In Islam, whatever excites passions, opens ways for illicit sexual relations between a man and a woman, and promotes indecency and obscenity, is haram. It is not permissible for Muslim women to participate in what is known as folk dancing.
This ruling is clearly stressed in the following issued by Dr. Husam al-Din Ibn Musa `Afana, a professor of Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence at Al-Quds University, Palestine: “It is not permissible for Muslim girls to participate in folk dancing groups as such act is Haram in Islam for the following reasons:
1- Free and unlawful mixing between men and women who play the roles in such folk dance. Such form of illicit mixing is Haram in Islam.
2- It is also unlawful for Muslim girls to take part in such dancing performances even without men’s participation as such women-only performances are intended to make shows for the general public, which is unlawful.
3- No one can deny that folk dance is usually accompanied by unlawful music, which is also Haram and forbidden.
4- Such dancing performances do disseminate moral laxity and ill morals in a Muslim society, which is also forbidden.
5-Muslims have to be aware of such cultural invasion. It’s to be borne in mind that what is known as folk arts is not a heritage of the Muslim Ummah. The heritage of Islam and true Muslims has nothing to do with such insignificant and trivial kind of art. Muslims should be proud of their Islamic creed, laurels of their great Muslim men.
On the basis of the above, I conclude that it is totally forbidden for Muslim girls to participate in such dancing performances. It not also allowed for Muslim men to allow their daughters, wives, sisters to participate in such folk dancing groups and the likes of it.”