What Is Folk Dance?

[raindance]

And I'd add Scottish country dances to that list. I've never taken formal lessons in that, but being Scottish myself I do that a lot at parties (New Year's, Burns Night, wedding receptions). Definitely folk dancing. I was just wondering if the competitive form of square dancing, with the group all costumed alike, was considered by Americans to be a separate form of dance (folk) from line dancing (C/W). My Scottish-Canadian aunt and uncle took it up while he was working in Arizona for a year, and loved it, but never found it again in any other part of the world where he worked other than in the US. They always assumed that form of group dancing was specifically American = a folk dance in the sense it was identified with one country's culture even if practised by others elsewhere.

You might tell your aunt and uncle to look for Irish set dancing. Not the same as square dancing, but some parallels.

Irish Set Dancing - Devon Irish Set Dancers

Small Friendly Irish set dancing club that meets in Devon, UK. Attending folk festivals across Europe.

devonirishsetdancers.uk

Opendoor also mentioned quadrilles and some other European folk dances similar to square dancing that might appeal to your aunt and uncle.