sports dictionary Dance sports - THE MAZURKA

Dance sports THE MAZURKA Polish folk dance, as well as a piece in the rhythm of the mazurka, usually 3/4 or 3/8, at a tempo slightly slower than the waltz. Originally a folk dance, the mazurka became a city and court dance in the 18th century, during the reign of King Augustus III. For the mazurkas three-dart rhythm, the emphasis on the second lobe is typical. The mazurka consists of a polonaise-like opening section performed by several couples, and a series of dances with different figures. Especially typical are heel-to-heel strikes and a sharp movement of the soles of the feet (the so-called key) at the end of each figure. Although the Mazurka appears already in the musical literature of the 18th century, only f.Chopin was destined to make it an important genre of professional art. M. I. Glinka, P. I. Tchaikovsky, K. Shimanovsky followed his example. Variants of the mazurka are the Polish dances kuyavyak and oberek.