Klappdans & Fingerpolkett

Country: Sweden
Type: couple dance/mixer

    Klappdans
Type: mixer
Formation: any number of couples in open circle, holding inside hands, facing LOD.
Steps: polka, walk
Sheet music:
(1) Karlson, Gustaf (red.)/ Svenska folkdanser och sällskapsdanser. Stockholm: Svenska Undomsringen för Bygdekultur, 1944. p. 162.
(2) Musik till gillesdanser i Norden - fiol. [Stockholm: Svenska Undomsringen för Bygdekultur], 1970. p. 11.
(3) Stefan Lindén,
(4) Folkets Hus Spillefolk
Recordings: Four Times 'klappdans' [sic] [Internet Archive]; Gunnar Hahns Folkdansorkester Nordiska danser track A3; Michael Herman's Folk Dance Orchestra Folk dances for fun (1958) track 12 [Internet Archive]; RCA Victor Folk Dance Orchestra [Internet Archive]; Spillemandslauget Østjyderne Nordiska legestuemelodier track 15 [Google sites]; Victor Band 1912 [Internet Archive]; Victor Orchestra 1927 [Internet Archive]; unattributed [YouTube].
Bars Part Dance progression
1-8 (a) Polka: Starting with outside (ML/WR) foot, couples dance 8 polka steps, moving in LOD and turning alternately towards partner and away from partner.
1-8   Couples take mazurka hold [similar to waltz hold, but ML/WR joined hands on ML hip] and dance 8 polka steps turning CW and moving in LOD.
Finish in double circle, facing partner, M facing out of circle, W facing in. Hands on hips.
9-12 (b) Figuré: All curtsey/bow to partner (9) and clap own hands 3 times (10). Repeat (11-12).
13   Couples clap R-hands, then own hands.
14   Couples clap L-hands, then own hands.
15   Couples clap R-hands while turning individually CCW (over L shoulder) with 2 walking steps.
16   Couples stamp 3 times.
9-12   All curtsey/bow to partner (9) and clap own hands 3 times (10). Repeat (11-12).
13-16   Couples shake R forefinger at partner (13), shake L forefinger at partner (14), clap R-hands while individually turning CCW (over L shoulder) with 2 walking steps (15), and stamp 3 times (16).
    Repeat from (a) as desired.
Each time the music is repeated, M dances the first polka step in (a) on the spot, as W move forward to next M in LOD (=new partner), and dance continues with new partner.

See YouTube videos with Svenska Ungdomsring för Bygdekultur, Qvarnakullen, Skansen children's group.

Provenance: Variants occur in several Nordic countries, including klappdans, [Norway], [Sweden].

Source: Beskrivning av gillesdanser i Norden. [Stockholm]: Svenska Ungdomsringen för Bygdekultur, 1970. pp. 40-41.
See also:
-- Karlson, Gustaf (red.)/ Svenska folkdanser och sällskapsdanser. Stockholm: Svenska Undomsringen för Bygdekultur, 1944. pp. 25, 162.
-- Svenska Ungdomsringen för Bygdekultur/ Beskrivning av svenska folkdanser. Stockholm: Svenska Undomsringen för Bygdekultur, 2001 ed. pp. 61-62.
-- Svenska Ungdomsringen för Bygdekultur/ Samkväms och gillesdanser. Stockholm: Svenska Ungdomsringen för Bygdekultur, 1965. p. 33.
-- Lindén, Stefan klappdansen
-- Acla

   
    Fingerpolkett, Värmland
Type: couple dance
Formation: any number of couples in open circle, mazurka hold [similar to waltz hold, but ML/WR joined hands on ML hip]
Steps: polka or polkett, walk
Sheet music:
(1) Karlson, Gustaf (red.)/ Svenska folkdanser och sällskapsdanser. Stockholm: Svenska Undomsringen för Bygdekultur, 1944. p. 169.
(2) Musik till gillesdanser i Norden - fiol. [Stockholm: Svenska Undomsringen för Bygdekultur], 1970. p. 9.
(3) Stefan Lindén.
Recordings: unattributed [YouTube].
Bars Part Dance progression
1-8 (a) Polka/polkett: Couples take mazurka hold [like waltz hold, but ML/WR joined hands on ML hip], and starting with outside (ML/WR) foot, dance 8 polka/polkett steps, turning CW, moving in LOD.
1-8   In mazurka hold, couples dance 8 polka/polkett steps turning CCW, moving in LOD.
Finish in double circle, facing partner, M facing out of circle, W facing in. Hands on hips.
9-10 (b) Figuré: Beginning with R foot, partners stamp 5 times in time to the music: R-L-RLR.
11-12   Partners clap own hands 5 times in time to the music.
13-16   Couples shake R forefinger at partner (13), shake L forefinger at partner (14), clap R-hands while individually turning CCW (over L shoulder) with 2 walking steps (15), and stamp 3 times (16).
9-16   Repeat (b).
    Repeat from (a) as desired. The dance finishes with polka/polkett (ie part (a)).

See videos with Jösshäringarna, Arvika, Värmland 1927, on Dancilla from SUB and on YouTube.

Provenance: related to klappdans.

Source: Beskrivning av gillesdanser i Norden. [Stockholm]: Svenska Ungdomsringen för Bygdekultur, 1970. p. 37.
See also:
-- documented by Lars Holmström, Arvika, in: Karlson, Gustaf (red.)/ Svenska folkdanser och sällskapsdanser. Stockholm: Svenska Undomsringen för Bygdekultur, 1944. pp. 26, 169.
-- Svenska Ungdomsringen för Bygdekultur/ Samkväms och gillesdanser. Stockholm: Svenska Ungdomsringen för Bygdekultur, 1965. p. 28
-- Tracie, Gordon 'Fingerpolkett' in: Stockton Folk Dance Camp/ Syllabus of dance directions 1962. Stockton, CA: Stockton Folk Dance Camp, 1962 (p.38, p.50 of the pdf file)
-- Acla.


Translation: Laine Ruus, Oakville, 2020-07-30, rev. 2023-06-08.

Tillbaka till innehållsförteckningen/Back to table of contents