Polka

Polka is a lively dance and type of folk music. It is popular all over Europe but also in parts of Mexico, the United States and some other countries. Typical band performing polka includes instruments like trumpet, clarinet, accordion, guitar, drums, tuba and zither.

Polka has 2/4 rhythm metre. Word polka comes from Czech word půlka ("little half"). This referrs to short half-steps that exist during this dance. It is believed that this type of dance and music was invented in 1834 by the Czech woman Anna Slezakova from Labska Tynice. Later polka became popular in other parts of Czech Republic, Austria etc.

Polka championship in Finland

Polka is part of some classical music works. For example, Czech composer Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884) used it in his opera "The Bartered Bride" (in Czech "Prodaná nevěsta"). The polka inspired some of works of the Viennese Strauss family too.