The dance, which conquered the whole world, and in any corner of it was a solemn procession - this is what a polonaise is. For many years, scientists have guessed the riddle of its origin, many bold hypotheses have been put forward. Some believed that his debut took place in the sixteenth century at a parade in honor of the accession to the throne of King Henry the Third. It was also suggested that the polonaise has Spanish-Arab origins. Some researchers believed that the birth of the dance took place in the Poznan region. But still, in order to understand what polonaise is, you need to try to look yourself back centuries.
The emergence of dance
The very definition of the word "polonaise" is quite simple - it translates as "Polish". And indeed, it is this country that is considered the most likely homeland of the described dance. But its formation was very long, it took a long period of time.
Around the fifteenth century, this dance arose, but its name was different: "Khodzon". And they danced it mainly at weddings. Some time later, he changed and became an indispensable attribute of all national celebrations.
And in the seventeenth century the "Dance of the Great" arose, which is considered a direct descendant of the polonaise. By its nature (solemn procession) it resembles a polonaise in the form in which it will become known some time later.
Being borrowed from folk culture, the polonaise penetrated into the upper world, having experienced the influence of high-ranking persons. The largest number of borrowings came to him from the chimes and minuets.
Spread in Europe
What is a polonaise, Europe learned after the Polish king Stanislav Leshchinsky danced in Stockholm . The specific political structure of this country (the rulers were chosen by the gentry, and did not inherit the throne) and contributed to the spread of the dance.
Appearing in the eighteenth century in Germany, the polonaise acquired those features that have been preserved for many centuries. The German version of the dance was closest to the pan-European trend of the time. During this period, he was most often performed to singing, and not to instrumental music.
In the next three decades, the polonaise became popular not only at Polish balls, but also at the celebrations of neighboring countries. Not a single official dance event was complete without him, since he was perceived solely as a symbol of the universal holiday. Polonaise music has also changed. She completely departed from vocal accompaniment and became only instrumental.
At the time of the loss of independence of the Kingdom of Poland, this dance became a symbol of the motherland, so many romantic composers turned to it. Thanks to those who wrote the polonaise, this dance became one of the most popular small forms in instrumental music in Europe at that time.
Further development of the music of the dance in question took place in the next century. Her bravura tones were replaced by melancholy, acquired deep emotions. At the same time, the final formation of the polonaise takes place - a solemn procession that opened the ball.
Polonaise in Russia
In our country, even in pre-Petrine times, it was known what a polonaise is. And Peter the Great loved this dance. With him, the polonaise was more restrained than the European version. In addition, this dance in Russia had two varieties - ceremonial and ordinary, although in the capital it was less formal.
The polonaise was very popular among young people due to the fact that it contributed to rapprochement, as a result of which there was an opportunity for affair. The heyday of the dance came at a time of success in aggressive politics (end of the eighteenth century). And already in the middle of the nineteenth century the polonaise was considered obsolete, it was replaced by new dances. But, despite this, he did not cease to exist.
Rules and conventions
The dance began with a riturnel (musical introduction), after which the owner of the house invited him to follow. The first couple he went with the most important guest, and behind them - the hostess with a particularly important guest. It was unacceptable to be in a pair of husband and wife. This dance was not only a solemn procession (as evidenced by the meaning of the word "polonaise"), there was also an improvisational moment in it. All the dancers repeated the movements invented by the first couple.
According to etiquette, everyone present at the celebration was supposed to dance a polonaise, but this rule was neglected at large balls. Quite often it was possible to see a caricature in which, along with normal dancers, cripples on crutches and old people were depicted.
Polonaise in America
Much less importance was attached to polonaise in Western countries. In America, this dance was completely replaced by a more bravura and militarized grand march, which corresponded more to this country. But still, there is a kinship between these dances, which consists in identical figures.