Folk dances represent one of the strongest ways to show traditions of countries and regions can be showcased to the public. They are usually danced at social gatherings or other festivals.  Designation folk dance will be used for convenience, without the extended discussion of terms that a more scholarly treatment would require.

It is important, however, to examine other ways to write and think about the types of dances that might be characterized as traditional. 

The term folk dance, which has been in common use since the late 19th century, along with its parent term folklore, which was coined in 1846, is not as descriptive or uncontroversial as it might seem. 

The descriptors traditional and authentic are problematic too when applied to folk dances that are self-consciously developed, revived, and restaged for public display in order to reinforce a national identity, to attract tourists, or both.