Polish folk dances are a tradition rooted in ten centuries of

Polish culture The culture of Poland ( pl, Kultura Polski ) is the product of its geography and distinct historical evolution, which is closely connected to an intricate thousand-year history. Polish culture forms an important part of western civilization and ...

and

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

. Many of the dances stem from regional customs and historical events and are distinct from

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

, Slovak and Germanic styles. National dances include formal ballroom or

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form ...

elements. Nowadays, the dances are only performed during major events, holidays or in tourist-oriented public spaces. The most notable and renowned dances of Poland, also known as Poland's National Dances, include the

Krakowiak The Krakowiak or Cracovienne is a fast, syncopated Polish folk dance in duple time from the region of Kraków and Lesser Poland. The folk outfit worn for the dance has become the national costume of Poland, most notably, the rogatywka peaked hat ...

Mazurka The mazurka ( Polish: ''mazur'' Polish ball dance, one of the five Polish national dances and ''mazurek'' Polish folk dance') is a Polish musical form based on stylised folk dances in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, with character ...

Oberek The oberek, also called ''obertas'' or ''ober'', is a lively Polish dance. Its name is derived from the Polish ''obracać się'' ("to spin"). It consists of many dance lifts and jumps. It is performed at a much quicker pace than the Polish waltz ...

Polonaise The polonaise (, ; pl, polonez ) is a dance of Polish origin, one of the five Polish national dances in time. Its name is French for "Polish" adjective feminine/"Polish woman"/"girl". The original Polish name of the dance is Chodzony, meani ...

and

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

Polka Polka is a dance and genre of dance music originating in nineteenth-century Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Though associated with Czech culture, polka is popular throughout Europe and the Americas. History Etymology The te ...

. A great promoter of Polish folk music abroad was pianist and composer

Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...

, who often incorporated folklore into his works.

Overview

Polish folk dances (singular: ''taniec ludowy'', ; plural: ''tańce ludowe'' ) tend to be lively, energetic, and joyful. Hops, twirls, and athletic movements are common. Many dances involve a circle (Polish: ''koło'' "circle", ''kołem'' "in a circle") but also partners.

National Dances

The Polish national dances are the

Kujawiak The Kujawiak is a Polish folk dance from the region of Kujawy in central Poland.Don Michael Randel. ''The Harvard Dictionary of Music''. Harvard University Press. 2003. p. 449. It is one of the five national dances of Poland, the others being the ...

, Mazurek,

, and

. These dances are classified as National, because almost every region in Poland has displayed a variety of these dances. Many of these dances were brought to the ballroom floor following Napoleon's expansion into Central and Eastern Europe, which brought French nobility imitating the Polish peasants style of dance, and adding flavors of ballet.

Krakowiak

The Krakowiak (), also known as the Cracovienne, is a fast, syncopated Polish dance in duple time from the region of

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula, Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland un ...

and

Lesser Poland Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name Małopolska ( la, Polonia Minor), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a ...

Kujawiak

The Kujawiak is a dance from the region of

Kuyavia Kuyavia ( pl, Kujawy; german: Kujawien; la, Cuiavia), also referred to as Cuyavia, is a historical region in north-central Poland, situated on the left bank of Vistula, as well as east from Noteć River and Lake Gopło. It is divided into three ...

in central Poland. The most romantic of the national dances, the Kujawiak is a slow dance in metre, danced with couples.

Mazur

The Mazur is a faster dance in which pairs glide across the floor. The dance is laced heavily with French influences and the dancers move with grace and speed. The Mazur was one of Chopin's biggest influences when composing his music.

Oberek

The Oberek is a fast, vivacious dance in time. The word "oberek" is derived from "obrot" meaning, "to turn". Great leaps and feats of athleticism are demonstrated by the men.

Polonaise

The Polonaise is the most stately of the national dances. Danced in triple () metre, the Polonaise is often the first dance at large events. In Poland, the Polonaise is called the Polonez, or less often the Chodzony (literally, "walking dance").

Regional Dances

Polish regional dances are ones specific to a given region or city.

Podhale

Southern Poland features the culture of the

Gorals The Gorals ( pl, Górale; Goral dialect: ''Górole''; sk, Gorali; Cieszyn Silesia dialect, Cieszyn Silesian: ''Gorole''), also known as the Highlanders (in Poland as the Polish Highlanders) are an indigenous ethnographic or ethnic group primar ...

, Polish highlanders and people ethnic to the mountainous regions. These dances were brought by

Vlach "Vlach" ( or ), also "Wallachian" (and many other variants), is a historical term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate mainly Romanians but also Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians, Istro-Romanians and other Easter ...

settlers in the 17th century. Very similar versions can be found at the Gorals in

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...

and in

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

. The

rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular re ...

of their music is different for the otherwise duple or triple-metre of the lowlands. Dance from this region are composed of dancing various figures in different combinations dependant on the lively music played on live instruments. They are considered to be very technical to execute. These figures include: ''ozwodnom, bokem, zwyrtanom, wiecnom, drobnom, po dylu, obijanom, grzybowom, po razie, po dwa,'' and ''po śtyry''. The most popular dances include ''Juhaski, Góralski'' and ''Zbójnicki.'' These dances include parts where the pair dances together as well as apart.

Śląsk (Silesia)

Silesia was a German-controlled region at one point, with a thriving Polish majority in

Upper Silesia Upper Silesia ( pl, Górny Śląsk; szl, Gůrny Ślůnsk, Gōrny Ślōnsk; cs, Horní Slezsko; german: Oberschlesien; Silesian German: ; la, Silesia Superior) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, locate ...

. Its songs and dances are simpler, yet very similar to their southern counterparts;

and the

. Silesian songs like ''Szła Dzieweczka'' (The Walking Girl) have been popularized in Poland and abroad thanks to state ensembles

Śląsk Song and Dance Ensemble Śląsk Song and Dance Ensemble (full name: ''Polish National Song and Dance Ensemble "Śląsk" in memory of Stanisław Hadyna'', in Polish: ''Zespół Pieśni i Tańca "Śląsk" im. Stanisława Hadyny'') is one of the largest Polish folk ...

and

Mazowsze (folk group) Mazowsze (in Polish "Państwowy Zespół Ludowy Pieśni i Tańca "Mazowsze"" – "State Folk Ensemble of Song and Dance 'Mazowsze'") is a famous Polish folk dance and song ensemble. It is named after the Mazowsze region of Poland. Histor ...

. The most popular dances in this region were ''Owięziok, Piłka, Szewc'' (shoemaker) and ''Masztołka.'' ''Wirowe'' (spinning) dances included ''Wrona'' (crow), ''Kowol'' (blacksmith), ''Łowczorz, Klaskany'' (clapping dance), ''Świniok'' (pig dance) and ''Zbój.''Dances in individual pairs included ''Kołomajki, Rejna'' and ''Kucznierz.'' Trójkowe dances (dances done in groups of three) and zbiorowe dances (in groups) include ''Chustkowy, Błogosławiony'' and ''Czworok.'' There were also dances such as ''Żabiok''or ''Zajązek'', which were created for men to show off for the women.

Żywiecczyzna

This Southern region of Poland is home to the '' Gorale Żywiecy'' (Żywiec highlanders). There are two different types of dances found in this region: Tańce Zbiorowe (group dances) and Tańce Parowe (dances in pairs). In the first type, there are different parts of the dance where sometimes pairs dance alone, while at other time they join other pairs to dance in a group. An example of this would be the dance called ''Koło'' (circle)'', Koń'' (horse)'', Krzyżok'' and ''Na Bon''. The second type of dance in this region is simply pairs dancing independently. The most popular dances from this region are ''Obyrtka, Hajduk, Siustany'' and ''Tańiec Zbójnicki na Żywiecczyźnie.''

Kaszuby

This Northern region in Poland has a variety dances, with various national influences due to the ports found on the ocean border in this region. Along with its rich culture, this region also has a local dialect called '' Kaszubski'', which is still spoken today by a couple thousand of the regions' inhabitants. There many dances from this region. The names, with their variations across the region, can be found in the collapsible list titled "Kaszuby Dances".

Lublin

The

Lublin Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of ...

area is one of the more colourful of all the Polish regions, with costumes made with a variety of different coloured materials and ribbons. There are a variety of dances found in this region that may also be found in different regions across Poland. These dances include waltzes, and (pronounced "hod-zon-e", meaning walking dance) with a time signature of ¾, and various fast-paced polkas (Link) such as

Podlaska ("Podlachian Polka") with a time signature of 4/4. Though some dances are shared across regions with slight variations, ''Mach'' (pronounced "mah"), ''Osa'' ("wasp"), ''Cygan'', ''Pożon, Reczka'' (Hreczka) are some region specific dances from Lublin. Dancing games were also very popular and considered as part of the dancing culture. ''Śpiuch, Wałach, Weksel'' and ''Mietlorz''are a few of the popular games from this region. Opoczno - Polanie Ottawa

Opoczno

The costumes in this region are very colourful with many variations for both men and women. Oberek is the most popular dance in this region; however, polkas, waltzes and ''Mazurki'' are very common in this region as well. Strong accents and stomping of the feet by men are very characteristic features of the dances from Opoczno. Other dances found in this region include ''Tramblanka'', ''Polka Drygana, Polka Staroświecka, Chdodzony'' (walking), ''Kowol'' (blacksmith), ''Szewiec'' (shoesmith), ''Krzyżok'' and ''Mietlorz.''

Rzeszów

The songs and dances from the

Rzeszów Rzeszów ( , ; la, Resovia; yi, ריישא ''Raisha'')) is the largest city in southeastern Poland. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River in the heartland of the Sandomierz Basin. Rzeszów has been the capital of the Subcarpathian ...

region are fast-paced and very energetic. There are two different types of dances found in this region: Tańce Zbiorowe (group dances) and Tańce Pojedynczych Par (dances in pairs). In the first type, there are different parts of the dance where sometimes pairs dance alone, while at other time they join other pairs to dance in a group. An example of this would be the dance called Ułan. The second type of dance in this region is simply pairs dancing independently. Dances from this region which are still often practiced and performed by Polish Folk Dancing groups include Polka bez nogi (Polka without one leg), Polka w lewo (Polka to the left), Trampolka, Chodzonego (pronounced "hod-zon-e-gogh", meaning walking dance), Oberek, Sztajerek and Waltz. These dances can also be found in the surrounding areas with slight modifications. Other dances from this region include Z Powódka, Polka z Boku (Polka on the side), Drobny z Krzemienicy, Polka z Kropką (Polka with a dot), Polka Uginana (Polka with bent legs), Polka Kucana (squatting Polka), Polka Dzwon, Wolny (slow), Powröz and Kulawka.

Warmia

This Northern region, which has borders along the sea and lakes, has songs and dances which were popular with sailors, fishermen and merchants. The more popular dances in the region included ''walce'' ''równe'' (an even waltz) and ''Podcinacze.'' Polkas from this region included Polkas called ''Drobnymi, Polka Mazurka, Polka Warmińska, Polka z Knikzsemczy'' and ''Polka Hasana.'' Other dances included ''Wilk'' (wolf), ''Baran'' (sheep), ''Pofajdok'', ''Szot'', ''Kosejder'', ''Baba (old lady)'', ''Puszczany'', ''Lowiska'', ''Szewc (shoemaker)'', ''Kowal (blacksmith)'', ''Kłaniany'' (Bowing), ''Puszczany, Kozak, Biwat Obchodny'' (walking) and ''Kłaniany'' (bowing), ''Krakowiaczek'' and ''Rozpuszczak.'' Some of the newer dances were called ''Okrągłymi'' (round). They were called as such because they involved everyone dancing in a circle performing the same dance movement. Dancing games were also very popular and a part of dance. Dancing games from this region included: ''A nogami drap, drap, drap'' (Step, step, step with your legs); ''Dwa Gołębie, Hejduk'' and ''Żabka (little frog).'' Polish childrens play folk dance

Other Regions

There are many regions in Poland with unique regional dances worth noting. They include

Łowicz Łowicz is a town in central Poland with 27,896 inhabitants (2020). It is situated in the Łódź Voivodeship (since 1999); previously, it was in Skierniewice Voivodeship (1975–1998). Together with a nearby station of Bednary, Łowicz is a m ...

Lachy Sądeckie Lachy may refer to: * Lachy, Marne, a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France * Lachy or Lendians, an ancient Polish tribe * Lachy Sądeckie, the Lachy culture of the Sądeckie region of Poland * Lachy, Podlaskie Voivodeship, a v ...

, Kujawy,

Kurpie Kurpie () is one of a number of ethnic regions in Poland, noted for its unique traditional customs, such as its own types of traditional costume, traditional dance and distinctive type of architecture and livelihoods. Kurpie is also the name of t ...

and

Wielkopolska Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; german: Großpolen, sv, Storpolen, la, Polonia Maior), is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed by Kalisz, the oldest city ...

; however it is important to note that this is not an exhaustive list.

Folk groups

Polish Folk Song and Dance groups (in Polish: ''Zespół Pieśni i Tańca'' or ''ZPiT'') include: *

* Harnam * Lajkonik Polish Folk Ensemble * Wici Song and Dance Theater * Polonia Polish Folk Song & Dance Ensemble * Wesoly Lud Polish Folk Dance Company of PRCUA

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Polish Folk Dances Polish dances Polish folklore European folk dances