Lovely nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs

Folk dance classics and popular songs

Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICKeisuke Hane
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. After working at a music studio and in wedding sound engineering, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with various instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in middle school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on personal music activities and professional experience, produces daily articles, including song introductions, features on music festivals around Japan, and live reports. Enjoys a wide range of music, from domestic and international rock to, more recently, a broad spectrum of J-pop.

When you think of folk dancing, many schools probably include it as one of the events at their sports days or athletic festivals, right?

I’m sure many of you actually danced folk dances during your school days.

Folk dance, to begin with, refers to dances set to traditional songs from various countries, and there are a lot of pieces used for folk dancing.

In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of folk dance songs from around the world—from standard classics to lesser-known, niche tracks.

If you’re a school teacher, a member of a PE committee, or anyone looking to choose music for a folk dance, please use this as a reference.

Folk dance masterpieces and popular songs (61–70)

Cuckoo WaltzJohan Emanuel Jonasson

Cuckoo Waltz

Cuckoo Waltz Johan Emanuel Jonasson

It features a lively rhythm reminiscent of a cuckoo’s call.

Composed in an andante, waltz-like style, the piece includes melodies that imitate the cuckoo’s cry and trills on A that seem to mimic birdsong.

It’s also popular as a beginner piano étude.

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Patty Cake Polka

Patty Cake Polka

Patty Cake Polka

This dance is a British American folk dance featuring enjoyable clapping and hand-play motions reminiscent of kneading cake.

The accompanying tunes differ between Britain and the United States: in Britain, traditional Mother Goose songs such as “This Old Man” are mainly used, while in the United States, country-style songs like “Buffalo Gals” and “Oh! Susanna” are more commonly used.

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In conclusion

We’ve introduced a wide selection of folk dance tunes beloved around the world.

Besides the classic tracks used at school sports days, I’m sure there were many songs you’ve heard somewhere before.

That just shows how much folk music from around the world surrounds us in our daily lives.

I’d be honored if this article helps you choose folk songs.