In the United States and Canada, immigrants have brought their own traditions and expressions of ethnicity. Not least among these customs are folk dances, which have become visual representations of cultural identity. This volume looks at how various cultures use dance as a visual representation of their identity, and how ?traditional? dances change over time. It discusses several ?parallel layers? of dance: dances performed at intra-cultural social occasions, dances used for representation or presentation, and folk dance performances. Individual chapters center on various immigrant cultures. Chiefly the work focuses on cultural representation and how it is sometimes manipulated. Key folk dance festivals in the United States and Canada are reviewed. Interviews with dancers, teachers, and others offer a first-hand perspective. An extensive bibliography encompasses concert programs and reviews as well as broader scholarly sources.