Polonaise Polonaise The polonaise (, ; ) is a dance of Polish origin, in time. Its name is French for "Polish." The polonaise has a rhythm quite close to that of the Swedish semiquaver or sixteenth-note polska, and the two dances have a common origin. The polonaise is a widespread dance in carnival parties. The polonaise is always a first dance at a "studniówka" ("hundred-days"), the Polish equivalent of the senior prom that occurs approximately 100 days before exams. The notation "alla polacca" ( means "polonaise") on a musical score indicates that the piece should be played with the rhythm and
Polonaise (clothing) one with the gathered-up skirt. "Peterson's Magazine" also described a 'Polonaise basque' as being gathered fully on the hips and forming a deep tunic in the back. "Godey's Magazine" for August 1871 identifies the term "polonaise" with two separate garments, a bodice and an overskirt: The second paragraph quoted describes a specific style of dressing "à la polonaise" which was popularly known as "Dolly Varden" after the heroine of Dickens' historical novel "" (set in 1780). By the end of the 1870s and into the 1880s, the term 'polonaise' also described an overdress which resembled a long coat worn over