-- The main story of the Polka comes from a story of Bohémia (at the time a part of CZ.) and was supposedly discovered by Joseph Neruba in 1830 who introduced it in 1835 (fewer say Joseph Cellarius did this). It is said that Mr. Neruba saw a little Bohémian peasant girl (some say age 16) by the name of *Anna Chadimová-Slezak , born in Elbeteinitz in 1805 (d.1884), who lived in Konotopy (or *Kostelec) on the Elbe (Elbeteinitz, Bohémia). (Note: Dates would make her 25-30 years old).

-- In 1830, Anna was dancing and singing to a tune she liked ("Strycek Nimra Koupil Simla") and invented a little dance which she called "Madera ". Neruba, liking what he saw asked her to repeat the dance for him, seeing the possibilities of the dance and the possibility of money, took it to Prague in 1835, it was here it was supposedly dubbed the Pulka (meaning a half), and later on went to Vienna in 1839 by a music band from Prague under the leadership of Pergier . In 1840 J. Raal , (a.k.a.: Raab, Baab) a dancing master of Prague danced it at the

"#99CCCC">Odéon Theater and made it a huge success.

-- "The Polka (Polka Tremblante) was introduced into the ballrooms of France and England in 1843 by Cellarius, and led to the inauguration of the present style of round dancing. It had been in vogue but a short time on the other side of the Atlantic, when a musical and theatrical gentleman, named De Their , forwarded the music, and a description of the dance, in manuscript, to the proprietor of the New York Daily Aurora , of which paper he was a correspondent. Mr. Thaddeus W. Meighan , a gentleman connected with the editorial department of that paper, presented Prof. L. De. G. Brookes , who was ballet-master at the "#99CCCC">National Theatre , Chatham Street, New York at that time, with the music and a description of the dance. It was first danced in America by Miss Mary Ann Gammon and L.G. Brookes at that Theatre, on May 10, 1844. Mr. Allen Dodsworth, reportedly introduced this dance to his pupils in 1845 (dancing and its relations to education and social life-Dodsworth-1895).

-- The Czech "Pulka" was an instant hit. The Illustrated London news in 1844 reported the first Polka done in London at "#99CCCC">Almacks dance hall . Fanny Cerrito and Arthur Saint Léon were avid dancers and performers of the Redowa (¾ time Polka) and introduced it to the Italians in 1845. (Neruba's later appeared in print in 1870, Published by Helmer, supposedly as the first polka.)

-- The Polka however is traced all the way back to 1822 in Czech , by a poet named Celakovsky , who had translated (of his tongue), the dances at the time, with one being the Cracoviacs (Poland), which at the time was exactly like the Polka. One of the title's of the songs he reported was "The Polish Maiden " which was probably named in honor of the Poles, which would have given rise to the SEMI-fictional Bohémian girl story above.

-- The polka originally only had ten figures but as time went on that did expand. The polka and Redowa were sometimes confused as the same dance. Polish-Americans have adopted the polka as their national dance. By 1860 the "frantic hopping" done originally in the Polka was calmed down to a subtle "rising and falling" and the flinging of the feet were much less obvious. This calming of the Polka is credited to France.

-- The Polka was the second "closed position" dance to be introduced to the world, the first being the Waltz . The word Polka (Pulka ) is Czech meaning "Half-Step" pertaining to the quick movement from one foot to the other. The polka and other dances that followed were spin-offs of the waltz. The polka began to rival the waltz about 1835.

-- There are many variations of the Polka, such as the Heel and Toe Polka, Princess Marie Nicolaewnais credited with creating thePolka-Mazur (Polka-Mazurka ) in 1830 which was basically a waltz. Polka-Waltz, Pulka (1840), Polka-Valse, Scottische-Polka ,Polka-Redowa (SLOW POLKA) introduced in 1852 and done to Redowa music, Polka-Coquette (c.1860), etc. (and as you can figure out they were a mixture of the dances named). Later on, the Castles would "invent" a dance called the "Half & Half ", which was one half of one dance and half another, (guess they figured it out.) The Berlin dance was a mix of the Polka and Galop dances.

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Basic Step excerpted from Eugene Coulon's Hand Book-1873:

-- "There are only three steps in the Polka, which are all jumped, and occupy one bar of music, the fourth interval being only a repose to give time to prepare for the next foot. To begin, the foot is raised a little behind, the gentleman using his left, the lady her right foot.
1) The first step , springs lightly on the right foot, and almost simultaneously slides the left foot to the side, finishing on both feet, with the knees bent.
2) For the second step he makes a jetté with the right foot, which brings the left foot extended to the left, and raised a little from the ground;
3) For the third step he makes a jetté before with the left foot, and finishes with the right foot up, a little behind. Then, without stopping, he bends on the left foot, in order to employ the fourth interval of the bar, and proceeds in the same manner with the right foot. The lady does the same, only, as I have mentioned, beginning with her right foot.
This description of the Polka step may be danced either to the right or to the left. But when it is desired to go forward or backward, as well as in turning, it must be observed that the first step is taken backwards or forwards in the direction that is required." end.
(In Simpler words: slight Leap, Hop, Slide, Change weight; they are always made sideways, to the right, or to the left, Couples revolving.)

Trasak, Britva, Kvapik, Pas Bohémian, Back Waltz, Polka Step (Original Polka Steps)