Polka

The polka1844 according to Shorter OED, vol 2, p1537. is a dance for couples which originated in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic). It was a "craze" in Europe for a time in the mid to late 19th century.Franks A.H. Social dance in the nineteenth century: a short history, p133 et seq.Richardson P.J.S. 1960. The social dances of the 19th century, chapter 8, p81, and noted in later chapters. and in the United States.Aldrich, Elizabeth 1991. From the ballroom to hell: grace and folly in nineteenth-century dance. Northeastern University Press. Evanston, Illinois. p190: directions for performing the polka.Blatter, Alfred 2007. Revisiting music theory: a guide to the practice, p28. . The craze spread in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, of which the Czechs were part.

The dance is done with a one-two-three-hop style:"Polkamania ... has raged very fiercely amongst us, indeed all over London this year". Letter by E.J.Knox, 14 August 1844: quoted in A.E. Blake London 1909. Memoirs of a Vanished Generation ..., London 1909 viii, 217. The dance soon spread to London and was introduced to America in 1844. It remained a popular ballroom dance until the late 19th century.

 References 

 Other websites 
 The Worlds Polka Network The world's first 24/7 Polka Streamer.
 Polka Jammer Network Internet radio station featuring many LIVE & taped shows.
 National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame.
 International Polka Association and Hall of Fame .
 Wisconsin Polka Music.

Category:Musical forms
Category:Ballroom dances