Polka "Polka". Nejedlý also writes that Václav Vladivoj Tomek also claims the Hradec Králové roots of a Polka. OED also suggests that the name may have been derived from the Czech "Polka" meaning "Polish woman" (feminine form corresponding to "Polák", a Pole). The word was widely introduced into the major European languages in the early 1840s. It should not be confused with the "polska", a Swedish dance with Polish roots (cf. polka-mazurka). A related dance is the redowa. Polkas almost always have a time signature. Folk music of Polka style appeared in written music about 1800. The beginning of the propagation
International Polka Association International Polka Association The International Polka Association (IPA) is located in Chicago, Illinois and dedicated to the study and preservation of polka music and the cultural heritage of Polish Americans who have made this music tradition part of their heritage. The IPA hosts an annual festival and convention as well as its Annual Polka Music Awards banquet. During the banquet, important figures in polka music are inducted into the Polka Hall of Fame. The concept of a national polka convention had been developed and pioneered in Chicago, and the first polka convention was held in 1963. This convention developed into