There is really no such genre as folk dancing. Rather, there is a large body of unrelated non-classical dance forms. The only thing common among these dance forms is their rural origins.

Many folk dances are performed by ordinary people rather than professional dancers. It is very usual that on special occasions, the villagers will gather and sing and dance, accompanying themselves on a variety of folk instruments. Such special occasions include harvesting, planting, marriages and religious holidays.

Sometimes the folk dances are performed by professionals. There is the institution of the folk theatre. Professional musicians, actors and dancers travel from village to village performing their dance dramas. This seems to be a rural extension of the ancient theatrical tradition found in the Natya Shastra. However, it appears to have degenerated into a rural tradition. One example of the folk theatre is the Yaksha Gana of Karnatika.

It would be more correct to divide these folk dances into two categories: folk and tribal. The difference between the two is cultural. Folk dances are the rural extensions of the larger Indian population. Examples are the Bhangra and the Garba. However, the tribal dances are performed by India's aboriginal populations. These people, known as adivasi, have a culture which is very distinct from the larger Indian population. Attempting to relate Indian tribal dances with Indian folk dances is very much like trying to relate the dances of the Cherokee Indians to the "Cotton Eyed Joe". A common example of a tribal dance is the Santhali

It may be academically desirable to separate tribal from simple folk dances, however this is generally not done. Artists do not concern themselves with these academic matters. Therefore the following list does not make any distinctions.

The following is a very short and incomplete list of folk and tribal dances performed in India.

MAJOR FOLK DANCES OF INDIA