The Development of the Polka PDF

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Essay on the development of Polka over time....

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The Development of Polka Polka originated as a Czech peasant dance in Bohemia in the early 1800’s. The definition of polka is a lively couple-dance in a moderately fast duple meter. Polka is derived from the Czech word for “half” and is used because it is in half time. There is a common misconception that polka is primarily from Poland. This music and dance is a combination of many “national” dances of Europe which include; Polonaise, Kujawiak, Mazur, Oberek, and Krakowiak. Poland adopted these folk dances from the surrounding countries and made them their own by using a lively duple meter. For example, there are different types of polkas in the Polish, Slovenian, Bohemian, and Dutchman style but each have their own take of it. Polka is livelier than the gavotte, minuet, polonaise, and waltz was during the 1800’s. In the 19th century, Polkas were composed by Prominent musicians who usually wrote for waltz’s. Johann Strauss I and his son Johann Struass II were well known for their Polkas that had a waltz feel to them. The Strauss Family in Vienna composed polkas for string instruments to use pizzicato in which is why they named one of their pieces 'Pizzicato Polka' jointly written by Johann II and Josef Strauss. Polka was introduced to the elite ballrooms in Prague in 1935, and then in Paris in 1940. They became popular there in salons and especially ballrooms because it was the perfect style to get people dancing. In the 1800s, immigrants became the prominent figures in bringing polka music to the United States. They were in the form of Bohemian dances and were of Polish, German, Czech-Bohemian, Slovenian, Norwegian, Finnish and Spanish descent. These immigrants came from an array of different countries and each had their own style of folk dances which are now known as polkas. Certain immigrants from each country settled in different areas of the United

States. Overtime, each state developed their signature polka style. There are 6 different styles of polka that are now present in the United States today since the 1920s; Slavic polkas which includes Polish polkas and Slovenian polkas, Germanic polkas which includes German polkas and Czech-Bohemian polkas, and the southerwestern polka style which includes Mexican polka and Papago-Pima. Polka dances were commonly played at social gatherings such as weddings, dance halls, and country fairs. After World War II, polkas became mainstream due to the overload of European and Polish immigrants coming to the United States. Cleveland, Ohio was the home of polka music where Slovenian-American Franki Yankovic became known as the “Polka King''and sold millions of records in the years 1948 and 1949. Polka became more popular with the younger crowd but was quickly overshadowed in the 1950s-1960s by the rapid growth in popularity of the new music genre, rock and roll. Popular polka musicians stood out because they would include their own cultural background into their polkas. Lawrence Wlek would take his German and Russian musical heritage and add it to his polka music while Frankie Yankovic would gain inspiration from his Slovenian heritage. Polka is not only prominent in the United States, but also in Austria, France, England, and India. It is important to understand that polka is an American form of dance. Immigrants brought their folk dances from their native countries and then Americanized them into the polka genre in order for everyone to enjoy it no matter their ancestral background. Those in Poland do not tend to like polka due to how Americanized it is but it is still in folk dance repertoire in Poland because of how popular it was amongst the polish immigrants in the United States. Polka is a part of classical music history repertoire. Even though it is of Bohemian origin, composers from Vienna, the music empire at its time, composed polkas and included it in their

own repertoire. People loved dancing in Vienna which allowed for polkas to grow in popularity in the 19th century. Igor Stravinsky composed Circus Polka in 1942 for a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine. It was made for the Ringling Brothers who performed it with 50 ballerinas and 50 elephants. Bedřich Smetana used polka in his opera “The Bartered Bride” and it can be found in Act 1. Polka’s were very versatile and many different composers who did not have a background in polkas were able to compose this music because it is similar to many other styles used for couple dances that they were already familiar with. The structure of polka has evolved over time since the 19th century. The 19th century polka is the most common structure and is prevalent today. This is known as the classical polka where the rhythm is two sixteenths followed by an eighth note in a lively 2/4 tempo. Musicians and dancers think of it as a “quick quick slow” rhythm where the first beat is the most accented. It has a 4-8 bar phrase with no pauses in the song. The structure is as follows; a ride (instrumental), vocal, ride, vocal, ride, vocal, trio, ride with a solo, ride out to end the piece. Polka was originally danced by couples in a large circle where they would move around the circumference of the circle. This classical polka became popular because it was a way for European immigrants to connect to other European immigrants in the United States. Each polka from a different country has their own style, instrumentation, and sometimes a different dance to compliment their version. The classical polka was made famous by the Strauss family who had many classical instruments at their disposal which is why they were originally played on violins and on other classical instruments. The immigrants that came from Europe to the United States needed to use instruments that were available to them which is how the accordion from Germany became popular in the 1820s and the 1830s, as well as the concertina which was developed in Germany and England. The accordion allowed musicians to use the keyboard to play the melodic

line with the right hand, while simultaneously playing chords using the buttons with the left hand. This allowed for only one instrument needed in order to play chords and a melody which helped greatly when it was hard to find musicians and instruments to play on. The standard classical polka would have 8-12 musicians where there would be 1 or 2 accordions/concertinas, a bass player, percussion, fiddles, and wind instruments (clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, and singers). When the working class wanted to play polkas, it was usually a much smaller ensemble because they did not have the resources to obtain enough instruments or musicians. Apart from there being different styles depending on what state one was in, different styles of polkas developed due to musicians not having enough players or instruments to play the classical polka. The Slovenian style of polka is known as the contemporary American style. This style derived from Slovenia heritage and was popular in Cleveland, Ohio and the Midwestern cities. This is also known as the “Cleveland Style” or the “Croatian Style”. Slovenia immigrants would teach their folk songs to their children while they were growing up. The children would then translate the lyrics into english and arrange them to the polka’s lively duple meter. This polka style used a wide array of instrumentation which included a diatonic button accordion which was also called a “Button Box”. Musicians would play the electric guitar, banjo, saxophone, clarinet, bass guitar, and a drum set for the Sloevnian style polka. This music would be used for ethnic clubs and union halls. Frankie Yankovic and other musicians paved the way for this genre to spread and gain a larger audience. Dr. William Lausche included classical music and early jazz into the Slovenian polka style while Johnny Pecon and Luo Trebar would add blues notes, and borrowed chords homophonically in order to add their own interpretation of the style into their music. Polka is a style for composers to add their own speciality into it in order to have their audience experience different genres while still listening to polka. Adding blues, classical, or jazz music to

polka, allowed for those who liked these styles to then listen to polkas which helped grow the polka audience. The North American Polish style was developed in Chicago and has two different genres. There is the “Chicago Honky” which uses a trumpet, a clarinet, a concertina or accordion, an upright bass, and drums. This polka has a Dixieland style, which is a New Orleans Jazz genre, and the singers sing in Polish. There is the “Chicago Push” style which is the typical Chicago-style polka band with two trumpets, an accordion, a concertina, drums, a bass, and a clarinet, saxophone, or fiddle. This style takes inspiration from the rock and roll style that was popular in the 50s, and includes the intense “bellow-shaking” of the accordion. The North American Dutchman style is known for its tuba which creates a steady and strong beat behind the instruments. It incorporates a conjunto-style, which is a Latin-American genre also known as “Norteño”. This style originated in Northern Mexico and Texas. The San Francisco style is known as punk or alternative polka. This became popular in the 1980s and 1990s where musicians would combine polka with rock styles. This was when polka started becoming less popular as rock and roll continued to develop and reach more people. Musicians believed that if they combined polka with a genre that listeners knew and loved, then they would gain their popularity back. The Duranguesne polka is from Durango, Mexico and has a rapid beat produced by electric guitars, violins, drums, saxophones, trombones, keyboards, trumpets, tubas, keyboards, and a bass guitar. The Irish immigrants took polka and put an Irish flavor to it by featuring fiddles, acoustic basses, and concertinas. In Arizona, Native American bands created a polka style called Chicken Scratch music where they used two saxophones as the primary instrument. Even though polkas primarily reside in the United States, it is still a genre that music lovers enjoy to listen to in other countries. Canada has similar styles in the United States but the

Cleveland style polka in Southern Ontario is the most popular amongst polka audiences. In the 1800s, polka was popular in South america. In Argentina they developed a polka called The Peruvian “polca” which was in a very fast tempo at ¾ times. Their instruments that they used included an acoustic guitar which would have 6 or 7 strings, an electric or acoustic bass that could be fretless, an accordion, and a percussion set. The lyrics that they used praised the gaucho warriors from the past or they would sing about the life of a gaucho camperiod. In Paraguay, they adopted the Danza Paraguaya polka which became their national dance. It is different from the classical polka because this type combines ternary and binary rhythms while the European polkas only uses binary rhythms. There are different types of Paraguayan polka which include; polka syryry, polca kyre'y, polca popo, polca saraki, polca galopa, and polca jekutu. Polka can be found in Europe but it is not as popular as it is in the United States. There are many polka musicians who are popular in Europe today such as the Polish trio Kroke. Polkas are in the top three main categories under The best of German music and are the most important dance and song of Finland, Sweden, and Norway. In Poland, polkas are among the repertoire of folk dance ensembles. Polka was very popular among immigrants because they were the working class and wanted to socialize in their free time. They used polkas because it has a fast and lively rhythm which is perfect for dancing with their significant others and their friends and family. There are many different types of polka dances that have developed since the 1800s. The standard polka dance is a three step movement. Dances would add hops, kicks, jumps, and other movements to make this dance more appealing to the audience and more exciting to dance. Below is a chart of how one would have danced to the standard polka.

Standard Polka Dance Sequence Polka tramblanka is where each pair of triple steps is followed by a pair of hops on each leg. Below is a chart of one would dance to the polka tramblanka.

Polka Tramblanka Dance Sequence The waltz used by polka musicians, is a dance in a ¾ meter that has a lively polka feel to it. The dancer should have their shoulder parallel to the ground and move them smoothly throughout the song. On the first step forward, the weight is taken off of the heel and moved to the ball of the food. There is a gradual rise to the toes at the start and end of the first beat and it continues to the second and third beat of each bar of music. At the end of the third beat, the dancer would lower their weight to the heel of the foot.

Waltz Left Box Sequence

The foxtrot dance is similar to a waltz but it is in 4/4 where the emphasis is on the first and third beat. The dancers are in closed ballroom

dance exposition and the rhythm that the dancers use is slow slow, quick quick. .

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Foxtrot Dance Sequence (pictures on the right)

The last popular polka dance is called the jive/swing dance. This dance is usually in 4/4, has many steps, and the music is very fast and energy driven. The jive is primarily used at competitions because it has the most intricate steps and is the most exciting to watch. There are many kicks in this dance and the dancers are usually on the balls of their feet. Below is a diagram of the jive/swing sequence.

Jive/Swing Dance Sequence Polka has hit a steady decline in popularity over the last 25 years. In 1959, Polka music was a stand-alone category at the Grammy Awards, but in 2009 the category was taken off of the awards. Polka musicians are still eligible for a Grammy under the traditional folk album and best contemporary folk album categories. However, polka is not getting as much attention now that it does not have its own category at the Grammys, and it shows how much polka popularity has declined over the years. In the 1960s-70s, Chicago had 10-20 dance halls and 30-40 taverns that featured polka music. Now polka lovers are lucky if they are able to find five halls and one lounge that have some polka music sprinkled into its shows. From the 1940s to the 1970s, there were only three channels on the TV and only a few radio stations. This caused people to go out and dance for enjoyment to polka music. Now with the digital age, there are hundreds of

channels and people are less likely to go to live music venues which are the most popular way for polka musicians to share their music. Young people find the music that they enjoy through the media and most polka bands are not shown through technology, but through people going out and dancing to their live performances. If the media advertises polkas, they will only talk about polka festivals and show older ladies dancing together or a kielbasa-eating contest. This does not show the serious side of polka music and does not gain interest from other people outside of its community. There have been improvements in making polka wider known to people who would not normally have listened to polka. Netflix made a movie on Frankie Yankovic who was America’s “Polka King'' which allowed for polka information to be known to the public. There are also new versions of polkas being created in order to get different people interested in this music. The group FreezeDries features three female African-American singers who use rock, zydeco, and gospels into their polka music which connects with other peoples who would listen to these styles but not necessarily polka. Their goal is to make polka more modern and to be featured on “Dancing With the Stars” or “The Tonight Show”. However, the polka industry does not have enough money or resources for the advertisement and marketing of polka. Polka used to be popular in big cities such as Chicago and Cleveland, but it is now found in pockets in Illinois, the Great Plains, Ohio, Pennsylvania, the East Coast, and Texas. Today, there are groups that are making polkas accessible to everyone and are grabbing the attention of people who wouldn’t normally listen to polkas. The National Polka Festival started in 1966 and is the largest Chez Polka Festival in the United States. In the 2010’s, a total of 50,000 people participated in the festival where there was dancing, singing, and the celebration of Czech cultural heritage that happened every year on Memorial Day weekend. Czech immigrants began arriving in the United States in the 1850s. They have settled in Central

and North Central Texas where they have set up farms, schools, and social and cultural organizations to help maintain their language and ethnic identity. This festival is located in Texas due to the large amount of Czech immigrants that have settled there. Dancing is an important part of their culture because it provides entertainment, exercise, and quality time with their family and friends. All backgrounds are welcome to this festival and it's a weekend filled with many events. On Friday there is a dancing competition and a King and Queen contest. There is a Parade at 10am Saturday morning that includes clowns, cheerleaders, bands, floats, and horses. There are traditional foods being served, dancers, music, arts and crafts, and a horseshoe tournament all throughout the weekend. On Sunday, there is a mass at 10am hosted by the Knights of Columbus which is followed by more dancing, food, and music. This festival features anywhere from eight to fourteen bands who perform many different styles of polka music ranging from traditional to modern. This polka festival is a great way to grab the attention of non polka listeners and show them their Czech heritage and what polka music entails. Butch and Mary Kotowski are said to be the Nations #1 Polka Dance professionals. They have created the National Polka Dance Competitions that ran from 1987-1998 and helped to create an environment for polka lovers to enjoy polka music together. These competitions showed non polka listeners what polka dancing is and how it is an enjoyable activity. Butch and Mary Kotowski provides quality dance lessons, dance performances, and dance competitions for all levels and ages. They have performed at over 600 Polka Dance Exhibitions which includes many television and cable TV appearances which have reached millions of polka fans in their homes. Their dance competitions are a part of two festivals for ameature dancers: The Hunter Mt. National Polka Festival, New York; and the Summer Music Fest, Frankenmuth, Michigan. Trophies, certificates and other prizes were awarded to winning couples in three Adult Divisions,

based on age range. They also had a children exhibition competition where every participant received a trophy and certificate in order to introduce children to the dance without making it competitive. The Kotowski’s developed programs and events for polka dancers due to the fact that polka was slowly declining. They made a place for people who loved dancing to compete against each other and exposed children to polka music and polka dancing. Even though polka music has declined over the years, there are many organizations trying to hold events and other activities that will allow for polka music to be shared with others. The Polka Booster Club of America is a non profit organization, “dedicated to promoting polka music through fellowship and social activities for the enjoyment of members and guests by sponsoring polka dances and other events that promote polka music,” (Polka Booster Club of America). This club holds dances, dinners, and organizes bands for the polka community. The club allows for polka bands to play for others who enjoy polka music.. In Southern California, they have a Polka Boosters club that organizes polka dances in Chino, California. Touring polka groups have been playing there since 1976 and the venue was overflowing with people. The International Polka Association is based in Chicago and honors musicians through the Polka Hall of Fame. The United States Polka Association ...