A large variety of dance companies exist in Canada, encompassing a wide tradition of dances that represent both its many indigenous cultures, as well as that of its European-descended population.

Some ballet companies include the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada (which is based in Toronto), Ballet Jörgen Canada (also based in Toronto), Les Grands Ballets Canadiens (based in Montréal), the Alberta Ballet (based in Calgary), Ballet BC (based in Vancouver), Ballet Kelowna, Ballet du Printemps (also based in Vancouver), Ballet Victoria, Canadian Pacific Ballet (based in Victoria), and the Goh Ballet in Vancouver. There are also many modern dance companies including Toronto Dance Theatre, O Vertigo in Montréal, Compagnie Marie Chouinard in Montréal, Par B.l.eux founded by Benoît Lachambre in Montréal, Danny Grossman Dance Company in Toronto, The Chimera Project in Toronto, Mocean Dance in Halifax and Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers.

The largest company in the country is The National Ballet of Canada. The Royal Winnipeg is the second oldest and longest continuously running ballet company in North America. It was the first ballet company in the Common Wealth to receive the Royal charter. Canada is home to hundreds of amateur Ukrainian dance groups as well as professional and semi-professional companies such as the Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Company in Edmonton.

Dancemakers is a modern dance company in Canada created in 1974 by Marcy Radler and Andraya Ciel Smith. In 1977 Peggy Baker and Patricia Miner were the first co-directors of Dancemakers. In 1979 Anna Blewchamp and then Peggy Baker were directors of Dancemakers. In 1980 Carol Anderson and Patricia Fraser became co-artistic directors of Dancemakers. Carol Anderson became the sole artistic director of Dancemakers from 1985-1988.

Another modern dance company in Canada is the Danny Grossman Dance Company. In 1975, the Danny Grossman Dance Company was founded in Toronto, Ontario. The Danny Grossman Dance Company originally consisted of dancers Danny Grossman, Judy Hendon, Erik Bobrow and Greg Parks. The company has performed around the world as well as within Canada. Presently, the company goes and teaches the work of the Danny Grossman Dance Company to dancers who are currently getting their dance education in academic institutions.

There are dance programs in Canada at the post-secondary level. York University, University of Québec, Concordia, University of Calgary, and Simon Fraser University all offer studies in Dance. There are college programs for dance at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), George Brown College and Grant MacEwan College.

Canada is an active member of two largest ballroom dance associations, WDSF (national branch called Canada DanceSport) and WDC. It hosts such noticeable annual dance competitions as Snowball Classic and La Classique du Quebec.

The Red River Jig is a traditional dance of the Canadian Métis. The origins of the dance lie in the traditional dances of the First Nations, French, English, Scots, and Orcadian peoples from whom the Métis Nation was born. The name refers to the Red River of the North which forms the border between North Dakota and Minnesota flowing northward through Winnipeg, Manitoba to Hudson Bay.