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 Classics and Popular Tunes (21–30)

HinematovMoshe Jacobson

Hine Ma Tov

Hinematov Moshe Jacobson

It’s a dance that originated in Israel, known for a modern dance-pop style track sung with the innocent yet beautiful voices of the Miami Boys Choir.

It’s also known for directly quoting a verse from the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament as its lyrics.

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Hab lanu yain

Fun Folk Dance (Hava Nagila)

Hab lanu yain

In this Israeli dance, the title “Hava Nagila” means “Let us have wine.” Even from the title, you can feel a cheerful atmosphere.

The movements are lively and up-tempo, so you might break a sweat by the time you finish dancing.

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Bamboo Dance

Bamboo Dance of the Philippines (Tinikling) Bamboo Dance – Tinikling, Manila, Philippines.

Bamboo Dance

This dance is a folk dance using bamboo found in countries like the Philippines and Thailand.

Dancers move to a triple-meter rhythm, skillfully stepping between two long bamboo poles as they open and close.

The bamboo strikes like percussion, adding excitement to the dance.

There is no song that must be played; any piece in triple meter will do.

In Japan, “Iruka wa Zambraco” has come to serve as the de facto theme song.

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Grand Square

Grand square Seniors dancing

Grand Square

It’s an American old-time square dance.

Eight people each trace a small square, and together they form a large square called a “grand square.” It’s an interesting dance with that movement, but it’s the kind of dance where you might end up wandering around, unsure of where you’re supposed to go next.

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Rek Rek Ramit BarSasha Argov

Lech lech lamidbar

Rek Rek Ramit Bāsasha Algof

Its origins are said to lie with Nahal, the Israeli pioneer combat youth corps, who danced it; the title means “Let’s go to the desert.” The lyrics say, “Boys, let’s go to the desert and pioneer.” It features a distinctive opening choreography in which dancers join hands and walk in a circle facing sideways.

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La Mazurka Antigua

Fun Folk Dance (La Mazurka Antigua)

La Mazurka Antigua

It is Puerto Rican music.

Antigua means “old” in Spanish.

The mazurka is a type of Polish folk dance and musical form, as famous as the polonaise, characterized by a basic 3/4 time.

The piece has a somewhat wistful, melancholic tone.

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Kurunpakois

Lithuanian folk dance: Klumpakojis

Kurunpakois

It’s a Lithuanian music piece with a story about a close boy and girl who quarrel and then make up.

The choreography is fun, showing the angry pair putting both hands on their hips and starting to argue as they stomp their feet—don, don, don.

As for the song itself, its style is very similar to the Japanese children’s song “Te o Tatakimashou” (Let’s Clap Our Hands).

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