Country: Finland
Type: couple dance
Steps:
kantavarvashyppely (heel-toe step),
polkka
Sheet music:
(1) Hukkanen, Timo/ Tanhuvakan sävelmistö. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kansantanssin Ystävät ry, 2012. p.8.
(2) Rausmaa, Pirkko-Liisa & Esko/ Tanhuvakan sävelmistö. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kansantanssin Ystävät ry, 1998. p.8.
(3) Väisänen, Yrjö/ nr, 114 in: Kisapirtti: 125 suomalaista kansantanssia - sävelmistö. Porvoo: Werner Söderström
Oy, [1962]. p.55.
(4) Burchenal, Elizabeth (trans.)/ "America's polka" in: Folk-dances of Finland,
containing sixty-five dances.... New York, NY: G. Schirmer, 1915. Porvoo: Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö, [1962]. p.73.
Recordings:
Jussi Tarkkanen Combo 'Ameriikan polkka' [YouTube];
Komulainen, Jari & Panu Helke Halihiljaa track 02;
Polka Chicks [YouTube];
Tarkkanen, Jussi Ameriikan polkka (JOT-1) track 07;
Talkoopelimannit & Karpalot Muistot track 12 [YouTube].
See also midi file.
| Parikkala:
Formation: open circle of couples, open waist-shoulder hold. facing LOD. |
||
| Bars | Part | Dance progression: |
| |:1-4:| | (a) | Kantavarvashyppely (heel-toe): All dance 2 heel-toe steps with R foot (1-2), [heel forward, back onto
toes (1)]. Ditto with L foot (3-4).
Repeat (a). |
| |:5-8:| | (b) | Polkkaa: In polkka hold (closed waist-shoulder hold with outside (ML/WR) hands on M's L hip) couples
dance 4 polkka steps turning CW moving in LOD (5-8). Ditto turning CCW (5-8).
[Repeat from (a) as desired.] Provenance: documented by Hertta Olson and Hellin Teitti in Parikkala in 1906. |
| Koivisto:
Formation: open circle of couples, waltz hold. facing LOD. |
||
| Bars | Part | Dance progression: |
| 1 | (a) | Kantavarvashyppely (heel-toe): In waltz hold, with outside (ML/WR) foot, couples dance 1 heel-toe step. |
| 2 | Beginning with outside (ML/WR) foot, couples dance 1 polkka step turning CW and moving backwards [in RLOD]. | |
| 3 | Without dropping hold and facing RLOD, couples dance 1 heel-toe step with inside (MR/WL) foot. | |
| 4 | Beginning with inside (MR/WL) foot, couples dance 1 polkka step turning CCW and moving backwards [in LOD]. | |
| 1-4 | Repeat (a). | |
| |:5-8:| | (b) | Polkkaa: In polkka hold (closed waist-shoulder hold but outside (ML/WR) hands on M's L hip) couples
dance 4 polkka steps turning CW moving in LOD (5-8). Ditto turning CCW (5-8).
[Repeat from (a) as desired.] Provenance: documented by Anni Collan who got it from Maria Kuitulta, who had taught it in Koivisto around 1886. |
| Sahalahti:
Formation: open circle of couples, 'cheek to cheek' hold, [ie very close hug]. |
||
| Bars | Part | Dance progression: |
| 1 | (a) | Kantavarvashyppely (heel-toe): In waltz hold, with outside (ML/WR) foot, couples dance 1 heel-toe step [sideways]. |
| 2 | Couples dance 3 quick stamps [on the spot]. | |
| 3 | With inside (MR/WL) foot, couples dance 1 heel-toe step to the side. | |
| 4 | Couples dance 3 quick stamps [on the spot]. | |
| 1-4 | Repeat (a). | |
| |:5-8:| | (b) | Polkkaa: In polkka hold (closed waist-shoulder hold but outside (ML/WR) hands on M's L hip) couples
dance 4 polkka steps turning CW moving in LOD (5-8). Ditto turning CCW (5-8).
[Repeat from (a) as desired.] Provenance: documented by Toivo Salonen, 1902. Salonen mentioned that the dance had come from Tampere to Sahalahti 10 to 15 years earlier but was no longer danced. |
Provenance: Lyrics composed some time in 1940s, authorship unknown. [See Rausmaa, Esko, 2012, p.36 & Collan, A. 1946 pp. 41-42.]
Source: Rausmaa, Esko/ Tanhuvakka: Suomen perinnetanssit - toimittanut. s.l.: Suomalaisen Kansantanssin Ystävät ry, 2012. pp.36-37.
See also:
-- Rausmaa, Pirkko-Liisa & Esko/ Tanhuvakka: suuri suomalainen kansantanssikirja. Porvoo: Werner Söderström, 1977. pp. 63-65.
-- Väisänen, Yrjö/ nr, 114 in: Kisapirtti: 125 suomalaista kansantanssia. Porvoo: Werner Söderström
Oy, [1962]. pp. 136-137.
-- Collan, Anni/ nr. 13 in: Suomalainen kisapirtti. 4 painos. Helsinki: V. Söderström, 1946. pp. 41-43.
-- Burchenal, Elizabeth (trans.)/ "America's polka" (Parikkala, Sahalahti) in: Folk-dances of Finland,
containing sixty-five dances.... New York, NY: G. Schirmer, 1915. Porvoo: Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö, [1962]. p.73.
Translation: L. Ruus, Oakville, rev. Raila Erme, Toronto, 2023-01-23.
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