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Finninsh
Dances :
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The oldest Finnish dances performed to instrumental music (violin, clarinet, kantele) were the minuet and the Polska, which both experienced the height of their popularity in the 18th century. The "Polska" originated in Poland and came to Finland by way of Sweden in the 17th
century. One has to keep in mind, however, that "Polska" was a general name for many different dance variations and was indeed often used as a synonym for "dance". Though lots of polska melodies have been collected in Finland, information about how the polska was actually danced is very scarce.
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It
seems to have been too simple and ordinary to need any description. Most sources merely note that the polska is danced "as usual" or "as everyone knows". The polska could be in double or triple time and was danced in couples, circles or chains. The couple polska was probably the oldest form and had two distinct parts. As a rule it started with some simple figure, and in the second part the dancers turned round, using steps which varied from one polska to another.
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Purpuri :
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"Purpuri" (potpourri), also a Finnish folk dance, is the name given to long ceremonial dances which probably originated in a series of small dances. They contained elements of many different types of dance, usually starting and ending with a march. In between there were ankleesis, quadrilles, mazurkas, waltzes, etc. These dances were known all over Finland except for the northern and easternmost parts. Purpuris were in fashion from the early 19th century on and survived up to the beginning of this century as ceremonial wedding dances which could last for hours.
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