Polka in the United States is an example of the way some polka bands have tried to break free of the restrictions of genre and adapt to modern culture. From tiny ethnic dance halls to larger-scale national organizations, there is a huge network of people working to keep the polka alive. One Web site lists a total of 49 formal polka clubs nationwide, and there are many other smaller organizations . The largest organizations today include the International Polka Association (IPA), the United States Polka Association, the Polka Lovers Klub of America (Po.L.K. of A.), the Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame, the Penn-Ohio Polka Pals,
Explosions-Polka Explosions-Polka Explosions-Polka, op. 43, is a polka written by Johann Strauss II in 1847. The title was inspired by a discovery of guncotton or nitrocellulose by German scientist Christian Friedrich Schönbein in 1840. The Viennese press eagerly reported this discovery many years later in 1846, describing many products that can then be made 'explosive'. The polka is one of Strauss's novelty pieces, capturing a vogue. The "Explosions-Polka" was written for a benefit concert entitled 'Lust-Explosionsfest' (Joyful Explosions Festival), held in the Sträussl-Säle of the Josefstädter Theater on 8 February 1847. The polka incorporates many explosion effects throughout the piece, and