Polka. A Bohemian folk pair dance that originated in the middle of the 19th century and spread throughout Europe. Its music is quick and has two beats to a bar. In Ukraine it took on some national characteristics in music and choreography and often was named according to places where a variant was popular: ‘Poltavska,’ ‘Poliska,’ ‘Sanzhary,’ ‘Pleskach,’ and the like.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 4 (1993).]