gsquaredmom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,078
Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
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Post by gsquaredmom on Jun 28, 2015 23:17:44 GMT
I polka'd at weddings growing up. But I think that was more a Polish thing than a Chicago thing.
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Post by melanell on Jun 28, 2015 23:38:27 GMT
Oh, does this ever stir up some fond memories…. I come from a very large extended family with lots of Polish blood and so when I was a kid I went to many, many weddings - mostly older cousins. Polkas were a staple. I can still see my long-deceased aunts and uncles, and all of us kids, filling the floor with so much fun! Here's one we danced to often: Beer Barrel PolkaI have this stuck in my head, now.
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Post by melanell on Jun 28, 2015 23:40:03 GMT
Around here there are a lot of church festivals and ethnic festivals, and you often here them playing polkas at those. Even more so back when i was a kid.
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Post by melanell on Jun 28, 2015 23:42:23 GMT
Oh, and just to really throw some peas over the edge, weddings that have a dollar dance sometimes opt for a polka.
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kate
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,517
Location: The city that doesn't sleep
Site Supporter
Jun 26, 2014 3:30:05 GMT
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Post by kate on Jun 29, 2015 0:03:28 GMT
Never seen it, at a wedding or anywhere. In fact, this post inspired a good 10-15 minutes of youtubing "polka" - teenaged DS passed by and said, "WHAT are you watching?!"
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MorningPerson
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,506
Location: Central Pennsylvania
Jul 4, 2014 21:35:44 GMT
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Post by MorningPerson on Jun 29, 2015 0:10:19 GMT
Oh, does this ever stir up some fond memories…. I come from a very large extended family with lots of Polish blood and so when I was a kid I went to many, many weddings - mostly older cousins. Polkas were a staple. I can still see my long-deceased aunts and uncles, and all of us kids, filling the floor with so much fun! Here's one we danced to often: Beer Barrel PolkaI have this stuck in my head, now. Me too. You're welcome.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 18, 2024 21:43:59 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2015 0:11:42 GMT
I didn't know it was a thing at weddings.
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iluvpink
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,291
Location: Michigan
Jul 13, 2014 12:40:31 GMT
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Post by iluvpink on Jun 29, 2015 0:23:22 GMT
Growing up I had older relatives who always insisted on a few polkas at weddings. I'm in MI.
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Post by mikklynn on Jun 29, 2015 0:24:01 GMT
The polka was always a standard at wedding dances around here but is slowly going the way of the horse and buggy. Couples these days aren't happy with receptions at town halls and in barns anymore. They seem to favor country clubs and hotels now days and newer music so the polka music isn't played. This is true of my family in MN. We always did polkas, especially at my mother's side of the family, who are of Polish descent.
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Post by mikklynn on Jun 29, 2015 0:26:03 GMT
There is still a local cable show on TV here in Minneapolis called Polka Party! My late FIL is the only one I ever saw watch it. The funny thing is he was 100% Norwegian - not exactly known for their polkas
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Post by melanell on Jun 29, 2015 1:18:28 GMT
Never seen it, at a wedding or anywhere. In fact, this post inspired a good 10-15 minutes of youtubing "polka" - teenaged DS passed by and said, "WHAT are you watching?!" I've been nostalgically youtubing them, here.
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Post by melanell on Jun 29, 2015 1:24:23 GMT
There is still a local cable show on TV here in Minneapolis called Polka Party! My late FIL is the only one I ever saw watch it. The funny thing is he was 100% Norwegian - not exactly known for their polkas We used to have a Polka show. It's not on any more. It was called Polka Joyland and my grandparents watched it all of the time. It's worth watching now just to see the outfits. Not so much the traditional polka costumes, but the vintage 70s polyester.
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Post by chedanemi on Jun 29, 2015 13:04:48 GMT
WI girl here, and yes, we polka at weddings; even those held in the country clubs and upscale hotel ballroom venues. Might be just one or two, but the polka certainly gets everyone out on the floor; even the younger crowd.
My 18-year old daughter and her friend YouTubed polkas one night in our kitchen and asked me to teach them. They had a blast!
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tincin
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,368
Jul 25, 2014 4:55:32 GMT
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Post by tincin on Jun 29, 2015 13:32:57 GMT
Another MI gal here, the band played polkas at my wedding reception (almost 40 years ago) and yes, we danced as well. I don't see them so much anymore though. I do love to watch the polka dancers, they are amazing. My oldest brother and his XW were always fun to watch.
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oldcrow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,828
Location: Ontario,Canada
Jun 26, 2014 12:25:29 GMT
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Post by oldcrow on Jun 29, 2015 13:37:37 GMT
Yes they polka at weddings here. They also do the chicken dance and that conga line thingie.
I don't go to "dances" anymore so don't know about them but wedding yes.
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Dalai Mama
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Jun 26, 2014 0:31:31 GMT
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Post by Dalai Mama on Jun 29, 2015 13:42:29 GMT
We typically see at least one polka at a wedding. My brother and I have an unspoken rule that we reserve that dance for each other and we have since we were kids.
Polka for us is a full-contact sport - if you don't want to get run over, get off the dance floor.
ETA - ethnically, we can't get much further away from Polish so I don't know why Polkas have become a thing.
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grinningcat
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,663
Jun 26, 2014 13:06:35 GMT
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Post by grinningcat on Jun 29, 2015 13:51:48 GMT
I have never seen a polka at a wedding. It could be fun though. Also never seen a conga line and rarely see the chicken dance. If I was going to see an actual dance, I'd rather see latin or west coast swing or lindy bop or something along those lines.
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Post by brynn on Jun 30, 2015 2:06:39 GMT
My uncle played the accordion for wedding dances, dances and house parties. And, he played polkas, and he was Norwegian American. Other staples at dances were waltzes, shotishs, butterfly or flying yank. These dances still appear at wedding dances.
In my itunes library, there is rock, country, classical and two waltzs, “Blue Skirt Waltz” and “In the Finnish Woods.”
I am an advisor for a sorority, and as a service project, they attend dances at an assisted living facility. The girls enjoy learning to waltz, polka and do the shotish, and they like how courteous their partners are.
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Post by jojam on Jun 30, 2015 3:18:31 GMT
I'm in SD, and like akathy, there used to be at least one or two polkas at every wedding, but now, it really depends on the wedding. And grinningcat, you don't 'see' a polka, you 'dance' it! ETA: Our community hosts a polka festival each fall. One year, my friend's teenage son and his friends went in to watch. They didn't watch for long! The polka dancers found them and led them all to the dance floor where they were taught to polka!
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SabrinaP
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Busy Teacher Pea
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Location: Dallas Texas
Jun 26, 2014 12:16:22 GMT
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Post by SabrinaP on Jun 30, 2015 3:39:11 GMT
My home town is a large Czech community. They hold a Czech festival every year with a dance in the evenings. There is always a chicken dance done at all the weddings I've been to.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 18, 2024 21:43:59 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2015 3:55:21 GMT
The probably polka danced at my cousin's wedding a couple of years ago. It was a traditional Ukrainian wedding. We also polka at our parties on Friday nights (or we did...I haven't been in a long time).
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Post by littlemama on Jun 30, 2015 13:26:09 GMT
When I was growing up, there was always a polka at every wedding, but I haven't seen that in years. Then again, that was the Polish/German side of the family, and we have lost touch with most of them. It was a fun time for sure (I am in Michigan also)
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Post by scrapnatya on Jun 30, 2015 13:46:47 GMT
No polkas here in New York but I remember years ago that the Chicken Dance was always a thing.
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Post by Restless Spirit on Jun 30, 2015 13:48:59 GMT
Northern Indiana and no. No polka or chicken dance, thank heavens.
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Post by sillyrabbit on Jun 30, 2015 13:49:17 GMT
I have never seen a Polka. I'm from Kentucky...we dance in lines and squares here.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 18, 2024 21:43:59 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2015 14:43:51 GMT
There is still a local cable show on TV here in Minneapolis called Polka Party! My late FIL is the only one I ever saw watch it. The funny thing is he was 100% Norwegian - not exactly known for their polkas There used to be a radio show here every Saturday morning. My mom's family would be doing the polka all over the house. It was so much fun! I'm not much of a dancer, but everyone was required to dance.
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Post by barbarac on Jun 30, 2015 14:54:14 GMT
Has anyone ever heard of Happy Louie and his polka band? He was very popular in CT and MA. My aunt and uncle used to go to all his shows - they even went on his polka cruise!!
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peabrain
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,588
Jun 25, 2014 22:18:04 GMT
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Post by peabrain on Jun 30, 2015 15:59:16 GMT
I was talking about dancing ...sorta polka related... to my mother this past weekend.
We were saying that when I was a child, we went to family weddings and danced until the wee hours of the night. We'd dance with all members of the family and that's how I learned to dance, with my father, probably doing the polka lol. (that's why I'm such a gooooood dancer!)
Now a days, children aren't really invited to weddings anymore and I wonder if/how they learn to dance. you tube I guess
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