Star polka
The star polka is a figure dance in 2/4 time, which goes back to the Linz polka. The Linzer Polka originally comes from the Mühlviertel and Waldviertel in Upper Austria and was probably brought from there by Czech musicians to Budweis in southern Bohemia. There it was played and danced under the name "Doudlebska Polka". Today it is known as the "Star Polka" or the original name "Doudlebska Polka" and is now danced in Western Europe and North America.
The star polka found widespread use in Bavaria because it was planned to be performed at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972 and was therefore rehearsed in many traditional costume associations in Bavaria.
The star polka got its name because of the dance form in the second part of the dance. The dancers form one or more stars there.
Dance sequence
There are numerous forms of this dance. A shape from the Upper Palatinate is described below:
- Part 1 (16 bars): Round polka in dance direction
- Part 2 (16 bars): walking in pairs, dancers take hold of the shoulder of the person in front, so one or more stars are formed
- Part 3 (16 bars): Dancers turn in circles and clap: 1 × thigh, 1 × their own hands, 1 × sideways upwards against the neighbour's hands, 1 × their own hands over or in front of the head Dancers walk around the outside looking for find a new partner of their choice, then stand behind them. At the end the dancers turn around and the dance starts all over again with new partners.
The dance can be repeated as often as you like, but it always ends with part 1.