Editing Polka (section)

== Styles and variants ==
{{refimprove-section|date=January 2018}}
{{Image frame|content=<score>
\new RhythmicStaff { \time 2/4 c16 16 8 16 16 8 | 8 8 8 r | }
</score>|caption=Polka [[rhythm]]<ref name="Blatter">Blatter, Alfred (2007). ''Revisiting Music Theory: A Guide to the Practice'', p. 28. {{ISBN|0-415-97440-2}}.</ref>}}
There are various styles of contemporary polka besides the original Czech dance, which is still the chief dance at any formal or countryside ball in the Czech Republic.

=== Belarus ===
In the 1850s, polka was expanded among [[Belarusians]], and was transformed by the national culture.<ref>''Shavyrkin M.'' Belarusian polka // [[Zvyazda]]: gazeta.  - 15 lutag 1997. - No. 32 (23133).  — P. 8.</ref><ref name="autolink1" /> In different regions, local variants arose, which assimilated with local choreographic folklore and gained popularity. The ease of penetration of the polka into Belarusian choreography was due to its degree of proximity to Belarusian national choreographic traditions.<ref name="autolink2">Polka // Ethnagraphy of Belarus: Encyclopedia / Ed.: I.  P. Shamyakin (gal. ed.) and insh.  - Minsk: BelSE, 1989. - S. 406</ref>

The 2/4 meter polka merged well with Belarusian traditional dance, which had a similar meter. For example, "[[Trasucha]]" ([[Belarusian language|Belarusian]]: ''"Трасуха", "Trasucha"'' or ''"Пацяруха", "Paciaruchais"'') a symbol of a typical folk dance, from which it received its name, and polka.<ref name="autolink1" /> Most often in Belarus, the polka is performed in pairs, moving half a step with turns in a circle. The dance is decorated with a variety of small pas,<ref name="autolink2" /> often accompanied by [[chastushka]]e.

Belarusian polkas are extremely rich in their choreographic and musical patterns, and are distinguished by great modal and intonation diversity.<ref name="autolink1">{{cite book |author=Churko, Yulia Mikhailovna |title=Vyanok of Belarusian dances |year=1994 |oclc=52282243 |place=Belarus |pages=8, 88}}</ref> Polka demands both skill and physical endurance from the dancers.[[File:Polka finnish championship Pispalan Sottiisia.jpg|thumb|People dancing polka in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]] in 2006]]

Like the square dance, the polka also has many local variants: "Віцебчанка, Viciebčanka", "Барысаўская, Barysaŭskaja", "Ганкоўская, Hankoŭskaja", and the names were also given according to the peculiarities of the choreography: "Through the leg", "With a podkindes", "With squats", "On the heel", "Screw" and others.<ref name="autolink1" />

=== United States ===
{{main article|Polka in the United States}}
In the United States, polka is promoted by the [[International Polka Association]] based in [[Chicago]], which works to preserve the cultural heritage of polka music and to honor its musicians through the [[Polka Hall of Fame]]. Chicago is associated with "Polish-style polka," and its sub-styles including "The Chicago [[Honky]]" (using [[clarinet]] and one [[trumpet]]) and "Chicago Push" featuring the [[accordion]], [[Chemnitzer concertina|Chemnitzer]] and Star concertinas, upright bass or [[bass guitar]], drums, and (almost always) two trumpets. [[File:Texas Polka Music Museum, Schulenburg IMG 8217.JPG|thumb|Texas Polka Music Museum in [[Schulenburg, Texas|Schulenburg]], [[Texas]]]]

Polka is popular in [[Milwaukee]], Wisconsin, where the "[[Beer Barrel Polka]]" is played during the [[seventh-inning stretch]] and halftime of [[Milwaukee Brewers]] and [[Milwaukee Bucks]] games.<ref>{{cite web |title=ESPN.com – Page2 – A great place ... for a tailgate |url=https://www.espn.com/page2/s/ballparks/miller.html |access-date=22 May 2015}}</ref>  Polka is also the official state dance of [[Wisconsin]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Wisconsin State Symbols |url=http://www.wisconsin.gov/state/core/wisconsin_state_symbols.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060629233635/http://www.wisconsin.gov/state/core/wisconsin_state_symbols.html |archive-date=29 June 2006 |publisher=Wisconsin.gov}}</ref>

The United States Polka Association is a non-profit organization based in Cleveland, Ohio.<ref>{{cite web |title=United States Polka Association |url=http://www.uspapolka.com/about-us |website=United States Polka Association}}</ref> Cleveland is associated with North American "[[Slovenian-style polka]]", which is fast and features piano [[accordion]], chromatic accordion, and/or diatonic button box accordion. North American "Dutchmen-style" features an [[oom-pah]] sound often with a [[tuba]] and [[banjo]], and has roots in the American [[Midwest]].

"[[Conjunto]]-style" polkas have roots in northern [[Mexico]] and [[Texas]], and are also called "[[Norteño (music)|Norteño]]". Traditional dances from this region reflect the influence of polka-dancing European immigrants from 1800s. In the 1980s and 1990s, several American bands began to combine polka with various [[rock and roll|rock]] styles (sometimes referred to as "[[Punk rock|punk]] polka"), "[[alternative rock|alternative]] polka".

Comedy musician [["Weird Al" Yankovic]] is a fan of polka, and on every album since 1984 (with the exception of ''[[Even Worse]]''), Al has [[List of "Weird Al" Yankovic polka medleys|taken bits of famous songs and modified them to fit polka style]].

The [[Grammy Awards]] were first presented for polka in 1985. The first award went to [[Frankie Yankovic]], known as "America's Polka King", for his ''[[70 Years of Hits]]'' album on [[Cleveland International Records]]. [[Cleveland International Records]] had another polka Grammy winner with [[Brave Combo]]'s ''[[Polkasonic]]'' in 1999. Other polka [[Grammy]] nominees included [[Frankie Yankovic]]'s ''America's Favorites'' (1986), ''Songs of the Polka King Vol. I'', ''Songs of the Polka King Vol. II'' (1997), and Brave Combo's ''Kick Ass Polkas'' (2000). [[Jimmy Sturr]] & His Orchestra is one of the most popular polka bands in America, having won 18 of the 24 awards for [[Grammy Award for Best Polka Album]].

''Polka Varieties'' was an hour-long television program of polka music originating from [[Cleveland]], [[Ohio]]. The show, which aired in several U.S. cities, ran from 1956 until 1983. At that time, it was the only television program for this type of music in the United States.<ref>{{cite news |title=Paul Wilcox, host of 'Polka Varieties' in Cleveland, dies at age of 85 |url=http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/about_us/paul-wilcox,-host-of-'polka-varieties'-in-cleveland,-dies-at-age-of-85 |access-date=20 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100728050626/http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/about_us/paul-wilcox,-host-of-'polka-varieties'-in-cleveland,-dies-at-age-of-85 |archive-date=28 July 2010}}</ref> A number of polka shows originated from the [[Buffalo Niagara Region]] in the 1960s, including [[WKBW-TV]]'s ''Polka Time'', which was hosted for its first half-year on air by Frankie Yankovic, and cross-border station [[CHCH-TV]]'s ''Polka Party'', hosted by [[Walter Ostanek]].<ref>[http://www.forgottenbuffalo.com/forgottenbuffalomedia/poloniamedia.html Forgotten Buffalo featuring Polonia Media]. Retrieved 16 May 2013.</ref> In 2015, when Buffalo station [[WBBZ-TV]] launched the weekly ''Polka Buzz'' hosted by Ron Dombrowski, who also hosts the Drive Time Polkas radio show on [[WXRL]] Mondays-Saturdays from 5pm-7pm and on [[WECK]] Sundays from 8am-11am.<ref name="chronicle41417">Herr, Jim (14 April  2017). [http://cheektowagachronicle.com/wbbz-tvs-polka-buzz-hosts-fun-dance-party-cheektowaga/ WBBZ-TV’s “Polka Buzz” hosts fun dance parties in Cheektowaga]. ''Cheektowaga Chronicle''. Retrieved 14 April  2017.</ref>)

Beginning with its inception in 2001, the [[RFD-TV]] Network aired ''The Big Joe Show'', a television program that included polka music and dancing. It was filmed on location in various venues throughout the United States from 1973 through 2009. RFD-TV replaced The Big Joe Show with Mollie Busta's Polka Fest in January 2011; after Big Joe's death, [[rerun]]s of ''The Big Joe Show'' returned to RFD-TV in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |author=My Journey To Happiness |date=5 February 2011 |title=LIFE: observed: American Cultural Observation 331: RFD-TV's Polka Fest |url=http://mariusprinsloo.blogspot.com/2011/02/american-cultural-observation-331.html |access-date=22 May 2015}}</ref>

In 2009, the [[National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences]], which hosts the [[Grammy Awards]], announced that it was eliminating the [[Grammy Award for Best Polka Album|polka category]]<ref name="grammy">{{cite news |last=Sisario |first=Ben |author-link=Ben Sisario |date=5 June 2009 |title=Polka Music Is Eliminated as Grammy Award Category |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/05/arts/music/05polk.html |access-date=22 May 2010}}</ref> "to ensure the awards process remains representative of the current musical landscape".<ref name="grammy" /> A declining number of polka albums were considered for the award in previous years.<ref name="grammy" />

=== South America ===
Peruvian polkas (becoming very popular in [[Lima]]). In the [[pampas]] of Argentina, the "polca" has a very fast beat with a {{music|time|3|4}} time signature. Instruments used are: acoustic guitar (usually six strings, but sometimes seven strings), electric or acoustic bass (sometimes fretless), accordion (sometimes piano accordion, sometimes button accordion), and sometimes some percussion is used. The lyrics always praise the [[gaucho]] warriors from the past or tell about the life of the [[gaucho]] campeiros (provincial gauchos who keep the common way). The polka was very popular in South and Southwest of Brazil, where it was mixed with other European and African styles to create the [[Choro]]. There also exist [[Curaçao]]an polkas.

=== Ireland ===
The polka (''polca'' in the [[Irish language]]) is also one of the most popular traditional folk dances in [[Ireland]], particularly in [[Sliabh Luachra]], a district that spans the borders of counties [[County Kerry|Kerry]], [[County Cork|Cork]] and [[County Limerick|Limerick]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://comhaltas.ie/glossary|title=Comhaltas: Glossary|author=Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann|access-date=22 May 2015}}</ref> Many of the figures of Irish [[set dance]]s, which developed from Continental [[quadrille]]s, are danced to polkas. Introduced to Ireland in the late 19th century, there are today hundreds of Irish polka tunes, which are most frequently played on the fiddle or button accordion. The Irish polka is dance music form in {{music|time|2|4}}, typically 32 bars in length and subdivided into four parts, each 8 bars in length and played AABB.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtune.info/rhythm/|title=irishtune.info Rhythm Definitions – Irish Traditional Music Tune Index|author=Alan Ng|access-date=22 May 2015}}</ref><ref>Vallely, F. (1999). The Companion to Traditional Irish Music. New York University Press: New York, p. 301</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fiddlingaround.co.uk/ireland/irishfiddling.html|title=Irish Fiddle|access-date=22 May 2015}}</ref><ref>Lyth, D. Bowing. ''Styles in Irish Fiddle Playing''. Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, p. 18.</ref> Irish polkas are typically played fast, at over 130 bpm, and are typically played with an off-beat accent.<ref>Cooper, P. (1995). ''Mel Bay's Complete Irish Fiddle Player''. Mel Bay Publications: Pacific, p. 19, 46</ref><ref>[[Matt Cranitch|Cranitch, M.]] (1988). ''The Irish Fiddle Book''. Music Sales Corporation: New York, p. 66.</ref>

=== Nordic countries ===
The polka also migrated to the Nordic countries where it is known by a variety of names in Denmark (polka, reinlænderpolka, galop, hopsa, hamborger), Finland (polkka), Iceland, Norway (galopp, hamborgar, hopsa/hopsar, parisarpolka, polka, polkett, skotsk) and Sweden (polka). The beats are not as heavy as those from Central Europe and the dance steps and holds also have variations not found further south. The polka is considered a part of the [[gammeldans]] tradition of music and dance. While it is nowhere near as old as the older Nordic dance and music traditions, there are still hundreds of polka tunes in each of the Nordic countries. They are played by solo instrumentalists or by bands/ensembles, most frequently with lead instruments such as [[accordion]], [[fiddle]], diatonic accordion, [[hardingfele]] and [[nyckelharpa]].