheless, there are quite a few folk dance groups still performing Dutch folk dances. There are two kinds of folk dance groups in the Netherlands: those who want to preserve the traditional local dances, with mainly elderly dancers (50+) and there are less of these groups by time. And those who want to show Dutch folklore on stage with new choreographies based on the original material. The latter ones usually have younger dancers from the age of 8 till 50, and often go to festivals in the Netherlands and abroad
See also
*
Klompendansen
Traditional dancing in the Netherlands is often called "Folkloristisch", sometimes "Boerendansen" ("farmer-dancing") or "Klompendansen" (clog dancing). Wooden shoes are worn as an essential part of the traditional costume for Dutch clogging, or K ...
References
{{Dance
Dance in the Netherlands
European folk dances
Dutch dances