Gammal-polka

Country: Sweden
Formation: can be danced as a single couple, or 4 couple quadrille (see note).
Type: set dance
Steps: polka, heel-toe step (with R leg stretched out, place heel in the floor (1), pull R leg back and place toe on the floor beside L heel (2). Both steps with a gentle knee-bend on L.)
Holds: holding inside hands (at shoulder level, free hand at waist), waltz hold
Music: notes

Bars Sequence Dance progression

1-4 During the 4 bars of introduction, and holding inside hands, M2 and M4 move in front of their respective partners, and all couples curtsey/bow (if done as a 4 couple set).

1-16 1 All couples promenade with 16 polka steps. All begin with outside foot (ML/WR) and turn alternately towards each other and away from each other with each polka step.
Finish with M behind his partner, holding WR in MR hand.

17-20 2 Peek-a-boo: W takes one polka step to the R followed by a polka step to the L, while M also dances 2 polka steps but in the opposite direction [ie. M dances first polka step to the L, and then to the R] (17-18).
M and W change places, W dancing under MR arm, while maintaining handhold (19),
Couple stands still, lowering joined hands slowly (20).

21-24 Repeat peek-a-boo, with M backing up under W's arm, back to partner's L side (24).

25-32 Repeat (2). Finish holding WR in ML hand.

17-20 3 W turns 1 full circle CW [under joined arms] with 2 polka steps (17-18). Couples take waltz hold and dance CW with two polka steps (19-20).

21-32 Repeat (3) three times so that couples return to original places, 12 polka steps. Finish with each W in a corner of the quadrille, facing into the set; M facing partner, ie facing out of the set. M have arms folded on chest; W has hands at waist, or holding skirt.

33-40 4 All now dance individually, around the sides of the square. One polka step along each side of the square, one heel-toe step at each corner. The first polka step starts with R foot (33), followed by a heel-toe step with L foot (34). Then a polka step beginning with L foot, and a heel-toe step with R foot (35-36) and so on around the set. On the L foot polka steps, each turns one full turn, to that M and partner reach corners and maintain eye contact.

33-40 5 All take waltz hold. All dance one polka step turning 1/4 turn CCW (33), followed by a heel-toe step with MR/WL foot (34), one polka step turning 1/4 turn CW (35), followed by a heel-toe step with ML/WR foot (36). Repeat (37-40).

|:41-48:|
|:41-48:| 6 All dance slow polka turning CCW (16 polka steps), followed by 16 slow polka steps turning CW. Repeat, and finish with curtsey/bow.

Note:

(1) Can be danced by 4 couples in a quadrille, with one couple at each corner position. Couples are then numbered from the L in a CW direction. In this case, all couples follow the sides of the quadrille, and generally count 4 polka steps from one corner to the next. In this formation couples dance around the full set in the 1st and 3rd sequences, dance sequences 2 and 4 on the spot, along one side in the 5th sequence, and around all four sides of the quadrille in sequence 6.
(2) If done in costumes from the 1800s, the music should not be played at too fast a tempo. In this case, the polka is done with a lift ('svikt') on the last beat of each polka step, rather than with a hop.

Source: Karlson, Gustaf (red.) Svenska folkdanser och sällskapsdanser. Stockholm: Svenska Undomsringen för Bygdekultur, 1944. pp. 111-112, 184-185.
Translation: Laine Ruus, Oakville ON, 2015-07-22.

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Bars	Sequence	Dance progression
1-4		During the 4 bars of introduction, and holding inside hands, M2 and M4 move in front of their respective partners, and all couples curtsey/bow (if done as a 4 couple set).
1-16	1	All couples promenade with 16 polka steps. All begin with outside foot (ML/WR) and turn alternately towards each other and away from each other with each polka step. Finish with M behind his partner, holding WR in MR hand.
17-20	2	Peek-a-boo: W takes one polka step to the R followed by a polka step to the L, while M also dances 2 polka steps but in the opposite direction [ie. M dances first polka step to the L, and then to the R] (17-18). M and W change places, W dancing under MR arm, while maintaining handhold (19), Couple stands still, lowering joined hands slowly (20).
21-24		Repeat peek-a-boo, with M backing up under W's arm, back to partner's L side (24).
25-32		Repeat (2). Finish holding WR in ML hand.
17-20	3	W turns 1 full circle CW [under joined arms] with 2 polka steps (17-18). Couples take waltz hold and dance CW with two polka steps (19-20).
21-32		Repeat (3) three times so that couples return to original places, 12 polka steps. Finish with each W in a corner of the quadrille, facing into the set; M facing partner, ie facing out of the set. M have arms folded on chest; W has hands at waist, or holding skirt.
33-40	4	All now dance individually, around the sides of the square. One polka step along each side of the square, one heel-toe step at each corner. The first polka step starts with R foot (33), followed by a heel-toe step with L foot (34). Then a polka step beginning with L foot, and a heel-toe step with R foot (35-36) and so on around the set. On the L foot polka steps, each turns one full turn, to that M and partner reach corners and maintain eye contact.
33-40	5	All take waltz hold. All dance one polka step turning 1/4 turn CCW (33), followed by a heel-toe step with MR/WL foot (34), one polka step turning 1/4 turn CW (35), followed by a heel-toe step with ML/WR foot (36). Repeat (37-40).
\|:41-48:\| \|:41-48:\|	6	All dance slow polka turning CCW (16 polka steps), followed by 16 slow polka steps turning CW. Repeat, and finish with curtsey/bow.
		Note:
		(1) Can be danced by 4 couples in a quadrille, with one couple at each corner position. Couples are then numbered from the L in a CW direction. In this case, all couples follow the sides of the quadrille, and generally count 4 polka steps from one corner to the next. In this formation couples dance around the full set in the 1st and 3rd sequences, dance sequences 2 and 4 on the spot, along one side in the 5th sequence, and around all four sides of the quadrille in sequence 6. (2) If done in costumes from the 1800s, the music should not be played at too fast a tempo. In this case, the polka is done with a lift ('svikt') on the last beat of each polka step, rather than with a hop.