A Selection of European Folk Dances, Volume 4 is part of a series of booklets giving the dance sequence and music for a selection of folk dances from various European countries outside the British Isles. Organized into 10 chapters, this book begins with a description of the various holds and basic steps of the dances. Subsequent chapters detail specific dances of various countries including France, Israel, Sweden, Switzerland, and Mexico. Regional variations in steps and music are often numerous and some dances are performed differently in almost every village. This book provides this variety, making this reference valuable to those interested in this performing art.

Discusses the origins and evolution of the folk dances of Ireland, Poland, Greece and Spain.

A fascinating exploration of an ancient system of beliefs and its links to the evolution of dance. From Southern Greece to northern Russia, people living in agrarian communities have long believed in “dancing goddesses,” mystical female spirits who spend their nights and days dancing in the fields and forests. In The Dancing Goddesses, archaeologist, linguist, and lifelong folkdancer Elizabeth Wayland Barber follows the trail of these spirit maidens—long associated with fertility, marriage customs, and domestic pursuits—from their early appearance in traditional folktales and harvest rituals to their more recent incarnations in fairytales and present-day dance. Illustrated with photographs, maps, and line drawings, the result is a brilliantly original work that stands at the intersection of archaeology and folk traditions—at once a rich portrait of our rich agrarian ancestry and an enchanting reminder of the human need to dance.