Country: Västergötland, Sweden
Type: set dance
Formation: sets of 2 couples in closed circles.
Steps: Östgötapolska
Sheet music:
polska fråm Västergötland,
Snickarmästare Lindgrens polska,
Å jänta å ja ("commonly used 50 years ago").
| Dance progression | ||
| 1-8 | (a) | In closed circles, all dance CW with 8 Östgötapolska steps. |
| 1-8 | In closed circles, all dance CCW with 8 Östgötapolskasteps [N.B. reverse footwork]. | |
| 9-16 | (b) | Couples take crossed 2-hand hold (R hands on top), and all dance CW with 8 Östgötapolskasteps.
On the 8th step, W turns CW under joined R hands. |
| 9-16 | In crossed 2-hand hold all dance CCW with 8 Östgötapolskasteps. [Reverse footwork]. | |
| Repeat from (a) as desired, with 2 or more couples (up to 6?) in a closed circle, depending on available space.
Note: this is danced 'on the spot' throughout, not moving in LOD or RLOD around the floor. |
See video.
This was one of the combined dances at Nordlek 1991 in Vejle.
Provenance: the original informant preferred to remain anonymous, but he was born in Bredsäter in 1892. The dance was already on its way out in his youth. It was often danced to the tune Jänta å ja, but as there were few musicians available, one assumes it was danced to whatever appropriate music was being played.
Bertil Forsgren, born in Kyrkbacken in 1895 remembered the slängpolska very well. It was danced fast, and very skillfully. Normally 2 couples danced together, but he had seen up to 6 couples in the closed circle. "It depended on the size of the space. The cottages were small, you see, and there wasn't room for more than 2 couples [to dance] at a time. But if there was more space, the circle could become bigger."
Original description by Ivar Johansson, Lungnås, 1972.
Source: Swedish description prepared for Nordlek 1991.
Translation: Laine Ruus, Oakville, 2020-07-28.
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