Polkas

The polka is a Czech dance and genre of dance music which originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. While the polka is Bohemian in origin, most dance music composers in Vienna composed polkas and included the dance in their repertoire at some point in their careers. The Strauss family in Vienna, for example, while better-known for their waltzes, also composed polkas that have survived. In principle, the polka written in the 19th century has a four-theme structure; themes 1A and 1B as well as a 'Trio' section of a further two themes. The 'Trio' usually has an 'Intrada' to form a break between the two sections.