Cyprus is known as a country which still holds the dance tradition more than other countries. Most of the dances are circle dances with many people that usually start with the right foot and then they move counter-clockwise. During the circle dance, people hold hands, wrists, shoulders, or in some occasions the circle would be linked by handkerchiefs. In circle dance, there are men dance, women dance, or mixed dance.

In a mixed dance, it would be the man who leads the dance. Nowadays, men and women can dance together in a circle. But in the past, it rarely happened. If they danced together, usually the formation would be the women in the inner circle and the men in the outer circle. The person who leads the dance is normally the oldest inhabitants, but the order of the dance might vary within regions.

A circle dance which is formed by a family, the leader would be the husband, followed by the wife, then the oldest son, his wife, their children, and so on. In some occasions, the local priest would lead the dance as a symbol of a blessing to the family. There are some regions which do not allow women to dance with men whom are not part of the family. If they dance in one circle, a child or an elderly should be placed in between. 

Dance as an education

In the past, the folk dance was a part of the education system. The purpose of involving dance within the education is to develop the personalities of each individual. Along with the dance, some other properties like writing, music, and physical exercises were taught.

Some well-known folk dances in Cyprus are including:

- Syrtos
This is one of the most common dances. Men and women dance as couples in circles. Usually people do this dance during social gatherings like weddings, religious festivals, etc. The purpose of this dance is to represent the roles f men and women in the Cypriots society.

- Sousta
This is another popular dance in Cyprus. Men and women dance together in a circle. But there are certain parts of the dance where men and women dance alone. The dance symbolizes the grace of women and the strength of men.

- Men’s Kartzilamas
During this dance, men dance in pairs across from each other. This dance symbolizes the agility of Cypriots men.

- Women’s Kartzilamas
Women dance in pairs during this dance, which represents the grace of Cypriots women.

- Datsia
People usually have this dance during several social gatherings. It is performed by a man who shows his skill to balance glasses which are filled with wine and centrifugally turned in a circular sieve.

- Antikristos
This is a dance where women and men dance together in couples across from each other in rows.

- Sickle Dance
This is another dance to be performed by a man during social gatherings. Then man would use a sickle for the dance to show his skills and ability in harvesting.