HISTORY

The modern Polish-American favourite dance, the polka is a lively couple-dance in a moderately fast duple meter. Because of its acceptance as a ethnic symbol by Polish immigrants to North America, the polka is gradually increasing its position among Polish dances and is often present in the repertoire of Polish folk dance ensembles in the U.S. The dance, however, is not Polish; it is not enumerated among the five "national" dances of Poland which include: polonaise, kujawiak, mazur, oberek, and krakowiak.

				Polka by Zofia Stryjeńska, 1927.	According to the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, the polka originated in Bohemia around 1830 as a round-dance, and became popular throughout Europe and in America in the course of the 19th century. The name "polka" is derived from Czech words for "field" or "half;" in other interpretations the name relates to the Czech term for a Polish girl, "polska," in reference to the krakowiak dance-songs which the Bohemians adopted for their polkas. It is interesting to note that the word "Polka" means "Polish woman" in Polish.

Music with the polka's characteristics appears in various collections written about 1800 for practical use by village musicians. In the 19th century polkas were composed by the leading composers of ballroom music of the 19th century (including both Johann Strausses); examples occur in art music by Smetana, Dvorak, and others. In the following years polka was performed in many countries all over the world such as Austria, France, England, USA and India. It attained extraordinary popularity, so much so that clothes, hats, streets and even dishes were named after it (e.g. "polka dots").

Podhale, junior group in the polka, 1999.

The modern American polka is distant from its European roots. Charles Keil lists six different polka styles, some of which have intermingled in the U.S. since the 1920s resulting in the present-day polka of the Polish American ethnic community: Slavic polkas (Polish, Slovenian), Germanic polkas (German, Czech- Bohemian), and southwestern polkas (Mexican and Papago-Pima). All the "ethnic" terms in this list should be hyphenated with "American" (e.g. Polish-American); moreover, all of the polkas "have come to define a certain persistent quality of ethnic working-class identity" (Keil 1992, 3). The distinct Polish-American version of the polka has roots in working class communities of the East Coast and the Midwest with mixed Polish, German and Czech populations. Musicians of the Eastern polka tradition included Walt Solek and Walter Dana Daniłowski. In 1950s Chicago emerged as a major center and the source of the dominant style of the polka which crystallized in the music of Li'l Wally (slower tempo, expressive lyrics and the ensemble including the clarinet, trumpet, and concertina). Polish-American polka bands are so widespread now, and the genre so well-established that there is a separate category at the Grammy Awards dedicated to the polka as well as numerous websites on the Internet (e.g. PolkaNet.com).

Polka Booster's Club program, California, 1976.

The Polish Center in Riverside is the site of weekend picnics with dancing and music through the summer and even fund raising balls of the various clubs and organizations (Polish American Congress of Southern California, dance groups) feature dance bands with a repertoire of traditional favorites, polkas, waltzes, tangos (as well as an array of Latin dances and classic rock-and-roll). However, the repertoire of polkas is notably missing from the social dancing provided for balls of the Helena Modjeska Club of Polish Arts and Culture in Los Angeles. With close links to Poland's intelligentsia, the club emphasizes the "high-culture" aspects of Polish traditions excluding the polka from its social events (replacing it with American jazz and rock, and Latin-American salsa; Harley 2000).

Polish American press (News of Polonia, Voice of Polonia) publish advertising about the upcoming dances and post-event reports; journalist Betsy Cepelik (News of Polonia) is an expert dancer and a polka aficionado. Similarly to other Polonian radio stations, Polish Radio Ela intersperses its programming with an array of polkas. Interestingly, it is the older "ethnic" members of the Polish American community that identify with this sound; according to Mary Patrice Erdmans's study of Chicago Polonia (Erdmans 1998, 121), the more recent immigrants consider "Polish content" of the programming more important than the inclusion of the polkas.

DESCRIPTION

In the Łowicz region of central Mazowsze there is "polka drygana" - very popular ... in the Opoczno region of Mazowze, tramblanka, in the Rzeszów region four different polkas, including "hurra" "kucana" "przez noge" "suwana". In Lachy Słdeckie region of Małopolska (between Rzeszów and the mountains, centered on Nowy Sącz, there is polka gwóźdź, polka z nigi. in the Upper Silesia there is szpacyr polka in the Cieszyn region.

Dąbrowska's research into dances of Mazowsze suggests the coexistence of two different polkas throughout the area: regular polka and "polka trzesiona" (i.e. drygana in Dziewanowska's terminology). The regular polka is danced on the circle by rotating couples who never separate and continue turning around the dance space until one or several male dancers calls for a change of direction (Dąbrowska 1980, p. 176). The dance is fast paced; the basic step consists of three small steps performed in such a way that "one foot chases the other." The dancers move smoothly and without interruptions, following the regularity of the music. In the "polka trzęsiona" the dancers are also located on the circumference of the circle and rotate simultaneously around the whole circle and their own axes (as in the regular polka and oberek). The difference stems from a different type of the step used: the very small steps of the dance consist of lifting the feet and placing it down vertically, very fast (in a regular polka the feet perform a sliding, or shuffling motion). As a result, the dancers shake throughout the dance, this shaking does not result from high jumps, but from the feet motion and is increased in accelerated tempi. (Dąbrowska 1980, 180).

Krakusy in the Old Warsaw polka, 1997.

Polka tramblanka or trampolka is also danced by couples rotating around the circle; the basic step of the polka in measures 1-2 is followed by small jumps on one leg in mm. 3-4 (changing legs from measure to measure). The dance has an alternating format of two measures of polka and two measures of jumps. At times, the schema includes one measure each of the basic polka step and the jump step.

As an exhibition dance, the polka includes a variety of gestures, with special steps, jumps, and kicks, lifting the women, dancing in circle, etc. The particular array of steps depends on the choreographer and the spatio-temporal image of a tradition that he/she wants to evoke (e.g. early 20th-century working-class Warsaw, 19th-century middle-class Warsaw).

COSTUMES

Krakusy in Rzeszów costumes, 1996.

The Rzeszów costume, as presented by members of the Krakusy Ensemble, includes blue outfits with red wool buttons and trimmings for men (who wear high boots and white shirts), and colorful skirts with white aprons, white scarves wrapped around the heads, tight, dark vests with contrasting trimmings and embroidery, and coral beads for women.

However, as the image of the polka by Zofia Stryjeńska reproduced above indicates, the most common association of the polka is with urban folklore. Stryjenska's dancers are working-class city dwellers in their fashionable Sunday clothes: a revealing, somewhat vulgar dress for the woman, and an exaggerated checkered suit for the man.

Krakusy in urban working class costumes.

The couple depicted in the Stryjeńska woodcut could be a housemaid or a cook and her beau (a factory worker) enjoying their dance on their weekend date. This aspect of the polka connects it with the lower class, urban folklore of big cities, particularly of Warsaw. The connection of the polka to the early 20th-century Warsaw proletariat (or even lumpen-proletariat of small-time crooks and easy women) was articulated in the suite of dances from Old Warsaw by the Krakusy Folk Dance Ensemble (performance in 1997). Notice the outrageously mismatched colors and accessories: straw hats with flowers for the woman and the oversized checkered hat and pants worn by the man in the Krakusy polka.

The dances from Old Warsaw performed by the adult Krakusy group highlighted the urban image of the polka presented by Stryjeńska. Their dance included a variety of somewhat vulgar gestures and broadly exaggerated dance positions. The women jumped and turned, showing their undergarments and screaming with excitement. The gestures and costumes were markers of the urban lower class character of the dance.

Podhale junior dances in polka costumes.

History section of this entry). The clothes and gestures were designed to be charming, with a slightly amusing air of pretentious elegance - perhaps, of children from the middle-class dressed up for an evening out on town, their first social event... The costumes were not specific to a particular decade of the 19th-century or a localized fashion yet helped to create an image of a "bygone era."

MUSIC

At that time the tempo of the polka was that of military march played rather slowly, at 52 bars (MM=104) per minute. The music was usually in ternary form with eight-bar sections, sometimes with a brief introduction and a coda. Such polkas were cultivated by all the leading ballroom dance composers of the latter part of the 19th century.

Polka from Warsaw, Kolberg 1886.

The example comes from the area of Warsaw, it is no. 727 from the second volume of Kolberg's Mazowsze (published in 1886; reprinted in Complete Works as vol. 25, 1963).

Among contemporary popular and ethnic dance genres, the polka has kept its image of the working-class dance providing enjoyment and relaxation after long days of hard, physical labor. With the "polka happiness" providing the keyword to its meaning (term borrowed from the title of a 1992 study by Charles and Angeliki Keil), the dance is slowly gaining popularity as a recreational activity for amateur dancers who relish the polka's lively tempo and enjoy the strenuous exercise that it provides. The musical styles continue to evolve and the Polish-American polka remains one of the few dances historically linked to Poland which are alive in social practice. The krakowiaks, mazurs or zbójnickis are exhibition dances performed by semi-professional Polish folk dance ensembles for Polish and American audiences. The polonaise kept its function as a high-status musical symbol of Polishness (and its name appears in several balls of Polish-American cultural organizations). Only the polka is danced by everyone.

Polka history

Jimmy Sturr Orchestra

Weird Al

Here's a recent song by The Chardon Polka Band:

Mollie B & Squeezebox - In the 2nd video, there's examples of polka dancing

This is an excerpt from an episode of the PBS series Independent Lens called Polka Time.

Butterick's Fashion Polka sheet music - 1877

Give the Gift of Polka History: Jimmy Brosch Remembers Twenty Legendary Texas Czech Polka Bands book makes a perfect Christmas present for the family. “Not just for your mom and dad or grandma and grandpa, but for the kids as well,” says Jimmy Brosch. “They can read about the music that their parents and grandparents grew up with. It can become an heirloom passed on for future generations to enjoy.”

The book also comes with a companion CD. “While you’re reading a chapter on a band, you can listen to their music,” Jimmy says. The book costs $28. The book and CD make a great gift set and costs $38. To place an order, send a check made out to Jimmy Brosch to 24707 Weld Ct. Katy, TX 77494. You can also order online at www.20polkabands.com. Enter code LODGE88 for free shipping.

[Edited 1/24/13 17:50pm]

MickyDolenz said:

Upbeat and carnival like, I like it alot.

SimpleSoul said:

Upbeat and carnival like, I like it alot.

That tune has a slight resemblance to Dixieland music, if the drums were left off.

Cilka & The 2nd Generation: Breakthrough

Navihanke

http://youtu.be/2lD0Aln2HyU

For the life of me I cannot get the video to post!

BTW....James Marsters (Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is in this clip.

Believe it or not, I have interviewed Jimmy Sturr on my radio show and have deejayed several polka dances with my Mom and her husband. Great parties. I will post some pics when I get a chance.

Believe it or not, I have interviewed Jimmy Sturr on my radio show and have deejayed several polka dances with my Mom and her husband. Great parties. I will post some pics when I get a chance.

JoeKelley said:

Believe it or not, I have interviewed Jimmy Sturr on my radio show and have deejayed several polka dances with my Mom and her husband. Great parties. I will post some pics when I get a chance.

I've read that there's a rumor that the Grammys got rid of the polka category because Jimmy was just about the only act that would win every year.

Andrews Sisters

I keep thinking of John Candy & Eugene Levy's classic SCTV bit, 'The Schmenge Bros. polka band.

Guy Klucevsek interview - January 15, 2013

Here's a polka music catalog site:

Polka Connection

Cleveland councilman Mike Polensek and polka radio host Tony Petkovsek with the new Frankie Yankovic Square signs.

Frankie Yankovic Square, Dedicated 8-21-07

CLEVELAND, Aug. 22. About three dozen polka musicians braved the rain to see a little patch of Cleveland named for Polka King Frankie Yankovic. Frankie Yankovic Square, a small grassy lot at the intersection of East 152nd Street and Waterloo Road in Collinwood, is not far from where the man who made Cleveland a polka capitol grew up and learned his music. Cecilia Dolgan, president of the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame with radio host and Hall of Fame Chairman Tony Petkovsek and Cleveland City Councilman Michael Polensek initiated the process of naming Frank Yankovic Square. Bob Yankovic (Frank's son), accordionist Bob Kravos (Frank's grand-nephew), radio host Tony Petkovsek and Cecilia Dolgan lead a singalong of "Just Because" at the dedication. Bob Kravos, Cecilia Dolgan, Bob Yankovic and Paul Yanchar lead a singalong at the reception at Raddell's Sausage Shop on Yankovic Square. Yankovic was dubbed America's Polka King after he produced the only two polka songs ever to go platinum "Just Because" in 1948 and "Blue Skirt Waltz" in 1949. At his peak, Yankovic was performing on the road in 325 shows a year. Before he died in 1998 at age 83, Yankovic had sold 30 million records and won the first Grammy awarded for a polka album in 1986. "He wasn't the world's greatest musician, but he came across the only way he could," said Dave Wolnik, who is 71 and played drums in Yankovic's band for 36 years. "He had an unusual voice, not like Sinatra, but when he sang, you knew it was him."

[Edited 2/16/13 11:32am]

Salzburger Nockerl: Kazoo Polka

The music industry and scandal go hand in hand. From organized crime seeing easy marks in profitable night clubs and venues to troubled, drug-addicted artists spiraling out of control to record company executives engaging in white collar crime like payola to help their product sell better, people involved in music often find themselves on the wrong side of the law. But by no means is this impropriety relegated to those scenes most often associated with crime, namely rap and dance music, and in fact has little to do with the content or the perceived "outlaw" character of any particular genre. In the end, corruption is more entwined with money than with art, and even a cheesy, ostensibly family-friendly style like polka is not immune to people trying to make a buck off of it in a less than legal way.

Released in 2009, The Man Who Would Be Polka King entertainingly recalls the biggest scandal to ever rock the polka world. At the heart of the trouble is Jan Lewan, a Polish émigré who chased his musical ambitions to Pennsylvania, where the large population of eastern Europeans allowed him to build a profitable polka empire. Unfortunately, the love of the people, and even a Grammy nomination in 1995, proved not to be enough for Lewan, who used his considerable popularity to launch a large scale pyramid scheme that swindled hundreds of his fans out of their paychecks and pensions. It's a fascinating tale of greed and delusion, one that begins with a talented and driven young Soviet defector and nearly ends in a vicious prison shanking, with plenty of detours, including his alleged rigging of a beauty pageant, in between.

But while it may be an interesting story, it's also a relatively small one, which leads filmmakers Joshua Brown and John Mikulak to make some odd choices. Chief among them is the decision to hire an actor to play a fictional Stan Tradowski, who narrates the proceedings from a bar stool at the local VFW hall. It's a distracting and unnecessary framing device, especially since the interviews with Lewan himself, who has always professed that he had no idea he was doing anything wrong, even in light of several warnings from the government, reveal a much clearer view of his pathological misunderstanding of the American dream he sought so feverishly.

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