The basic polka
• The polka is a lively dance in either 2/4 or 4/4 time. The male
partner puts his hand around the woman's waist or on her shoulder blade, while she puts her hand on his shoulder.
• The polka begins with its characteristic hop, or half-step, before the first step. Some dancers simply give a quick rise on the weighted foot before beginning the first step.
• The basic step is four counts. The man begins with his weight on his right foot, gives a hop on the right foot, then steps forward with his left foot. He closes the right foot to the left, placing weight on his right foot, then steps again on the left foot and holds for a beat, keeping his weight on the left foot. (Think "quick, quick, slow.")
He repeats this series using opposite foot - step right, close with left, step right.
• The woman's steps mirror the man's.
• Dancers can move backwards, forwards, left and right across the floor in all directions.
- Source: "Polka Time," PBS www.pbs.orgpoints.
MONROE - Learning to polka in time for Cheese Days remains a priority for many - before the dancing in the streets officially commences.
Polka dancing is a fixture at Cheese Days as much as tasting cheese and sampling hometown beers. It's little wonder: The dance has been such a traditional favorite with those of Swiss and German ancestry, it was designated the state's official dance in 1993.
For this year's Cheese Days, there has been a passing of the torch when it comes to teaching the polka. Steve and Sharon Streiff taught polka dance lessons at four Cheese Days events; now, they are handing over their dance shoes to Larry and Sue Buetzer. The Buetzers will offer polka dance lessons at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14 - the opening day of Cheese Days - on the stage on the southside of the Square.
Larry recalls learning the polka dance a half century ago after he would get tired of bowling at Turner Hall. Those childhood polka lessons for Larry were a way to meet people.
"It's part of the Swiss heritage," Larry said. "It all goes with having fun, having beer and learning Swiss culture. It's a reunion with family and friends."
The polka is a central European dance that originated in Bohemia in the middle of the 19th Century. Germans refer to the dance as a Schottische, and there are many variations of polka dances across the country. The polka dance lessons at Cheese Days focus on the Swiss and German roots. The staple of polka dancing is a 1-2-3 count and a slide or hop step.
"It's like a waltz, but a little faster," said Sue, who learned the polka in college.
The best part about learning the polka, Larry said, is it doesn't matter how skilled a person is as a dancer. There is no secret to what makes an adept polka dancer.
"You just have to step in time with the music and have a leader," Larry said. "Not everyone likes polka music. Hopefully, some of the young people will enjoy it."
Steve Streiff has been polka dancing for 61 years. He started doing the polka slide step when he was 7 and went with his parents to the Wilhelm Tell Hotel in New Glarus, now Flannery's. He went to polka dances in high school at Turner Hall, which Buetzer said would also have polka dances every Friday and Saturday until 1 a.m., as well as in Mineral Point. Streiff recalls polka dancing at weddings and anniversary parties.
Teaching people to polka was fun, he said.
"We enjoyed having the first-timers there and learning. We knew what it was like starting out fresh. The enjoyable part was to get people who didn't know what was going on to try it."
A popular variation of the dance is the hop polka.
"A lot of people like to do the hop polka," Streiff said. "That is not what we would call a German or Swiss polka. A polka we would do would not involve a lot of aggressive hopping. It's more of a step and slide than a hopping up and down."
Del Heins, who will play the accordion Friday at Cheese Days, has been involved in the festival since 1967.
"It's a happy music," Heins said. "It makes you tap your feet. You can't sit still."
Heins said the backbone of a polka band is the accordion. There used to be a category for polka bands at the Grammy Awards every year. Since polka bands have waned in recent years, the polka category was eliminated in 2009.
But there will be no shortage of polka bands (and opportunities to polka dance) this weekend.
Heins will play the accordion at 12:30 p.m. Friday and "Barefoot Becky" will play at 3 p.m.
On Saturday, the Squeezettes accordion band will play at 1:15 and 4:15 p.m., The Brewhaus Polka Kings will play at 3:15 p.m., and The Greg Anderson Band will play polka music during the Cheese Days Royalty Ball at 8 p.m. in Turner Hall. "Midlife Crisis" - a band featuring oldies, mash-ups, polka and medleys - will play during a street dance starting at 8:15 p.m.
"There will be something for everyone who shows up," Larry said.
Polka dancing is a fixture at Cheese Days as much as tasting cheese and sampling hometown beers. It's little wonder: The dance has been such a traditional favorite with those of Swiss and German ancestry, it was designated the state's official dance in 1993.
For this year's Cheese Days, there has been a passing of the torch when it comes to teaching the polka. Steve and Sharon Streiff taught polka dance lessons at four Cheese Days events; now, they are handing over their dance shoes to Larry and Sue Buetzer. The Buetzers will offer polka dance lessons at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14 - the opening day of Cheese Days - on the stage on the southside of the Square.
Larry recalls learning the polka dance a half century ago after he would get tired of bowling at Turner Hall. Those childhood polka lessons for Larry were a way to meet people.
"It's part of the Swiss heritage," Larry said. "It all goes with having fun, having beer and learning Swiss culture. It's a reunion with family and friends."
The polka is a central European dance that originated in Bohemia in the middle of the 19th Century. Germans refer to the dance as a Schottische, and there are many variations of polka dances across the country. The polka dance lessons at Cheese Days focus on the Swiss and German roots. The staple of polka dancing is a 1-2-3 count and a slide or hop step.
"It's like a waltz, but a little faster," said Sue, who learned the polka in college.
The best part about learning the polka, Larry said, is it doesn't matter how skilled a person is as a dancer. There is no secret to what makes an adept polka dancer.
"You just have to step in time with the music and have a leader," Larry said. "Not everyone likes polka music. Hopefully, some of the young people will enjoy it."
Steve Streiff has been polka dancing for 61 years. He started doing the polka slide step when he was 7 and went with his parents to the Wilhelm Tell Hotel in New Glarus, now Flannery's. He went to polka dances in high school at Turner Hall, which Buetzer said would also have polka dances every Friday and Saturday until 1 a.m., as well as in Mineral Point. Streiff recalls polka dancing at weddings and anniversary parties.
Teaching people to polka was fun, he said.
"We enjoyed having the first-timers there and learning. We knew what it was like starting out fresh. The enjoyable part was to get people who didn't know what was going on to try it."
A popular variation of the dance is the hop polka.
"A lot of people like to do the hop polka," Streiff said. "That is not what we would call a German or Swiss polka. A polka we would do would not involve a lot of aggressive hopping. It's more of a step and slide than a hopping up and down."
Del Heins, who will play the accordion Friday at Cheese Days, has been involved in the festival since 1967.
"It's a happy music," Heins said. "It makes you tap your feet. You can't sit still."
Heins said the backbone of a polka band is the accordion. There used to be a category for polka bands at the Grammy Awards every year. Since polka bands have waned in recent years, the polka category was eliminated in 2009.
But there will be no shortage of polka bands (and opportunities to polka dance) this weekend.
Heins will play the accordion at 12:30 p.m. Friday and "Barefoot Becky" will play at 3 p.m.
On Saturday, the Squeezettes accordion band will play at 1:15 and 4:15 p.m., The Brewhaus Polka Kings will play at 3:15 p.m., and The Greg Anderson Band will play polka music during the Cheese Days Royalty Ball at 8 p.m. in Turner Hall. "Midlife Crisis" - a band featuring oldies, mash-ups, polka and medleys - will play during a street dance starting at 8:15 p.m.
"There will be something for everyone who shows up," Larry said.