During my childhood and early adult life at every wedding and most Saturday nights, there was a Polka band or two playing at the nearby dance hall. We grew up polka-dancing across our living room carpet, learning the steps and hearing the music blaring out from the well used record player. It was so fun and as kids we flew across the floor at a rapid pace.
As we got older we hit the big times and were allowed to dance the polka steps at the dance hall. The hall was dark, had a wooden floor with a stage that dominated one side of the large expansive room, low watt lights on the walls and just a few in the ceiling, the tables and chairs were arranged in a circular pattern surrounding the floor, because you see the dance floor was the focus. And the smell? Beery, smoky, popcorny.
It wasn’t long before we understood that the dance formation moved around the floor in counter clockwise flow, why? I haven’t a clue but that’s the way it was. And we saw who danced well and who to avoid dancing with and getting our feet stepped on.
So much laughter, sweat, music and community all at once. Many occasions after the last dance, we dropped by the local late night diner for a plate of onion rings or French fries and washed it down with coke.
These Saturday nights were the highlight of the week and where we were able to see old friends, make new ones and keep up with the latest social news.
Polka life began to change for me as I got older, married, had a family and moved hours away from the dance hall and farm where I grew up. I missed it. New and different my life became.
My children do not polka dance, ever. They listen to my polka stories and marvel at how it functioned and how people planned their enjoyment around Saturday night dance halls. They make up stories and jokes about how it must have been, which makes me laugh right along with them.
Today I make new ways to do the polka dance, without moving my feet. Because it was so much more than the dance steps. Polka dance fulfills the human need of connection, conversation and fun and laughter and sweat and movement and not needing a gym membership.
Whenever I hear the music though, the beat, the accordion I am immediately transferred back to the dance hall of my childhood.
Lovely.
