| America, home of the Polka! In this land of the melting | | | | range of styles. The push type "honky" style was |
| pot, where all cultures and crazes are welcomed | | | | birthed in Chicago; the faster paced Slovenian style |
| Polka is an unequivocal hit! Google the term "Polka" | | | | has its roots in Cleveland; the Dutchman with its tuba |
| and your search will yield a bevy of fan sites | | | | music and oom-pah sound hails from the Midwest, the |
| dedicated to this centuries old dance. Polka is so | | | | Tex-Mex version is the Conjunto style, and the punk |
| widespread that it has its own Grammy category. | | | | polka or alternative polka is contributed by San |
| Shania Twain, U2, Kanye West and Jimmy Sturr? | | | | Francisco. Today Polka fans gather at conventions, |
| Yep! Jimmy took home the 2005 statue for his album | | | | clubs, dance halls and "Sausage Festivals" to celebrate |
| "Shake, Rattle and Polka". Only in America could a | | | | the "heel and toe and away we go" upbeat dance. |
| folksy hop-step-close-step dance share a platform | | | | There is a Polka Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio and |
| with a hip hop group who penned the ditty, "Its Hard | | | | International Polka Association in Chicago, Polka |
| Out Here for a Pimp!" | | | | Newspapers, and numerous Polka booster clubs |
| Polka is often associated with Poland, but the dance | | | | around the country. |
| actually originated in Czechoslovakia, in the mid 1800s, | | | | "Sausage Festivals" or Wurstfests are similar to the |
| or did it? Similar to other dance movements, Polka's | | | | German Octoberfest. Eastern European culture is |
| roots can be traced back to the working class. It is | | | | celebrated with food, drink and Polka music. One such |
| believed that the inventor of this half-step dance was | | | | festival is the annual 10 day "Wurstfest" held in New |
| a peasant girl, Anna Slezak. Well that's the Czech | | | | Braunfels, Texas. This popular festival began in 1961 as |
| version anyway. The Poles steadfastly hold to the | | | | Sausage Festival and later was known as "Wurst |
| story that they invented the dance but the Czechs | | | | Week." The first festival to the astonishment of its |
| popularized it. In the Polish version, a Czechoslovakian | | | | organizers welcomed 2000 visitors due to worldwide |
| was passing through a Polish village and saw the | | | | media coverage. The event now welcomes over |
| dance being performed by a Polish girl. They called the | | | | 100,000 visitors to this annual smorgasbord of food, fun |
| dance "Polka" which translates to "Polish woman." | | | | and music. There are many small and large festivals |
| After its Polish or Czechoslovakian beginnings, Polka | | | | across the United States and all are dedicated to |
| was introduced to the ballrooms of Prague in 1835 and | | | | promoting and preserving the European heritage and |
| made its debut in Paris in 1840. Polka reached the | | | | its traditions which include Polka. |
| United States by the mid nineteenth century as it | | | | Polka music has a happy, upbeat feel but upon closer |
| joined the Waltz as the dance of the day. Its popularity | | | | examination the songs are melancholy ballads of love |
| waned with the introduction of jazz and ragtime. | | | | gone wrong that can only be solved by alcohol! |
| People no longer wanted to half step they preferred | | | | Hmmm, not unlike a good country and western tune - |
| to "boogie woogie". | | | | this definitely explains the American appeal. For the |
| Following World War II, Polish immigrants adopted the | | | | Polka enthusiast, it does not matter how or where it |
| Polka as their national dance. Lawrence Welk and | | | | originated or what style you prefer because for the |
| other post war bands added to the newfound polka | | | | true aficionado it's all about the music, so let's Polka! |
| craze. Contemporary American Polka has a wide | | | | |