Even if you think a Polka is a hick dance, I'll bet you can't listen to one and keep you toes from tapping.
In the beginning of my International Ballroom quest, I was a dance snob. Growing up in Minnesota, Polka-land dance State of the Union, I thought I was beyond polkas and headed for the sophisticated English dance. Imagine a child of the Great Depression being a snob about anything, but I'm ashamed to say I was.
I had several dance partners in my 35 years of ballroom competition but the one I had the longest was a Polish guy from the Baltic ethnic area of NE Minneapolis. He had fantastic rhythm and had won polka contests all over the state before we danced ballroom together. He kept asking me to come Polka dancing for recreational dancing. I kept refusing.
After a couple years, I put on a full skirt, Cuban heels and walked in the door of Czech Hall. OMG.... I've never had such a lively, exhilarating, just plain old good time. People were there in their native Baltic costumes, dancing the Polka most of the night. That did it, no more snob. We continued to dance ballroom, but at least once a week, headed for the Polka spots.
My husband's life was mostly baseball. He refused to dance but encouraged me to pursue my hobby and passion of dance. He'd watch my ballroom but couldn't keep his toes quiet during a polka. Can you?
