National dances hide character and history

by Zofia Nyka

Few countries in the world have at least one national dance, and it so happens that Poland has as many as 5 of such dances! Polish folk dances are derived from the customs, lifestyle, traditions, history and beliefs of the Polish people, thus emphasizing diversity, beauty and richness through song and dance. Poland is certainly a country rich in culture and musical tradition and the first information about their existence is contained in chronicles dating back to the fifteenth century. These dances, originating from the Polish countryside, were so popular that they found their way to the royal court and were even included in the works of classical composers such as Chopin.

Despite many centuries of history, Poles have kept the tradition and continue to dance their national dances. A true Polish folk dance is one of the most joyful and magnificent spectacles that tourists can enjoy in Poland. These dances are performed all over Poland but the first step to understanding the essence of these dances is to delve into their history.

Traditional Mateusz Misztal

Mateusz Misztal is one of those people who have been dancing folk dances for almost half of his life. despite being a young person, proudly maintains Polish traditions. He has been dancing for exactly 13 years and when I asked him how it happened that he started dancing he laughed and jokingly added that he started folk dancing by accident. His friend was looking for a dance partner and since he had a sense of rhythm and musical ear she did not have to persuade him for long.

“At first it was an interesting way of spending free time, but later I could not imagine my life without folk dancing,” he added. When he was in high school, he enrolled in the “Boruta” Song and Dance Group in Zgierz, with which he first went to foreign folk festivals. Unfortunately, his group disbanded after some time, and as he loved this dance so much, he decided to join another group, “Bychlewianki”. With this group Mateusz goes to foreign festivals and shows people beautiful Polish folklore, which is very rich and diverse. Few countries can be proud of such great folk culture”, as he mentions. Poland has 5 national dances and in order for you to better understand the essence of them I will try to briefly describe each of them.

Polonez

This is a Polish, very elegant ballroom dance of the 18th century. Danced at a tempo of 3 / 4, rather slow, with an accent at once and a moderate and steady tempo. It is now considered the oldest Polish national dance. Formally it was called “Wandering Dance” and was popular among peasants, but after gaining popularity among the nobility the name was changed to Polonaise (in French it means “Polish”). Couples are led in straight and curved lines by leaders, and partners stand sideways to each other and do not dance but walk to the rhythm of music around the ballroom. The dancers are required to be completely serious, with an upright posture and no hip movements, elegant hand gestures, a straight back and a head held high. The Polonaise is still danced nowadays in Poland as the opening march for student proms. Preparations for this ceremony take weeks but the end result is amazing and worth the effort.

Krakowiak

It is a dance that originated in the southern part of Poland, in the city of Krakow. This city is well known as the former capital of Poland in the 16th century and also as a place which in those days was vibrant and a centre of folklore, social life and the arts. Horses are especially loved in this region of Poland, which was included in Krakowiak by introducing a familiar galloping stride. Krakowiak is the only one of the five Polish national dances to have a metre of 2 /4 . It is a lively dance, danced in groups with complex movements. It is characterized by a syncopated pace, lively costumes, loud clatter of heels. It is danced in pairs, dressed in typical Krakow costumes, which are the most famous among Polish folk costumes and in the world are considered a symbol of Polishness.

Folk dancers in traditional costumes from Kraków (regarded as Polish national costumes).

© Wikipedia

Kujawiak

This is a national Polish dance from the central Polish region of Kujawy (from which it takes its name) from the 19th century. This dance originated from Kujawy wedding ceremonies and went through many changes between peasants and nobility and each group added a style to the dance. It is usually danced in a circle and its characteristics are slowness, calmness, metre of 3 / 4. The melody gives this dance a flirtatious character and the steps are mainly based on a gentle gait and turns, which are slow, reciprocating and the pairs quietly turn, swaying slightly. Some people say that this dance reflects the Kujavian landscape, which is wide and calm, such as quiet swaying like tall grain stalks in the wind, and there are also many names in this region indicating the direction and types of dance figures.

Children dancing the Kujawiak

Oberek

Oberek originated in the villages of Mazowsze in central Poland dating back to the 17th century. It’s name comes from the fast rotations (is derived from the verb obracac – to spin) that the dancers perform, and is undoubtedly the fastest Polish national dance. It has become popular in almost all regions of Poland due to its fast tempo (3 /4). Oberek dance is lively, joyful and energizing, cheerful, fast and danced in pairs set to each other in a circle, which rotate around the whole circle and around their own axis (to the right). The steps of the dancers must be light and flexible and the movements of the feet must be pulling and it is said that to be a good Oberek dancer you should dance with tiny steps with a full glass of water on your head, not spilling it while dancing.

© www.magiel.waw.pl

Mazurek

It is lively, energetic, fast, and flowing. Mazur is a dance of contrasts, considered one of the most difficult Polish national dances. Mazur comes from Mazowsze - the central part of Poland - from the 16th century, and from the 17th century it was danced all over Poland. At first it was danced by peasants in different regional versions but eventually it was taken over by the Polish nobility and became a national dance. It became so popular that it was danced at European courts, for example in France. A typical Mazurka step can be described as a fast gait with incorporated jumps and clicking of the heels. The basic movement is very complicated, containing many difficult figures. This dance is also characterized by a fast tempo of 3 / 4 with an accent on 2 or 3. It is also characterized by diversity, because it can be found danced in a gentle manner (peasant Mazur in regional folk costumes) as well as in a military manner (with characteristic costumes of soldiers in uniforms) as well as in operas and ballets. It is interesting to note that the Mazur is so popular in Poland that most Polish patriotic songs have a mazur tempo which can be seen in the Polish national anthem, called the Mazurek Dąbrowskiego.

Me while dancing the Polonaise at the prom