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| Music & Dance |
Webster's New World Dictionary defines it as follows: POLKA CZECH
pulka (polka)..Half step ..A fast dance for couples, developed in
Prague in the early 19th century.
It was thought to be a rather risqué dance. Anicka Chodimova, nurse
maid, asked the children to keep it quiet and very much a secret. But
as with all secrets, it was told. It spread like wildfire. The composer,
teacher Josef Nedruda heard of the dance and wrote the first tune
for it.
Anna Chodimova was questioned about her part in inventing the
dance step. She was quick to say it reminded her of the Polish
soldiers who were attending the War College in Prague and who
were heros of the day. She was afraid to be connected with this so
called "Wild Dance'. Perhaps this is where the idea originated...Polka
(Pulka).
The Pulka as it was know then, was brought to nobles circles and
captured Berlin, Vienna (Wein), Paris, London and gradually swept
the whole world. The dances tiny steps fascinated all classes of the
educated as well as the uneducated, even in Petersburg (now
Leningrad) in Russia.
The fascination of this dance of many years ago can be measured by
the fact that the dancing master of Paris France, charged five (5)
pounds sterling for a lesson in Polka Dancing. The polka made him
one of the most famous dancing instructors of his time. As it usually
happens, the originator of the dance fell into oblivion during the
acceptance of the dance. Anicka Chodimova entered into an
unhappy marriage. She was forced to work in the field as a farm hand
to support her family. She died August 3, 1881, registered in the town
books as "Pauper."
It is also interesting that the composer of the music for the Polka,
Josef Nedurda met a strange and unhappy death. During the night of
April 8, 1876, he was found murdered in his home. His murderer was
never found.
Solid proof that the Polka is of Czechoslovak origin, not one of the
Polish composers, even Chopin, or any one since, has used the
Polka in his or her compositions. The majority of the Czech
composers however, since more than 100 years ago, used the Polka
tempos for their music. Listen to the works of Bedric Smetana,
Antonin Dvorák, Frantz, Kmoch, the timeless list goes on. The
Strauss family also used the Polka tempo much in their music.
Helena Kempker
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