Mazurka

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This page is about the Swedish gammaldans mazurka. This is not the same dance as the French/European mazurka. If that is what you look for, you need to find another source.

The traditional Swedish mazurka is danced as two different dances. For the first melody, a type of hambopolkett is danced. It has sometimes got the nick name ´Sprätt mazurka´ . In the second melody Skånsk mazurka is danced.

The music is springy in rhytm 3/4, similar to the Röros pols.

As no other gammaldans, the Swedish mazurka feeds mixed feelings. Some do not like it at all, while others, like myself, like it a lot. If the little lift/jump to the first beat in the bar is omitted, the dance becomes very similar to, or can be replaced with hambopolkett .

Some appreciate the hambopolkett very much for it's elastic and relaxed characteristics. That dance has some nicknames which might help adopting the right feeling and style - "gubbstöt" (old man´s bump), or rumpedarra (shivering rump).

The mazurka music has as waltz and polskor three beats per bar, and hambopolkett is danced with one step per beat. The difference compared with waltz is that in the hambopolkett the major step (on beat one) that is used to move around the floor, is taken sideways in the dancing direction. In waltz the corresponding step is taken forwards and backwards.

The mazurka music is relatively quick and springy, and it feels natural to mirror that in the knees. If at the same time the body and shoulders are kept relaxed, the feeling in the dance is quite nice, and the nicknames gubbstöt and rumpedarra get a meaning.

To change a hambopolkett to a mazurka a small jump is added from beat three to beat one, with a landing on both feet. It is however then important to keep the weight on the front foot only, to allow the back foot to immediately be moved - if in doubt, compare with hambopolkett.

Rimppa is a dance from northern Sweden, that contains a combination of frykdal steps and waltz.

For the first three bars frydal is danced straight forwards side by side. In bar four, the follower switch position to the left of the leader. This is done by the follower turning counter-clockwise in front of leader. After this the couple is still headed forwards side by side, but with follower to the left of the leader.

After this the three bars frykdal are repeated, followed by the follower turning back to the right side of the leader using a clockwise turn in front of leader. However, in this turn the leader participate in the turn so he ends with a closed hold with his back in the dancing direction.

The dance from there continues with eight bars waltz, ending with that the couple opens up to a position side by side again, and the rimppa is repeated.

The Koskitsmazurkan (Cow shit mazurka) spans over just four bars, så it will be repeated twice to fill an ordinary eight bars sequence.

The two first bars are danced with frykdal steps forwards side by side. Then the couple rotates with closed hold one full turn per bar, mostly clockwise. During the turn frykdal steps are still used.

This is the one and only gammaldans that I mostly dance in a similar pattern. This pattern contains a mixture of common Swedish mazurka or hambopolkett, rimppa in three variants, koskit (cow shit) in two variants, polska in two variants, and - if the music lasts - rimppa in two more variants. As I have formed this myself, and never seen anyone else practice it, I refer to it as just ´My mazurka´ (Örjan´s).

My variant starts with Swedish mazurka or hambopolkett - eight bars clockwise, and eight bars counter-clockwise.

After that one sequence with rimppa side by side follows. However the leader´s left hand holds the follower´s right in front of the couple. The rimppa becomes more enjoyable if it is danced with brisk energy, distinct jumps, kicks and good movement forwards.

At the eighth bar the leader initiates the follower to do a counter-clockwise turn under the leader's arm, while the leader as in normal rimppa follow after to a closed hold backwards. This is then followed by eight bars of waltz clockwise. At the end of these eight bars a position side by side for rimppa is once again established, but this time with a one-sided low handheld.

The next sequence of sixteen bars is similar to the previous. However at bar seven the follower starts a double turn clockwise under the leader's arm, while the leader makes a half turn in front of the follower. This leads into a hambo-polkett-mazurka counter-clockwise, initially with open hand hold, from bar 2 closed. The leader must be positioned correctly and also show the lead to hambo-polkett with his body, as it is otherwise difficult to show the follower where to go with just one hand.

One should not be surprised if the follower is not picking up the hambopolkett the first times, as the turns lead directly into it, not allowing the follower to be late. The leader has limited possibilities to help her as he has just one hand for the lead.

The third rimppa sequence of sixteen bars is similar to the previous. The difference is that the leader starts it with his back in the dancing direction. This makes the movement and lead when changing places even more distinct, as the turn for the leader is longer.

After this sixteen bars koskit Koskit (cow shit) is danced , twice clockwise and twice counter-clockwise.

After that polska follows, lasting 24 bars. The entrance to the polska uses however two more mazurka steps forwards. The first six bars is an own variant of polska, similar to rundpolska but where the leader at the third beat slides in the dancing direction on his right sole, ending with a slight rise. This leads to a more active and enjoyable polska.

Then follows 16 bars of another type of polska - similar to Värmlandspolska. The leader makes a slight jump from beat three to beat one, landing more or less on both his feet with his back in the dancing direction and with some contraction. Quite often the music stops playing here.

So far this dance variant has consumed 16 bars hambopolkett, 3 x 16 bars rimppa, 16 bars koskit and 16 bars polska. Many melodies will not last longer, and if so it is time to breath a little before the "skånska" mazurka. But if the music will continue, be prepared for the two last variants - the stumbling ones...

These are in principle rimppa variants as the above described, with the leader headed forwards as usually, but with the follower in a closed position headed backwards. So do not open up the hand hold after the waltz.

The leader then dance his steps as described above, while the follower - if you are lucky - starts her steps on her right foot backwards with frykdal steps. But expect a new follower you dance with to not grasp your intentions here. If so she probably will take walking steps backwars (as in waltz you danced a second ago), which will lead to conflicting feet movements . aooo! So start out cautiously and very gently, until the follower becomes familiar with your lead!. The change of position in normal rimppa is now replaced by a half turn, so the follower will then dance forwards and the leader backwards. The variant is firstly danced with a clockwise turn, and at next change a counter-clockwise turn.

Skånsk mazurka can easily be varied. I here present variants in an order that I rather often use with a partner that I have not danced with before.

A good start might be to dance traditional skånsk mazurka for 16 bars or so, until the dancing couple is acquainted to each other.

This variant can mostly be lead also with a partner you dance with the first time, and thus can serve as suitable introduction to new exciting variants. Start the dance for the first with two dalsteg, as in plain skånsk mazurka.

At the two turns outwards, the follower makes her normal turns while the leader takes his mazurka steps forwards, letting the follower turn under his arm.

Bar 5 and 6 the leader turns outwards while the follower takes her mazurka steps forwards. The remaining two bars are used for the turn together as in skånsk mazurka.

As the follower takes all her steps as in skånsk mazurka, the only new for her is that the leader not uses the normal sequence.

Depending on how fast the follower adopts, the variant can either be repeated or changed. If dancing with a person who has not danced the variant before, I might warn the first time by saying something like "and now altering". Generally I try to avoid leading by voice, but the first time a variant is danced a little warning might be appreciated.

The variation can be changed by both the follower and the leader make their turns outwards alternating. The follower turns outwards on bar 3 and 5, the leader on bar 4 and 6. On bar 8 the follower can also make one extra turn under the leader's arm.

Describing this variant has caused me big trouble. I know how to dance it, but to describe it is another matter. As I feel that I cannot understand the description yet myself, I am not prepared to publish it.

Update: By studying a video clip, a description is now available:

In the first beat of the first dalsteg, the leader raise also his left hand towards the follower and invites her to hold it. Approximately at the first beat in the second dalsteg a double handhold is established, and the second dalsteg is danced.

At the third bar the leader lead the follower into a full turn clockwisse under his arms. The leader at the same time dance polskeförsteg

If the leader maintains his part, the follower likely will find steps working well without needing to think about it - it is not important which steps she uses.

In the fourth bar the leader turns counter-clockwise under the followers arms using polska steps with kept double hand hold. When doing that he turns into a knot at her right side. In the double hand hold the followers right hand is behind the leader, holding the leader´s left which he stretch over his chest towards the back. The leaders right hand is holding the follower´s left in front of the couple.

The follower dance polskesteg during this turn. The follower keep his weight on the left foot at the end of the turn.

In the fifth bar the couple turns side by side keeping the knot. In the video the follower uses one step for each beat while the leader continue with polska steps. The couple makes a half turn in both bar five and six, ending with both are headed forwards with the follower to the left of the leader.

In bar seven the leader leads the follower to the front of him, while releasing the follower's right hand. The same steps as in previous bars are used.

In bar eight the follower turns under the leader´s right arm, while the leader use polskeförsteg. As a result, the couple ends with a normal start position for skånsk mazurka.

The first dalsteg is danced as in skånsk mazurka.

In the second dalsteg the leader leads the follower so she takes her steps in front of the leader headed towards him.

In the third bar the couple starts turning counter-clockwise with the leader dancing to the right of the follower using mazurka steps ("frykdal steps"). The turn is danced using two bars for each turn until bar eight.

In this variant there is no contact between the leader and the follower for four bars. That makes it almost impossible to lead if the follower does not recognize the variant.

For this reason I mostly give a verbal instruction when dancing the variant with someone for the first time, e.g. I say "four turns" during the second dalsteg. As soon as the follower recognises the clapping, this is no longer needed.

The variant is danced using the normal dalsteg for two bars. Then both the leader and the follower makes four turns outwards from each other with mazurka ("frykdal") steps. This is accompanied with loud hand claps on beat two and three on all the four bars.

The variant is ended as in normal mazurka.

During the first two bars the normal dalsteg are danced. On the third bar the follower turns under the leader's arm, while the leader take mazurka (frykdal) steps forwards.

On the fourth bar the follower continues to turn, while the leader with his left hand catch the follower's right when it passes him.

This will lead to that the turn will be blocked when the couple are headed backwards in a knot, with the leader's left arm behind the follower's back, holding the followers right hand that she has in front of her.

From this position mazurka (frykdal) steps are danced backwards during bars 5 and 6. In bar 7 the leader loosens his right hand, and leads at the same time the follower behind himself while the follower starts to turn clockwise. The leader turns at the same time a quarter of a turn clockwise, keeping his left hand hold in the follower's right.

During bar eight the turn is continued, so the leader comes to a position to the left of the follower, both headed forwards, with the leader's left hand holding the follower's right behind the couple.

To show the follower the position and direction, the leader offer's his right arm, and the follower place her left hand in the bend.

It is not unusual that a follower that is not used to this variant miss the last part of the turn and ends with the back in the dancing direction. The leading of the last part of the turn is a little tricky, as it is difficult to reach long enough, having the arm behind his own back. By turning close to each other the arm length might suffice. The lead has also to be done using the own body to show the follower that after the turn the movement direction will be forwards.

From this position it is perhaps nice to dance eight bars plain skånsk mazurka.

After the two bars with dalsteg the follower turns under the leader´s right hand for bars 3,4,5,6. The leader meanwhile dances mazurka (frykdal) steps. During bar 7 and 8 the follower continues to turn, while the leader moves around her one turn.

During the next eight bars the leader turns 8 times under his own arm, while the follower makes two dalsteg, four bars frykdal steps and two bars tramping. During bars 7 and 8 the leader will make two turns around own shoulder, and at the same time one turn around the follower.

After two dalsteg the leader leads the follower in front of and around himself, while the follower turns counter-clockwise around herself. When the follower passes in front of the leader the leader catch her right hand with his left.

During the next bar the follower passes behind the leader to his right side with kept hand hold. At the end of the bar the leader loosen the right hand hold and instead makes a bend on his right arm where the follower places her left hand.

The couple will now be headed forwards, the leader to the left of the follower, the leader's left hand holding the follower's right behind the back of the couple, and with the follower's hand in the leader's right arm crook.

In this position the next two bars are danced using frykdal steps.

On bar 7 both the leader and the follower turns from each other one turn. On bar 8 either the turns continues, or the follower continues while the leader leads her with his right hand.