Our latest etymological move into obscurity originates in around 1850 in Warsaw, Poland, and also known as the varsouvienne or varsoviana – a slow, graceful dance in 3/4 waltz time, which also combines elements of the mazurka and polka. With its folk yet also formal roots, the spread in popularity of the dance is reflected in the words varsovienne and varsoviana, meaning ‘from Warsaw’, being respectively in French and Spanish. It also became popular across Scandinavia, and with transatlantic immigration it evolved and became much practised in 19th- and 20th-century America, had influence on square dancing, ballroom dancing and other styles. The choreography also contains a particular armhold of the same name when partnering, also known as the promenade hold.
The varsovienne: A variant explained with detail of steps
Here then are some videos showing some of the varsovienne’s evolution beginning with a traditional Polish group, and then American recreations.
Varsovienne, played by Henry Ford’s Old Time Dance Orchestra also became a very popular tune recorded in 1925, from the group created to accompany old-fashioned dance events.
Henry Ford’s Old Time Dance Orchestra
The spirit of the dance was also recreated by the English folk group The Albion Dance Band with an instrumental on their 1977 album The Prospect Before Us, titled Varsovianna.
But to close, let’s see an amusing instrumental and a song combined into a choreography tutorial in the form of the popular song Put Your LIttle Foot Right Out, played here by the Texas Jim Lewis & his Lone Star Cowboys in 1946:
Any further moves or ideas on this word? Feel free to share anything more in relation to anything whether in music or wider culture, such as from film, art, or other contexts, in comments below.
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