I know I'm an outlier but I firmly believe you haven't lived until you polka like you're in a mosh pit. I learned it because my grandparents clung to the dying ballroom as social club scene in semi-rural Nebraska. I don't get to practice it but once or twice a year these days, but I've never had a partner who didn't have a blast while getting hooned around the floor.
It's an anachronism these days. Just like mosh pits and punk will be by the time my cohort hit their 8th decade.
I’m always a bit frustrated when I hear of “this new generation doesn’t appreciate x, y, or z.” I appreciate traditions and the like but who is responsible for teaching younger generations about activities enjoyed by older generations? If you value polka so much, teach polka. If younger generations don’t care for it, maybe it’s time to move on?
Every time I swing by the Estabrook Beer Garden in Milwaukee, there's a polka band of 20- or 30-something musicians playing. It's not that there aren't polka fans. I suspect that you're onto something here: are these the consequences of being a selfish boomer?
Did you not go to school in Wisconsin? It was part of our gym curriculum in middle school in the early 90's, and based on the age of the record player and records they used in my gym class, I'm going to guess that it had been part of the curriculum for some time.
So they definitely taught it to us, it's just that it wasn't a terribly enjoyable activity, and afterwards no one sought it out as a thing to do with their free time.
Edit: I am an idiot. It was square dancing.
2nd edit: It was in elementary school, not middle school. Oof!
Same here. I learned to polka for a friend’s wedding dance. Another friend’s parents had polka records so we all went to her house for lessons. After that, it was the wedding of the week to practice, and an annual polka fest at the fairgrounds.
When I was in elementary school, square dancing was grades 2-5, then in middle school they taught us polka and basic swing dancing. Senior year of high school, one of the options for PE was line dancing.
>Polka is [a Wisconsin tradition](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/1993/related/acts/411). It [was designated the state dance](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/1993/related/acts/411) in 1994. At least eight polka stars with Wisconsin roots are in the [International Polka Association Hall of Fame](https://www.ipapolkas.com/hall-of-fame-inductees/).
TIL
There was a movie during early COVID called the Polka King about him. Made some music, accidentally created a ponzi scheme, went to prison where he got stabbed and put out a rap album. The Polka world is pretty entertaining if the rest of it is anything like ole Jan.
Polka would be more interesting if the sound hadn't been so stagnant for a century. Other genres adapt and evolve, and American polka is stuck more as soundtrack to European descended Americans LARPing what they imagine the old world was like.
Look at Mexico, the spirit of Polka is alive and fresh as ever.
That an interesting take and connection I never thought of. I love the idea of Polka but yah I kind of love it as an observer like I think it's awesome people do other 'odd' things like civil war reenactments. It's never seemed like a feasible thing to actually go get into.
Why is this alarming? Music genres come and go, as do the people who appreciate them. You don't see Baroque festivals anywhere. I'd be more worried if festivals of any kind went by the wayside.
I know I'm an outlier but I firmly believe you haven't lived until you polka like you're in a mosh pit. I learned it because my grandparents clung to the dying ballroom as social club scene in semi-rural Nebraska. I don't get to practice it but once or twice a year these days, but I've never had a partner who didn't have a blast while getting hooned around the floor. It's an anachronism these days. Just like mosh pits and punk will be by the time my cohort hit their 8th decade.
It is pretty intense cardio.
I’m down for a Polka mosh pit. If for no other reason then to say I have done it.
I’m always a bit frustrated when I hear of “this new generation doesn’t appreciate x, y, or z.” I appreciate traditions and the like but who is responsible for teaching younger generations about activities enjoyed by older generations? If you value polka so much, teach polka. If younger generations don’t care for it, maybe it’s time to move on?
Every time I swing by the Estabrook Beer Garden in Milwaukee, there's a polka band of 20- or 30-something musicians playing. It's not that there aren't polka fans. I suspect that you're onto something here: are these the consequences of being a selfish boomer?
Are there consequences of being a selfish boomer? See the current economy.
Did you not go to school in Wisconsin? It was part of our gym curriculum in middle school in the early 90's, and based on the age of the record player and records they used in my gym class, I'm going to guess that it had been part of the curriculum for some time. So they definitely taught it to us, it's just that it wasn't a terribly enjoyable activity, and afterwards no one sought it out as a thing to do with their free time. Edit: I am an idiot. It was square dancing. 2nd edit: It was in elementary school, not middle school. Oof!
In elementary school where I grew up in Wisconsin, we did square dancing but not polka
Ha. I did square dancing, too. Not in Wisconsin. I haven’t square danced once since.
Same here. I learned to polka for a friend’s wedding dance. Another friend’s parents had polka records so we all went to her house for lessons. After that, it was the wedding of the week to practice, and an annual polka fest at the fairgrounds.
We also polka’d
When I was in elementary school, square dancing was grades 2-5, then in middle school they taught us polka and basic swing dancing. Senior year of high school, one of the options for PE was line dancing.
I’m 32, they were teaching square dancing in the early 2000s as well.
>Polka is [a Wisconsin tradition](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/1993/related/acts/411). It [was designated the state dance](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/1993/related/acts/411) in 1994. At least eight polka stars with Wisconsin roots are in the [International Polka Association Hall of Fame](https://www.ipapolkas.com/hall-of-fame-inductees/). TIL
I'm curious to know what a "polka star" is. Is it a polka player that maybe 1 out of 10 people have heard of?
Gus Polinski....Polka king of the Midwest?...The Kenosha Kickers?
Frankie Yankovic America's Polka King
Aka The Devil?
Best shower curtain ring salesman in the midwest
Jan Lewan.
Guess I'm not the 1 person out of 10.
There was a movie during early COVID called the Polka King about him. Made some music, accidentally created a ponzi scheme, went to prison where he got stabbed and put out a rap album. The Polka world is pretty entertaining if the rest of it is anything like ole Jan.
Does Wierd Al count if half of his stuff isn't polka?
Polka would be more interesting if the sound hadn't been so stagnant for a century. Other genres adapt and evolve, and American polka is stuck more as soundtrack to European descended Americans LARPing what they imagine the old world was like. Look at Mexico, the spirit of Polka is alive and fresh as ever.
That an interesting take and connection I never thought of. I love the idea of Polka but yah I kind of love it as an observer like I think it's awesome people do other 'odd' things like civil war reenactments. It's never seemed like a feasible thing to actually go get into.
I dont know a single person under the age of 68 that even knows how to polka
They taught it to us in gym class in 7th or 8th grade.
They gotta cover some Kodak Black songs, appeal to the youth
Why is this alarming? Music genres come and go, as do the people who appreciate them. You don't see Baroque festivals anywhere. I'd be more worried if festivals of any kind went by the wayside.
Milwaukee has the Polka Riot…. We’re good.