Folk dance from Denmark

Dona Bleska (Doudlebska Polka)
Niels Mejlhede Jensen, Bøgeløvsvej 4, 2830 Virum, Denmark. e-mail (web master)

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Dance description, for couples (ordinary dance):

 
Animation of the dance

Dona Bleska (Doudlebska Polka)

  • Dance of many couples, a mixer
  • Walking steps  (2 steps per bar), polka
  • The dance is in 3 sections: a, b, c :
    • a: bar 1-10 (16 bars): couple wise polka
    • b: bar 11-21 (16 bars): "train" walking
    • c: bar 22-32 (16 bars): clapping, first gents while ladies walk the outer circle to a new partner; next time ladies clap
Dance ends with polka
Animation of the claps

Dona Bleska (Doudlebska Polka): claps

  • 3 claps in your own hands, 3 claps per bar (beat 1, 2 ,3)
  • 3 claps in your neighbours' hands :
    • right hand palm down claps downwards
    • left hand palm up claps upwards
  • repeat (first own hands, then neighbours')

 

Dona Bleska (Doudlebska Polka) - dance of many couples, a mixer
bar 1-10
(16 bars)		 Polka couplewise Polka:
Couple wise polka in the line of dancing in the ballroom.
bar 11-21
(16 bars)		 walk couplewise in a big circle train Train:
Walk couple wise in a big circle after one another, 
lady has her left hand on her gents right shoulder, gent has his right arm around his ladies waist (open peasant hold), and he has his left hand on the left shoulder of the gent in front of him.
(Make the circle not too big to make it closed).
See photo of the "train".
bar 22-32
(16 bars)		 claps and walk to a new partner Claps:
Gents get together in an inner circle and stand and clap,
first 3 times in own hands, 
then 3 times in neighbours' hands;
then own hands, then neighbours hands, etc.
Ladies walk the outer circle and she selects a gent's back to stand behind, 
until he turns around for the polka (see his joyful surprise seeing you).

Next time with this phrase the ladies clap and the gents select a new partner.
The clapping of neighbouring hands is further illustrated below:
bar 22-32
(16 bars)		 clapping in neighbours' hands Clapping neighbour hands:
Right hand, palm down, claps downward from above,
left hand, palm up, claps upward from below.

The dance is repeated as long as pleased

The dance is traditionally from Czechoslovakia where it may be danced slightly different and the claps may be rather much different. At other places in Europe it may be more different (and also be named different). To avoid all those evening long theoretical discussions about what is wrong and right in Doudlebska Polka it was once upon a time proposed to call the dance here by a new name: Dona Bleska, and instead of discussions about Doudlebska Polka use the time for dancing Dona Bleska.

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