A war dance is a dance involving mock combat, usually in reference to tribal warrior societies where such dances were performed as a ritual connected with endemic warfare.
Martial arts in various cultures can be performed in dance-like settings for various reasons, such as for evoking ferocity in preparation for battle or showing off skill in a more stylized manner. It could also be for celebration of valor and conquest. Many such martial arts incorporate music, especially strong percussive rhythms.
War dances can overlap with sword dances and other forms of weapon dance, utilizing weapons or replications as part of the artistic performance.
War dances
Examples of war dances include:
Aduk-Aduk – Brunei
Albanian war dances
Ardah – Arabian Peninsula, Kuwait
Ayyalah – Arabian Peninsula
Attan - Afghanistan and Pushtun Areas of Pakistan
Baris – Bali, Indonesia
Bende War Dance – Nigeria
Buza – Russia
Blood walk – Bloods of United States
Cakalele – Maluku, Indonesia
Capoeira, as well as some similar Afro-Caribbean arts
Cibi – Fiji
Crip Walk – Crips of United States
Dirk dance and Scottish sword dances – Scotland
Dier Dance- upper East, Bolgatanga-Ghana
European sword dance or weapon dance of various kinds
Haka - Māori people of New Zealand
Hako (Rapa Nui) – Easter Island
Hopak – Ukraine
Odzemek - Slovakia and Moravian Wallachia
Hula and Kapu Kuialua – Native Hawaiians
Indlamu – Zulu people
Juego de maní – Cuba
Kabasaran – Minahasan people, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
Kailao – Wallis, adopted by Tonga
Khattak – Afghanistan and Pakistan
Khorumi (ხორუმი) – Georgia
Ohafia War Dance – Eastern Nigeria
Panther Dance – Burmese Bando with swords (dha)
Pentozali – Crete
Pyrrhichios – Greece
Razfah – Oman and the United Arab Emirates
Reggada – Morocco
Sagayan – Philippines
Siva Tau – Samoan war dance
Tahtib – Egypt
Takalo - Niue
Yarkhushta (Յարխուշտա) – Armenia
Yowlah – Oman and the United Arab Emirates