EastERN EURoPE CZECHIA/POLAND

This week in class we go two places and dance one amazing dance – POLKA! Polka originated in the Czech region of Bohemia, but traveled with Polish immigrants far and wide to become an international phenomenon.  

Yes, we’re going to Poland. Pack your bags and come with me to this oft-visited nation. (“Visited” over the last thousand years by conquering powers like Lithuania, Russia, Prussia, Austria, Sweden, Germany and the Soviet Union.) Today's Poland is a colorful, culturally rich place where we can sing, dance and celebrate freedom, all the while remembering to value the ability to sing, dance and celebrate because those who came before us didn’t always have the chance. 

This week we also travel to the Czech Republic — now also known as Czechia — which is somewhere you should find a way to go one of these days in real life. The Czech capital, Prague is an extraordinarily vibrant city, but the Czech Republic has even more to offer than that. Historically, you’ll enjoy a thousand years of churches and still-medieval towns and villages. Musically, you’ll find everything from early Moravian polka to klezmer/neo-folk to raucous Romani hip hop. So why wait? Ditch class this week and go to the Czech Republic now!