Dance in Australia

Dance in Australia spans a wide range of traditions and styles. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance dates back thousands of years, and serves as an important form of storytelling and cultural ritual. Following European settlement, folk traditions from England, Ireland, and Scotland evolved into a distinctly Australian style known as bush dance. More recently, classical performance has risen in prominence through institutions such as the Australian Ballet.

Australia has also given rise to unique styles like the Melbourne Shuffle, a rave dance from the late 1980s, and New Vogue, a sequence-based form of ballroom dancing.