Polka
The polka arose in Bohemia, in today's Czech Republic, in the 1830s. A later story credits a young woman, Anna Slezáková, with dancing in an unusual way to a local folk song around 1830, but this account first appeared in print in 1844. The name probably comes from the Czech word půlka, 'half', recalling the half-step; the dance is in lively 2/4 time with a hopping step.
From Bohemian villages the dance reached Prague ballrooms by 1835, Vienna by 1839, Paris in 1840 and London in 1844, causing a craze called polkamania. In the nineteenth century it became a symbol of Czech identity against German cultural dominance. Today it remains the principal dance at formal Czech events and is danced in Poland, Scandinavia, Ireland and polka communities of the United States.
Sources
- The polka and Czech national awareness (Encyclopedia of Romantic Nationalism in Europe)
- Polka (New World Encyclopedia)
- Polka (Wikipedia)
Organisations connected with this dance
- Národní ústav lidové kultury (National Institute of Folk Culture), Strážnice
- Mezinárodní folklorní festival Strážnice (Strážnice International Folklore Festival)
Listed as references; being listed is not an endorsement by or of the organisation.