  When interpreted within the standard framework of Newtonian gravity and
dynamics, the kinematics of stars and gas in dwarf galaxies reveals that most
of these systems are completely dominated by their dark matter halos. These
dwarf galaxies are thus among the best astrophysical laboratories to study the
structure of dark halos and the nature of dark matter. We review the properties
of the dwarf galaxies of the Local Group from the point of view of stellar
dynamics. After describing the observed kinematics of their stellar components
and providing an overview of the dynamical modelling techniques, we look into
the dark matter content and distribution of these galaxies, as inferred from
the combination of observed data and dynamical models. We also briefly touch
upon the prospects of using nearby dwarf galaxies as targets for indirect
detection of dark matter via annihilation or decay emission.
