POLSKA

(Swedish: Polish), Scandinavian folk dance originating in the 16th century, possibly influenced by Polish courtly dances. Polska in Finland refers nonspecifically to many dances in 3/4 time, both for individual couples and for sets of several couples. In Sweden the polska is a turning dance in 3/4 time, usually for couples, who grasp each other firmly and pivot around and around with a smooth, carefully coordinated step. Among its varieties, the gammal polska, or old polska, is the simplest and probably the oldest. The lively and very popular hambo is a 19th-century offshoot of the gammal polska. The Norwegian dance analogous to the Swedish polska is the pols.