Polka is a popular dance that has its roots in Czech culture. Polka began as a Czech dance that originated amongst peasants before becoming popular with nobles in the country, and then expanding outside of the country. Rumor has it that it was invented by a peasant girl named Anna Slezakova as a unique set of steps to go along with a local folk song "Strýček Nimra koupil šimla" (Uncle Nimra Bought a White Horse). Her music teacher Josef Neruda noticed the uniqueness of the dance and recorded the music and steps carefully. He then began teaching this to others in Bohemia. The dance soon began to propagate. It reached Prague ballrooms in 1835 and Paris ballrooms by 1840. Since then, Poland has adopted the dance as its national dance.

Even the name of the dance has Czech roots. Many attribute the origin of the word polka to the Czech word “pulka,” which means “half,” and refers to the half step typically used in the polka dance. Over time, polka has evolved to become part of the tradition of many European countries, each with its own distinct flavor.

Immigrants from various European countries also brought the polka to the United States in the 1840s and after. There, styles of polka from various countries merged and new styles developed, with Chicago and Cleveland becoming two of the polka centers within the United States. The music related to polka became popular in the United States in particular after World War II, when many soldiers were exposed to European traditions during the war. Polka continues to be popular today and is one of the few dances from the nineteenth century to survive to the present day.

Learn to dance the polka here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y846w6PUmCw