Polka

The polka is a lilting round dance to the lively rapid two-four time. The name comes from the Czech Republic (Bohemia ). The basic form is a sequence of steps or alternating polka steps ( short-short- long) with emphasis on the first short step, ie alternately on the left and right foot. Originally, this step change was introduced in Bohemia with a hop, completed in German regions with a hop.

  • 5.1 polka bands

Origin of the name

The name polka mean in Czech and Polish " Polish ". In 1830 was named the dance pulk ( " half" ), the name was changed to 1835 in Prague Polka - probably out of sympathy for the then heavily oppressed Poland (see November Uprising ), according to other sources in accordance with the Polish singer Esmeralda.

A forerunner of the polka in the Czech folk dance is the " Nimra ".

Information from Meyers encyclopedia 1886

The dance is from the city Elbeteinitz ( Týnec nad Labem ) originate, where he in 1830 a Czech country girl, Anna Slezák invented. Then he had the name of his half- step ( step change step tschech. sled = half). When the Polka had found in 1835 in Prague and 1840 in Vienna and Paris entrance, it spread rapidly throughout Europe. According to other sources, the story is unlikely over Anna Slezák and bare a widespread legend.

It is danced in two-four time after a very simple music and consists of 3-4 repeats to 8, 12 or 16 bars. The movement is quite fast, but slower than a gallop. Through ballet masters were - among receiving individual Pas ( dance steps ) from other Slavonic Dances - several varieties of polka, so hongroise the polka, the mazurka (Polka Mazurka ), Polka à la Polacca, the, voiced by Johann Strauss Schnellpolka and others.

Origin of the dance step

The step is detectable in the German folk dance long before 1800, when bouncer. Johann Sebastian Bach used 1742 a bouncer in his Peasant Cantata.

The exact form of dance has been handed down in the Rhine Franconian 1811 Hipper, also of Scots- round dance (Scottish Waltz ) used this step.

In folk dance polka or Scots have survived in many countries: Austria (cancer Polka), Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark ( Tyrolerhopsa ), Sweden, Norway and of course the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and quite a few other countries.

Execution

When folk dance - where the polka is demonstrated since about 1835, in Austria since 1840 - leading the cheerfulness of the music and the rapid rotation to dance that often left out right. In ballroom dancing, the art, inter alia, in a good dance posture.

The Austrian folk dance, there are the following distinctions:

  • Polka Franze - slow ( ~ 80 bpm ), with Hüpfschritt after changing step
  • Bohemian Polka - slightly faster (~ 100 bpm ), usually with Hüpfschritt after changing step
  • Polka - medium speed (~ 120 bpm ), is danced without hops
  • Quick Polka - fast to very fast (~ 160 bpm ) without Hüpfschritt

Music

Known Polka tunes are among others:

  • The clarinets Muckl, Clarinet Polka, Opi -Polka ( Polka Dziadek ) by Karol Namysłowski
  • Polka de W. R. ( Composer: Sergei Rachmaninov )
  • Annemarie Polka ( composer: Herms Niel )
  • Bohemian Dream ( Composer: Norbert Gälle )
  • Rosamunde ( composer: Jaromír Vejvoda )
  • Britta Polka ( composer: Hans Christian Lumbye )
First Viennese School Tempo#Beats per minute Reprise Galop Schottische Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka Constantin von Wurzbach Integrated Authority File
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