Polonaise | ‘The most traditional Polish dance’

‘Once a favourite among the gentry, the Polonaise has a long & fascinating history… ‘As a walking dance… the Polonaise is purposefully moderate in tempo & very dignified… The dance is in 3/4 time & is performed by a procession of mixed pairs moving along trajectories, curved or straight, proposed by the dance-leader… The choreography revolves around a pivot, the temporary separation of partners, & then a circle by the male partner around the female dancer. In the first figure the pairs form lines that move towards each other & eventually cross. The female dancers form a line in the middle & the male dancers face them. After this is done, the pairs re-form. Then all the pairs in line except for the one in the front raise their joined hands forming a ‘tunnel’. The pair at the front of the line turns around & enters the passage, bending forward slightly. They are followed by the next pair at the front & so on. After a pair passes through the ‘tunnel’ they turn around at the end of it & raise their joined hands to add a segment to the passage. ‘[Its predecessor] the ‘taniec polski’ (‘Polish dance’)… was incredibly popular with the gentry at the Jagiellonian Royal Court of Poland. These were times when Poland was a very powerful state & its culture influenced other European countries. It was initially a sung dance… similar to the Polonaise but less dynamic… Nevertheless the taniec polski had the dignity & processional character that can be witnessed in later form. ‘Towards the end of the 17th century the taniec polski started to be accompanied by live music. It then rapidly spread to Scandinavia. To this day, one of the most popular traditional dances in Sweden, Denmark & Norway is called ‘Polska’… In the 18th century… The elected Saxon Kings of Poland as well as the German states were reputed to be incredibly fond of it… ‘In recent years groups of young enthusiasts of traditional dances have appeared in Poland, offering dance lovers a fantastic opportunity to witness & even try dancing a Polonaise. In view of its long history & bygone popularity, the Polonaise is often called the most traditional Polish dance.’ ~ Marek Kępa