Polka: a most pervasive cadence

One of the most interesting factors to emerge from the comparison of cadence in popular dance is the ubiquitous Polka. The Polka cadence is found in all popular dances. Thus, it would seem, if one could Polka, then one could easily learn any other popular dance cadence, though one's style might reveal one's dance roots.

Tempo is the number of uniform beats per minute. Cadence is the distribution of a repeating step pattern onto the tempo and consists of "slow" steps and the "quick" steps. If there are two beats between the slow step and the next step, there would be only one beat between the quick step and the next step. If there is one beat between the slow step and the next step, then there would be only one-half beat between the quick step and the next step.

One-Step Dances. Dances incorporating only one kind of step.

3/4 TIME - Waltz S S S S S S S S S S S S 1 2 3 1 2 3 also counted by dancers as 1 2 3 4 5 6

4/4 TIME - March, Merengue, Night Club, Peabody, Pasa Doble S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 also counted as 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Two-Step Dances. Most dances incorporate both slow and quick steps.

QQS Cadence. American roots for QQS appear to be the Polka. This cadence can be found in the following tempo settings.

Q Q S Q Q S Q Q S Q Q S 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 also counted as 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Q Q S Q Q S Q Q S Q Q S 1 & 2 1 & 2 also counted as 1 & 2 3 & 4

QQS is fundamental to Mambo, Polka, Samba, Salsa, and numerous derivatives, especially in Latin American cultures. The Rumba can also be found as a QQS dance, though more recently it has been taught as a SQQ dance.

SQQ Cadence. This family is arguably the most versatile of all cadences. SQQ is fundamental to Bolero, Country Two-Step, Foxtrot, Night Club Two-Step, and Rumba. Even so, in the process of the "SQQ" dances, one can find the Polka cadence, noted below in bold italics.

S Q Q S Q Q S Q Q S Q Q 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 also counted as 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

S Q Q S Q Q S Q Q S Q Q 1 2 & 1 2 & also counted as 1 2 & 3 4 &

SSQQ Cadence, a six-count cadence imposed onto four-count music. Taught to beginners in Foxtrot. Not as flexible as SQQ, or as pervasive as QQS, this cadence, and its derivatives, can be found in most dance venues. Note the Polka cadence.

S S Q Q S S Q Q S S Q Q S S Q Q S S Q Q 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Swing. Most swing styles are based on SSQQ. The "Jitterbug" or "single swing" uses SSQQ in the same manner as Foxtrot, and are thus interchangeable. For traditional triple-swing, also called East Coast Swing, or Eastern Swing, the six-count cadence is extended as follows, juxtaposing the S and Q steps and replacing the initial S with QQ. The Polka cadence is even more pronounced.

Q Q S Q Q S S S Q Q S Q Q S S S Q Q S Q Q S S S Q Q S Q Q S S S 1 & 2 3 & 4 1 2 3 & 4 1 & 2 3 4 1 & 2 3 & 4 1 2 3 & 4 1 & 2 3 4

West Coast Swing, also called Western Swing, makes a different imposition of the traditional, triple-swing cadence onto 4/4 music, with just as much Polka cadence.

S S Q Q S Q Q S S S Q Q S Q Q S S S Q Q S Q Q S S S Q Q S Q Q S 1 2 3 & 4 1 & 2 3 4 1 & 2 3 & 4 1 2 3 & 4 1 & 2 3 4 1 & 2 3 & 4

East Coast Swing is also taught in this cadence with a beginning rock step, as in: "rock step, triple step, triple step." (SSQQSQQS)

SSQQS Cadence. ChaCha and Tango, though the cadence is common, differ in tempo and in their imposition onto 4/4 music.

Tango SSQQH. The "H," hold, in the cadence is a modified "S" wherein there is no weight shift. Thus, the Tango also contains the Polka cadence. S S Q Q H 1 2 3 & 4

ChaCha SSQQS. The SSQQS in the ChaCha incorporates a break on count two, and, even though it seems different than the Tango cadence, is perceived similarly by dancers, especially beginners, and, here, again, we find the Polka cadence.

S S S Q Q S S S Q Q S S S Q Q . . . 1 2 3 4 & 1 2 3 4 & 1 2 3 4 & . . .

SSQQSSSQQS Cadence. Basic to the Lindy Hop, parent to modern swing dances, this "doubling" of the Tango/ChaCha cadence can also be found in advanced variations of West Coast Swing. Inside, we again find the Polka cadence. To facilitate keeping track of the longer, repeating cadence, dancers typically count the Lindy as:

S S Q Q S S S Q Q S 1 2 3 & 4 5 6 7 & 8

From an analytical perspective, all dance cadences may be viewed as a combination of a One-Step sub-cadence and a Two-Step sub-cadence, QQS, a.k.a. Polka. Even a syncopated step in the Waltz mimics the Polka step.