Polonaise

The polonaise is a traditional dance that started in Poland. It is one of the five main dances from Poland and is performed in ³/₄ time, which means the music has a specific rhythm. In Polish, the dance is called chodzony, which means "walking dance."

This dance had a big influence on ballrooms, folk music, and classical music in Europe. It shares a similar rhythm with another dance called the polska from Sweden. The polska dance came to Sweden during the time of the Vasa dynasty and the Polish–Swedish union.

Today, the polonaise is still very popular in Poland. It is often the first dance at big events like New Year’s balls, national celebrations, and other parties. It is always the opening dance at a studniówka, which is like a senior prom held about 100 days before exams.

In 2023, the polonaise was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists. It is valued as a way for people to celebrate together, marking important moments in families and communities. It also stands for working together, making peace, and fairness.

Influence of Polonaise in music

When a piece of music has the words alla polacca on its score, it means the music should sound like a polonaise dance. Some famous examples include parts of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto op. 56 and Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 2.

Frédéric Chopin is perhaps the most famous composer for writing polonaises, but many other great composers also used this style in their music. These include Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, among others.

The American composer Edward Alexander MacDowell also wrote many polonaises. Even John Philip Sousa, known for his marches, wrote a piece called the Presidential Polonaise for use in the White House.

National dance

The polonaise is a dance from Poland and is one of the five historic national dances of Poland. The others are the Mazur (Mazurka), Kujawiak, Krakowiak and Oberek. It started as a dance for peasants and was called by different names like chodzony ("pacer"), chmielowy ("hops"), pieszy ("walker") or wielki ("great"). People began dancing it as early as the 1400s. Later, it became popular with townspeople and nobles. By the late 1500s, lower Polish nobility enjoyed dancing it, though it was not called "polonaise" until the 1600s. Over time, it became a favorite among Poland's aristocratic class and was often played without singing.

Outside Poland

The polonaise dance began in Poland and later became popular in many European countries. In the 17th century, it was introduced to the French royal court, where it was enjoyed as a way to entertain guests. The dance is performed in a special rhythm called 3/4 time.

In Saxony, a princess named Anna Maria collected many pieces of music for polonaises, choosing over 350 beautiful examples. Today, a dance similar to the polonaise, called the polones, is often performed at wedding celebrations in Maluku. This dance is usually like a country dance, a cèilidh, or sometimes a line dance.