Studentenpolka/en
Studentenpolka (Student’s Polka)
threesome
Part One
Promenade
Form
Trios in circle round room facing ballroom direction, men in the middle, inner hands joined
Steps
Balance steps
Music
16 bars ¾ tune (waltz)
Dance
Bar 1: The dancer steps forward with his left foot, lifts his right knee swaying his right foot across the left and slightly flexes his left knee. The swayed leg is not stretched; actually only the upper leg is lifted, letting the lower leg hang down.
The girls do the same vice versa (start with their right feet and sway their left legs across the right ones flexing the right knees a bit.) Therefore the toes of the dancer and his left partner nearly meet. These two partners shortly face each other.
At the same time the arms are swayed as well, in this case joined hands of boy and his right partner forward and joined hands of boy and his left partner backward.
Bar 2: Bar 1 is repeated but using the opposite feet, now the hands of the boy and his right partner swing backward and they face each other.
Bar 3 – 16: This is repeated until the music changes the tune. Each bar one step.Part Two: Achterlaufen: (Running eights, similar to straight hey)
Part Two
Achterlaufen: (Running eights, similar to straight hey)
Form
reel of three, outside girl facing boy and centre, left girl facing boy’s back
Steps
quick walking steps or small jogtrots
Music
16 bars 2/4 tune
Dance
Bar 1-2: Joined hands are dropped. The boy links arms right in right with right partner and both dancewalk almost a turn cw. with 4 steps round each other, whereas the left partner spins herself once cw.
Bar 3-4: Boy links arms left in left with left partner and both dancewalk almost a turn with 4 steps ccw round each other, whereas the right partner spins herself once ccw. Now choreographically each of the dancers has described an eight!
Bar 5-16: Bar 1-4 is repeated three times until the music changes again. Then the starting position is quickly taken up.
Both parts are repeated several times.
Source
- Lager/Derschmidt, Österr.Tänze, l.Teil, Nr.5
- Widely spread all over Austria, noted in 1934 by Otto Hief.
- Translated by Sissy Banner, Amstetten, NÖ., Austria
