How do polish people dance

The idea behind it is to learn directly from local dance and music masters by participating in dance parties and social gatherings. A new trend is emerging now in this context, with attempts at formulating a methodology of teaching traditional dances in the unmodified form. Search videos. Introduction Description Author Credits Share. Discover The social changes that took place in Poland in the second half of the 20th century led to the disappearance of many traditional dance forms with their original functions.

Championnat de danses polonaises At the beginning of the 20th century, popular dances perceived as national ones, started to become obsolete. By accessing the website, you acknowledge and accept the use of cookies to assist you in your browsing.

You can block these cookies by modifying the security parameters of your browser or by clicking on this link. The polonaise as a dance form should not be confused with the chorea polonica i. According to many scholars, the chorea polonica has musical characteristics of the krakowiak, not the polonaise. According to the entry on the polonaise in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, before the end of the 16th century the Polish folk dances that are ancestors of the polonaise were adopted by the lower ranks of the upper classes gentry and lesser aristocracy.

At first they retianed their sung accompaniment, but as these dances became popular among people of higher status, the music was transferred to the instrumentalists who accompanied court dances. The folk origins of the polonaise are rather distant in contemporary interpretations by folk dance groups. The polonaise is usually danced in costumes of the Polish nobility of the 17th century the kontusz jackets ; some groups present their polonaises in costumes from the period of the Duchy of Warsaw established by Napoleon before his defeat in empire dresses, cavalry uniforms.

The image on the left is of a polonaise danced by the Krakusy Polish Folk Dance Ensemble in costumes from the Lublin region in east-central Poland.

The dance has been used in formal contexts and during public ceremonies and festivities, particularly at weddings, or, recently, as the first dance of a formal ball.

Dancing the polonaise requires a straight, upright posture with no movement of hips, smooth and elegant hand gestures, and the head held high, with pride, as it were. The dancers never face each other while holding hands; instead the couples walk arm-in-arm in a procession around the hall, stopping to bow to each other, circling around while holding one hand above eye level, etc.

The basic step of the polonaise is adjusted to its triple meter, accenting the first beat in each measure with a longer step with a slight bending of the knees , and performing two shorter steps with a somewhat straighter, higher position of the body. There are also options for the couples to move backward, turn, move sideways or dance in place — these variants are useful when the whole procession, directed by the leading couple, has to criss-cross its own path.

The cadences of the music are marked with formal bows, each lasting for two measures of the accompaniment. The dance includes special figures to be danced by individual couples, with shifting hands, turns, etc. The group figures include the parting of the couples, promenades, and passing under the elevated hands of the couple at the front of the line. There are many variations in the way the polonaise may be danced.

They also shaved their heads, leaving a top bunch of hair, and wore long mustaches. The noblewomen had their own variants of fur-lined kontusz with long slit-sleeves, and fur hats with jewels.

Three Polish national dances, namely the polonaise , mazur and krakowiak , were an inspiration not only for Polish composers best examples: Chopin's and Paderewski's famous Mazurkas , but also for the composers all over the world. Through the work of these artists, these three dances penetrated also into the international opera and ballet. Besides the domain of music and dance, Poland is also known for her posters, her wallhangings "kilimy" , her cut-outs "wycinanki" , and, last but not least, her postal stamps.

The beginnings of folk dances in Poland reaches back to very distant times. They derive from the tribal dances of the Slavic people inhabiting the area between the Baltic Sea in the north, the Tatra Mountains in the south, the Odra river in the west, and the Bug river in the east. These tribal ceremonies were held in honor of the pagen gods, who watched over the cultivation of crops and over the family matters.

With the passing of centuries, however, the dances lost their religious and ceremonial significance becoming a communal social pastime. But even today, they still display traces of the ancient circle made around a god, or feature a leading couple.

Polish folk dancing can be divided into two categories: the regional and the national dances. The different regions began to take shape in pre-historic times. Often, rivers, mountains, thick forests, or swamps defined the boundaries between various regions. In this isolation, special characteristics have developed. However, when the transfer of communication became easier, different regions started to interchange certain cultural features. As a result, with some small differences, lyrics of songs, melodies, and steps had a tendency to wander from place to place.

The regional dances are always enhanced by local folk decorations, such as costumes, props, or unique musical instruments. Some dances display remnants of ancient religious or wedding ceremonies.