Long before people learned to write or build cities, they danced to communicate with their gods, bring luck, banish evil, and mark life's passages. Today's well-known folk dances have developed over centuries of struggle and celebration. This new edition of European Dance looks at the folk dances of four peoples: the accomplished and athletic step dance of Ireland, the lively and lyrical group dances of Poland, the communal dances of the villages of Greece, and the proud and fiery dances of Spain. In tracing the roots of these dance traditions, readers can learn how the histories of these countries became intricately woven with the development of their dances.