This category contains English language sites relating to Polish folk dancing. Polish folk dance originates from the tribal dances of the Slavic people who lived in the region bounded by the river Bug in the east, the river Odra in the west, the Tatra Mountains in the south, and Baltic in the north. The dance styles vary from one region to another, even as to the manner in which a polka step is executed. This is due to the heavily forested nature of the region making travel difficult until recent times. Each of the regions developed their own related dance styles, but often influenced by those of neighboring countries (for example Germany, Scandinavia, Ukraine). An important influence were the royal marriage ties with Sweden and shifting national boundaries. In particular the mountain dances of the south and south-east are very different having similarities with Slovakia, Romania, Hungary and even Serbia. In many of them, men and woman usually dance separately, whereas couple dances are the norm elsewhere in the country. Each region has versions of polkas and waltzes of its own, some occupational dances (e.g. blacksmith, shoemaker, brick-maker), and a few have a dance type peculiar to that area alone such as the wiwats of Wielkopalska and the powolniaks of the Kurpie region. The latter employ continuous turning motifs of 3 counts danced to music in 2/4 time, a characteristic also typical of some dances in the Rzeszow region. The commonest timing in the center, west and south-west are the 3/4 and 3/8. In the south and east, 2/4 and 4/4 are more popular. However five dances have been adopted throughout the country as national dances and these depend on choreography for performance as show dances. There are the krakowiak (in 2/4 time) reputedly dating back to 1510 when Krakow was the country’s capital; the polonez (in 3/4 time) a court version of the processional folk chorodzony; the kujawiak (in 3/4 time) and the oberek and mazur (both in 3/8 time). The last three are all derived from folk ‘round dances. The polonez (polonaise) and mazur (mazurka) were at one time popular in the ball room. There are many folk dance clubs and ensembles keeping these traditions alive in Poland. Many other countries have strong Polish communities who regard folk dance as a showcase for their culture and traditions. An important focal event is the International Polish Folk Dance Festival in Rzeszow that occurs every 3 years.
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