What are “russkiye narodnye tantsy” in Russian culture?

Русские народные танцы (“Russian folk dances”) form a codified circuit of dance schools and ensembles built across the Soviet era and still running today. The signature outfits include the кокошник (a tall headdress) and the сарафан (a long sleeveless dress); the most famous performing group is the Beryozka Ensemble, founded in 1948 in Moscow. Russian-speaking parents often funnel kids into these classes for discipline, posture, and cultural identity.

This clip is a man telling his story of returning to Russia as a child and being signed up for narodnye tantsy to help him fit in. He had no idea what was happening but the lessons did their job: he learned the steps, the music, and the social glue.