YANKEE POLKA

Although the polka is a bouncy dance, the basic principle of stroking and effortless fow must be adhered to. The partners must remain close together to minimize the whipping action generated by the short precise steps and rapid turning movements.

Steps 1 and 2 are skated in open hold and constitute a chassé sequence skated almost in a straight line. Step 3 is an open inside three-turn skated by both partners on edges deep enough that they change sides with the man passing in front of the lady after the turn. The edges must not be so deep that the partners separate greatly, since Step 4 of the man adds to that separation before bringing the partners together again. A change of hold occurs during Steps 3 and 4 into a “high Kilian” hold in which the lady’s left arm is extended across in front of the man’s chest. The right hands are clasped and held sideways and upward. The man’s right arm passes behind the lady to grasp her right hand extended sideways and upward. At least one pair of hands is held slightly above shoulder level with the elbows slightly bent. This hold is maintained to Step 12. The lady may be slightly in front of the man’s right hip, rather than in tight side-by-side Kilian hold.

Step 6 is a two-beat swing for both partners and on count two the free legs are bent at the knee and raised past the horizontal. (Couples may touch the ice briefдy with their toe-picks while executing the quick swing.) Care should be taken that Steps 7 to 12 are skated on very deep edges. Step 13 is a right backward outside three-turn for the man and a right forward inside open stroke for the lady, and on count two the free feet are raised beside the skating legs close to and just below the skating knee. As these steps are executed, the partners assume arm-in-arm hold with the man’s right and the lady’s left arms locked at the elbows. The free hands are held on the hips.

Step 16 is started on count three with a forward outside three-turn followed by a change of edge immediately after the turn on count four. Care should be taken that couples do not skate a rocker instead. The arm-in-arm hold must not be altered during these steps. Step 19 is performed with the same free leg action as on Step 6. Steps 22 and 23 form a cross behind closed toe to toe choctaw for both partners from a left forward inside edge. At the commencement of Step 23, the right foot is crossed behind. The free legs are extended in front during the concluding edge.

The next section (Steps 24 to 38) is skated in typical polka character, and the “closed” hold is really done in hand-to-hand manner with the arms of both partners extended to the side and their hands clasped. It starts with the lady backward and the man forward and then reverses after Steps 32 and 33. The “closed” dance hold in only broken for Steps 32 when the partners separate. Steps 26 and 27 are slightly wide stepped by both partners. Steps 28 to 31 are very short crossed behind steps that may be used as small power strokes to maintain the fдow of the dance.

On Steps 31 and 37, the free legs are carried directly to the outside of the tracing and back.

Steps 32 and 33 (RFI3; LFO-Rk for the lady and LFI3; RFO3 for the man) are skated in opposite direction. Care should be taken that partners stay close together, “rolling on each other’s backs,” skating a nicely rounded lobe with clean footwork and no lunging.

It is preferable that the same hold be regained on beat two of Step 33 as the turns are skated. The very short step sequences before Steps 34, 35 and 36 are similar to those before Steps 28, 29 and 30. The holds for Step 13 and Step 38 are similar, except that the partners assume a semi-open hold upon completion of the man’s turn. The man’s left hand and lady’s right hand are not clasped.

The hands are joined again as the lady skates her three-turn on Step 39, which places the partners in closed hold. The man’s free leg on Step 39 and the lady’s free leg on Step 40 are swung through to match the partner’s free leg position after the three-turns. Steps 41 to 44 form a typical ballroom polka sequence. The partners skate clockwise while skating a basically counterclockwise curve. Steps 45 to 48 are wide-stepped chassés skated almost in a straight line, the bodies leaning to the same side as each wide step is skated. Steps 49 to 52 are similar to Steps 41 to 44. The wide-stepped chassés may be skated in either of two ways: (1) wide, closed, closed or (2) wide, closed, wide.

The character of the dance is achieved through the interesting use of one beat edges and very short steps skated on the “and” between counts. The very short steps throughout the dance are executed between the beats and not given a step number on the diagram, and on the chart the time value is indicated as “and.”

MUSIC RHYTHM: Polka 2/4
TEMPO: 60 two-beat measures per minute; 120 beats per minute
ISU MUSIC INTRODUCTION: 32 beats, 16.0 seconds
PATTERN-TIMING: 1 = :32; 2 = 1:04; 3 = 1:36; 4 = 2:08
DURATION: Test 2 = 1:04 Competition 2 = 1:04 Adult Competition 2 = 1:04
SKATER’S CHOICE TIMING: See Skater’s Choice Pattern Dance Timing Chart on usfgureskating.org under the “Technical Info” link
PATTERN: Optional
TEST: International

INVENTORS: James Sladky, Judy Schwomeyer, and Ron Ludington
FIRST PERFORMED: Skating Club of Wilmington, Wilmington, Del., 1969

YANKEE POLKA — STEP CHART

YANKEE POLKA-MAN — OPTIONAL PATTERN DANCE

YANKEE POLKA-LADY — OPTIONAL PATTERN DANCE