More examples: In speed skating, going counterclockwise enables right-handed skaters to use their right arms to swing and generate/preserve momentum.

Has anyone seen a merry-go-round go clockwise lately? Or, for that matter, a rollercoaster (what about a Ferris Wheel--not so sure about that one)?

There must be several possibly unrelated reasons for all these instances. But right-handedness seems to be quite a dominating factor in a number of them. That must be why it's the man's RH that is under the lady's shoulder blade, and not LH.

... Might even relate to the fact that spectators in a counterclockwise moving event will scan visually from left to right, which is also the way the majority read the written word, which leads back to righthanded writing.

Throw this one into the ring. Have a look at the turning wheel of a bike. This side the wheel is turning against the clock. Go the othere side its with the clock. Which has absolutely nothing to do with the question. Why do we dance anti- clock.

Serendipidy: There you go...

This question has kept me awake many a night. Let's see: Earth spins CC, Earth rotates round Sun CC, Moon rotates round Earth CC. All of course seen from the Northern Hemisphere, which goes to PROVE that ballroom dancing did NOT originate in Australia.

Sundials ... Isn't that why we had clockwise in the first place.

Sorry if I caused anyone else insomnia.

Nigelgwee. Sleepless nights with nonesensible questions. Which way does a river flow. This side it is anti clock. The otherside it is clockwise. But if I turn my back I change the flow from one way to the other. Which still doesn't tell us why we dance anti clock. I think the turn up each end must be taken into account. If you are one side and I the other. Which way are they going. Lets settle for that they are moving to our right.

At the Olympiads in ancient Greece, the athletes ran around the track clockwise. They were also naked, so perhaps that makes a difference .
I reckon that if we progressed around the room clockwise, someone would be asking why don't we dance anti-clockwise...?
F1 motor racing goes clockwise because the cars have their swords on the opposite wings.
Race horses go in both directions because.....
I love this topic!

It is an interesting subject. If I can imagine one of my primitive forebears dancing around a camp fire on the night of a full moon. I would have them going anti-clock whether they faced inwards or out. It just seems natural to go in that direction.

It is definitely safer for spectators to have the sword on a gentleman's left hip, therefore inside the LOD. However, I can't say that it would be so safe for his dance partner. If he had to draw that sword while dancing in LOD with his partner, her head could be cut off!!!

Regardless of WHY we do it, I just wish more people actually knew TO do it. When we're hard-up for a place to dance on the weekend, sometimes we'll go to one of the country dances around here, where absolutely no one knows to travel counter-clockwise around the floor. It makes for great floorcraft practice though.

I would say at athletic sports there may be another reason to run cc: right handed people (so the majority) have a preferred LEFT supporting (stronger) leg and this causes a slight turn to the L (see CBM at dancing). So also in dancing a turn to the left is the easier one, but only because of the right-shifted hold (the sword thing ...) the turn to R evolved to the "Natural Turn."
But I also like the explanation that spectators outside see people moving from L to R.
By the way: I hate the terms "clockwise / counter clockwise" because I wear digital watches only. Why doesn't everybody say "to the right / to the left"? And where is the clock? (I know it's lying on the ground, but imagine someone put it on the ceiling, then clockwise would be counter clockwise ... !)