Dance encyclopedia

Canadian stepdance

Form of European-style stepdance popular in the Canadian maritimes.

dance

About Canadian stepdance

Canadian stepdance refers to several related forms of percussive stepdance in Canada with European origins including France, Ireland and Scotland. Canadian stepdancing involves percussive dancing to "Celtic" tunes, usually played by fiddle. Percussive sounds are created through a combination of foot movements such as heel taps, toe taps, and shuffles, all designed to accentuate the music. Canadian stepdance is normally danced in a small space with limited lateral movement. Upper-body postures in Canadian stepdancing are typically relaxed but upright, allowing occasional arm movements that flow with the rhythm of the dance, or hands on hips.

From the Wikipedia article “Canadian stepdance”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.