Traditional dance also fosters a pride in being Choctaw. Contemporary social dance groups represent most of the Choctaw communities and their styles of dancing will often reflect their community of origin. At the Choctaw Fair, visitors have an excellent opportunity to compare these community variations as they watch the dancers. Sometimes the difference may be in a dance step, other times, in the chant.

Only rarely are actual Choctaw words heard in the chants. The dancers are led by the rise and fall of the chanter's voice; the chants are most often made up of syllables sung to carry a melody. The chanter keeps time by striking together a pair of sticks, called Choctaw dance sticks.

Choctaw dances also exemplify a spirit of cooperation, because of the way the chanters, dance leaders and dancers work together. There are three kinds of Choctaw dance: war dances, social dances, and dances that honor creatures which were important to the Choctaw people.

• The War Dance is unusual because the women dance along with the men. Many tribes have war dances, but in most other tribes, only men dance the war dance.
• The Four-Step War Dance, like the war dance, was used by early Choctaws to prepare for battle.
• The Stealing Partner Dance enables each dancer to choose as many partners as he or she would like. Since all dancers are equally able to choose, this dance can involve many changes of partners. Members of the audience may be "stolen", too.
• The Duck Dance recognizes this bird's contribution to the lives of the Choctaw people. The shuffling steps recall the duck's distinctive walk, while the dancers imitate the diving motions of a duck searching for food.
• The Turtle Dance mirrors the slow-moving nature of its namesake. This dance is performed in recognition of the turtle as a source of food and of the many uses the Choctaws found for turtle shells.
• The Quail Dance honors this small brown bird once found in abundance in Mississippi. Choctaws noticed the quail's remarkable ability to blend into the surrounding landscape, a skill that the tribe's hunters and warriors learned to emulate.
• The Snake Dance imitates the movements of a reptile as it slides through the fields, feeding on the insects and rodents that could threaten the Choctaws' crops. The dance concludes with the dancers coiling and uncoiling like a snake.
• The Racoon Dance is as lively as the animal for which it is named. Dancers dart around the circle, bringing to mind the playful nature of the racoons that provided fur for the Choctaws.
• The Wedding Dance was originally dance around an open fire to celebrate marriages. Close relatives may not perform this dance together.
• The Jump Dance is an expression of joy or thankfulness. It was performed when Choctaw men returned home from a successful hunt. People of all ages joined together in this dance. Unlike the other Choctaw dances, this one can be performed to more than one chant.
• The Corn or Drunk Dance is another dance performed to celebrate a plentiful harvest or success on the hunt or the battlefield.
• The Friendship Dance, as the name indicates, is a social dance that celebrates the close ties among the Choctaw people.
• The Turkey Dance imitates the movements of a bird that was a source of food and feathers for the Choctaws.
• The Walk Dance was traditionally marked the end of an evening of dancing. It is a slow, stady dance that was originally performed facing the rising sun.
• The House Dance is evidence of the Choctaws' ability to adapt elements of other cultures to their own. The steps and movements come from Anglo-American square dance and the French quadrille and the music is adapted from Anglo-American fiddle tunes. The caller starts the dance and signals the dancers when it is time to move to the next step.