barn dance

Country square gathering

A barn dance is a social gathering featuring country or folk dancing, traditionally held in a barn or rustic setting.

The term covers various American folk dances—square dances, line dances, reels—typically performed to live fiddle music.

The community center hosts a barn dance every fall.

In British usage, barn dance often refers specifically to a type of country dance or the event itself.

style

hoedown

Lively rural dance gathering

  • reelWinding cylinder or dance
  • jigSpirited folk dance
  • two-stepFast paired ballroom dance

polka · waltz · do-si-do · promenade · swing your partner · clogging · heel-toe · caller · fiddle music · traditional

event

hoedown

Lively rural dance gathering

hayride · potluck · social · jamboree · shindig · country fair · fundraiser · church social · grange hall · picnic

Categories
Opposites
formality and social setting

barn dancegala

Festive formal occasion

debutante ball · cotillion · grand ball · charity ball · charity gala

cultural tradition

barn danceballroom dance

Formal coupled movement style

waltz · Viennese waltz · foxtrot · court dance · minuet

Family

dance, barn, dancing, barns, dances, danced, barndoor, barn dances

Familiarity
Top 100,000
Profile
Known to kids · Mostly American · Timeless · Concrete · Positive · Everyday, not technical · Rated G