How to dance the Bohemian Polka, a Frozen historically accurate cartoon princess dance.
Do you love the film frozen? I do. The cold may not bother Elsa, but when it snows, I want to get up and dance to stay warm. Anna would have kept warm with the polka, a popular Norwegian dance. It is the perfect historically accurate cartoon princess dance for the film Frozen
The polka was a folk dance that traveled from Bohemia to France, then England, before making its way to the new world. The Polka’s good-natured joy made closed-couple turning dancing acceptable, introducing thousands of dancers to the pleasure of spinning in each other’s arms. Once couples tasted this euphoria, they developed an appetite for more. The Polkamania led to a flowering of other couple dances, including the Schottische, Valse à Deux Temps, Redowa, Five-Step Waltz and Varsouvienne, plus new variations on the earlier Waltz, Mazurka and Galop.
“The Bohemian National Polka” is a lovely reconstruction of what the early polka may have looked like in the 1830’s before it became a smash-hit “ballroom dance’ “prior to the polkamania of 1840. The original compilation was researched by the Czech dance historian Frantisek Bonusn and simplified by Stanford professor Richard Powers in 1986. It incorporates several types of polka, like the Czechoslovakian Dudacka, Redowacka, and the Tremblante.
I have reconstructed this popular historic dance with Anna and Elsa from frozen. This lovely dance will keep you warm in any storm.
Bohemian Polka:
Some notes to get you started. A measure is two beats, a basic polka step is three steps in two beats, or count 1&2. It can be danced with a hop after beat 2 on the &. A walk is one beat. Closed hold comprises the man’s right hand on the ladies left shoulder blade, Ladies left hand placed on the man’s right shoulder, and the left and right hands clasped at eye level.
Music:
We used the traditional piece “Feuerfest! Polka Française, Op. 269” by Johann Strauss found on google play
Top
Bars 1-4
Bar 1-Commence side by side holding hands, Gentleman Right to Ladies Left.
Bar 2-turn and face partner.
Bar 3-curtsey and bow.
Bar-4 Turn to face line of dance holding hands, Gentleman Right to Ladies Left.
Promenade – 4 sets of 4 bars
Frist 3 sets of 4 bars,
Gentleman:
Bar 1-polka chasse forward gentlemen commence left (forward, close, forward, hop)
Bar 2-f polka chasse forward with the right foot, (forward, close, forward, hop)
Bar 3-two forward walks (left, right)
Bar 4-forward Rock (forward left foot, return weight to right foot).
Ladies:
The Lady will dance the mirror opposite, commencing with the right foot
Bar 1- polka chasse forward right foot (forward, close, forward, hop)
Bar 2- polka chasse forward followed by the left foot, (forward, close, forward, hop)
Bar 3-two forward walks (right, left)
Bar 4-forward rock (forward right foot, return weight to left foot).
On the fourth set of 4, on the fourth measure replace the rock step with a march for the gentleman as he leads the lady to walk forward to face him and take a closed dance position.
Chasse in & out with polka turn to right
Bars 1-In closed position chasse to the gentleman’s left toward the center of the room (side, close, side)
Bar 2- chasse to the gentleman’s right (side, close, side,)
Bars 3-4 Polka step turning to the right.
Repeat bars 1-4 once
Chasse in & out with pivot
Bars 1-In closed position chasse to the gentleman’s left toward the center of the room (side, close, side)
Bar 2- Chasse to the gentleman’s right (side, close, side,)
Bars 3-4 step hop pivot turning to the right for 4 steps on the beat. This is best if the man turns his preceding step so he can step back with his left foot pivoting to the right, and forward right foot pivoting to the right.
Dudacka (doo-DAHTCH-ka) Polka step:
Bar 1- Chasse to center side, close, side (Gentlemen L,R,L, Ladies R,L,R)
Bar 2- Look away from center and tap your outside foot on 1, position held for 2 (Gentlemen R, Ladies ,L)
Bar 3- Chasse back out, side, close, side (Gentlemen R,L,R, Ladies L,R,L)
Bar 4- Look to center and tap your inside foot on 1, position held for 2 (Gentlemen L, Ladies ,R)
Polka and cast away
Bar 1-2 Polka step turning to the right
Bar 3-4 both partners cast off to the left walking forward for 4 step in a circle to the left.
Pivots and Polka
Bar 1-2 Step hop pivot turning to the right for 4 steps on the beat.
Bars 3-4 Polka step turning to the right.
Bar 1-2 Step hop pivot turning to the right for 4 steps on the beat.
Bar 3- Polka step turning to the right.
Bar 4- Gentlemen stationary polka step turning the lady under the joined left and right hand to her right to end in facing position.
Redowacka (ray-doe-VAHTCH-ka)
Release closed hold facing your partner and place your hands on your hips.
Bar 1- polka chasse gentlemen forward commence left (forward, close, forward, hop) Ladies polka chasse backward right foot (backward, close, backward, hop)
Bar 2-polka chasse gentlemen forward commence right (forward, close, forward, hop) Ladies polka chasse backward left foot (backward, close, backward, hop)
Bar 3- Two walks, Gentlemen forward walks (left, right), Ladies back walks (right, left)
Bar 4- Rock Step Gentlemen forward Rock (forward left foot, return weight to right foot), Ladies Back Rock (back right foot, return weight to left foot).
Reverse direction:
Bar 1- polka chasse gentlemen backward commence left (back, close, back, hop) Ladies polka chasse forward right foot (forward, close, forward, hop)
Bar 2-polka chasse gentlemen backward commence right (backward, close, backward, hop) Ladies polka chasse forward left foot (forward, close, forward, hop)
Bar 3- Two walks, Gentlemen backward walks (left, right), Ladies forward walks (right, left)
Bar 4- Rock Step Gentlemen backward Rock (backward left foot, return weight to right foot), Ladies forward Rock (forward right foot, return weight to left foot).
Regain closed hold to Polka and Pivot:
Bars 1-2 Polka step turning to the right.
Bars 3-4 step hop pivot turning to the right for 4 steps on the beat.
Bars 1-2 Polka step turning to the right.
Bars 3- step hop pivot turning to the right for 2 steps on the beat.
Bar 4- Lady turns underarm to right under gentlemen’s lifted left hand for two steps overturned to end with her back to his front.
Chasse & Polka Tremblante
Bar 1-Chasse Gentlemen to left, Ladies to Right
Bar 2-Chasse Gentlemen to Right, Ladies to Left
Polka Tremblante-step hops
Bar 3-4 Gentlemen position held and clap 4 times, Ladies step hop 4 times turning to your right.
Repeat bars 1-4 once
Bar 1-4 Gentlemen drop to their right knee and clap for 8 counts, ladies polka step forward around then gentlemen to their left ( inside the circle to outside) ending with the man on her left ( she is on his right)
Bar 1-2 Gentlemen clap for 4 more times, ladies polka step two more times.
Bar 3 Gentlemen get up, ladies stop
Bar 4-Gentlemen offer right hand to Ladies, ladies place left hand in gentlemen’s right hand.
Repeat from the top
Bars 1-4
Bar 1-Commence side by side holding hands, Gentleman Right to Ladies Left.
Bar 2-turn and face partner.
Bar 3-curtsey and bow.
Bar-4 Turn to face line of dance holding hands, Gentleman Right to Ladies Left.
Promenade – 4 sets of 4 bars
Frist 3 sets of 4 bars,
Gentleman:
Bar 1-polka chasse forward gentlemen commence left (forward, close, forward, hop)
Bar 2-f polka chasse forward with the right foot, (forward, close, forward, hop)
Bar 3-two forward walks (left, right)
Bar 4-forward Rock (forward left foot, return weight to right foot).
Ladies:
The Lady will dance the mirror opposite, commencing with the right foot
Bar 1- polka chasse forward right foot (forward, close, forward, hop)
Bar 2- polka chasse forward followed by the left foot, (forward, close, forward, hop)
Bar 3-two forward walks (right, left)
Bar 4-forward rock (forward right foot, return weight to left foot).
On the fourth set of 4, on the fourth measure replace the rock step with a march for the gentleman as he leads the lady to walk forward to face him and take a closed dance position.
Chasse in & out with polka turn to right
Bars 1-In closed position chasse to the gentleman’s left toward the center of the room (side, close, side)
Bar 2- chasse to the gentleman’s right (side, close, side,)
Bars 3-4 Polka step turning to the right.
Repeat bars 1-4 once
Chasse in & out with pivot
Bars 1-In closed position chasse to the gentleman’s left toward the center of the room (side, close, side)
Bar 2- Chasse to the gentleman’s right (side, close, side,)
Bars 3-4 step hop pivot turning to the right for 4 steps on the beat. This is best if the man turns his preceding step so he can step back with his left foot pivoting to the right, and forward right foot pivoting to the right.
Dudacka (doo-DAHTCH-ka) Polka step:
Bar 1- Chasse to center side, close, side (Gentlemen L,R,L, Ladies R,L,R)
Bar 2- Look away from center and tap your outside foot on 1, position held for 2 (Gentlemen R, Ladies ,L)
Bar 3- Chasse back out, side, close, side (Gentlemen R,L,R, Ladies L,R,L)
Bar 4- Look to center and tap your inside foot on 1, position held for 2 (Gentlemen L, Ladies ,R)
Polka and cast away
Bar 1-2 Polka step turning to the right
Bar 3-4 both partners cast off to the left walking forward for 4 step in a circle to the left.
Pivots and Polka
Bar 1-2 Step hop pivot turning to the right for 4 steps on the beat.
Bars 3-4 Polka step turning to the right.
Bar 1-2 Step hop pivot turning to the right for 4 steps on the beat.
Bar 3- Polka step turning to the right.
Bar 4- Gentlemen stationary polka step turning the lady under the joined left and right hand to her right to end in facing position.
Curtsy and bow to end.
Thank you to Adventures in Dance for our film location in the old Fox Theatre in the Woodlawn shopping center located in historic Littleton colorado. Our dancers included Narrator Elsa- Holly Collins, Sven-Craig Tomazin, Hans- William Hooker, Anna- Robyn Collins.
Holly Collins
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