Krakowiak is a lively Polish folk dance from the city of Krakow and the region Malopolska. It is ranked as a Polish national dance. Its English common name is cracovienne (taken from French language). The dance's origin dates back to 16th or 17th century and its name to the 18th century. The name of Krakowiak refers to a city of Kraków - in fact, many Polish folk dances had been called the same way (e.g. Kujawiak from Kujawy region). Sometimes their names were also taken from the most characteristic figures used in the dance like chodzony from walking or dreptany from toddling.

The Krakowiak's metre is counted on 2/4 with characteristic, syncopated rhythm. At the end of 18th century the rhythm of Krakowiak appeared in symphonic music and in the next century - in scenic and instrumental music as it was becoming more and more popular all over the country.

Clothes used in Krakowiak:
Men - striped trousers, long coats of dark colors, belts with metal elements and characteristic caps called 'rogatki' with the peacock's feathers.
Women - long skirts with flowers ornament, white aprons, boleros with color ornaments, wreath of flowers, usually with color ribbons.

Krakowiak's rhythm was the musical base of several compositions of many famous Polish composers, e.g. F.Chopin's Krakowiak op. 14 for the piano and the orchestra (1828), I.J.Paderewski Fantastic Krakowiak, K.Szymanowski Krakowiak for the piano and many others.

Kujawiak is a Polish national folk dance that had its origin in the region of Kujawy. Its present name Kujawiak appeared in 19th century.

From the very beginning Kujawiak was a dance, which was to show the dignity of dancers. It had been created as a simple, slow dance. Although its metre is 3, it was being danced slowly, what made it dignified.

Kujawiak was being danced in a circle of pairs, which were moving around it without any particular progression or tempo changing.

Kujawiak existed in two main forms: one was the regional folk dance, more lively and with lots of varieties of tempo, steps and figures, and the second one was a national dance - one of the five Polish national dances.

Clothes in Kujawiak:
Men - characteristic red shirts, blues coats and trousers, sometimes the cap is being worn.
Women - long, blue skirts, blue boleros and white aprons tided at the back.

Mazur is a Polish folk dance, ranked to a group of five Polish national dances. It is being danced in 3 metre - lively and beautiful to watch. It is often described as a bit slower than Oberek and a bit faster than Kujawiak. The clothing is also the same as in Kujawiak.

Its origin takes place in Kujawy (the same as Kujawiak) and its name - in Mazovia - the region of central Poland around Warsaw, whose inhabitants were called Mazurs. Indeed the name of Mazur appeared for the first time in the music dictionary published in 1752 so it was created later than the dance itself, as it was known in 16th century. In 17th century, Mazur became popular in the whole country of Poland and also almost in all the neighbouring countries.

Mazur, the same as every folk dance in Poland, had its varieties and their pattern depended on the social status of people who used to dance it. Thus, there was an urban Mazur danced in towns and different one for the gentry and nobles.

The dance itself spread over right after Poland lost its independence - it came to the courts of Paris, London and other fashionable meeting places of Western Europe. Mazur then was the only thing that was reminding of Poland and Poles as a great nation. In fact, Mazur even became Polish anthem - the Dabrowski Mazurka created in 1797 as a Song of Polish Legions.

Mazur's rhythm was the main theme of many remarkable composers' masterpieces, e.g.: S.Moniuszko, F.Chopin, K.Szymanowski and many others.

Oberek is the liveliest and the fastest Polish national dance. It is being danced in 3 metre with fast tempo and quite complicated steps and figures.

Oberek was originated in Mazovia region and its name appeared for the first time in 1679 as obertas (so-called from the Polish verb obracac sie, which means to spin).

Oberek, the same as Mazur and Kujawiak is regarded as a dance of Mazur rhythms as they are similar to each other and differ mainly with tempo (Oberek is the fastest one). The dance itself includes many changes and progression in the circle of pairs that follow around both clockwise and counterclockwise. The dancers must be well skilled, as Oberek is a dance of many difficult figures of clicks.

The name Oberek was used in classical music also for stylized dances. Many Polish composers used to create Obereks: K.Szymanowski, H.Wieniawski and, of course, F.Chopin, whose fastest Mazurs are indeed Obereks (e.g. Mazurek op. 56 no. 2).

On the contrary to Mazurs and Polonaises, foreign composers hadn't composed Obereks so often and the dance itself didn't become popular outside of Poland.

Polonez is a Polish national dance that had its origin in 18th century. It had developed from the dance called chodzony (walking dance) as its figures consist of walking around the dance hall.

Danced in the metre of 3 - slowly and nobly, with the characteristic knees bowing before the first step. Heads were put up high and turned once to the partner, once to the people around and hands put in the air on the side (ladies) and on the hip (gentlemen).

Polonez (French: polonaise, the same in English) originally had been performed on the weddings of Polish gentry and lesser aristocracy with the bride I the first pair and the groom in the second one. At the beginning the music was sung but later, when Polonez came into the upper class' courts, it was accompanied with music of the best instrumentalists.

The clothing for Polonez depended on the region of Poland but both men and women clothes were very rich and marvelous.

Polonez is being danced nowadays at the beginning of many ceremonials, e.g. in schools and colleges as a first, common dance before the graduating ceremony.

Polonaises were being composed by many remarkable artists, among who there are Bach, Beethoven and Schubert, but it was the Polish greatest composer - Fryderyk Chopin, who made it popular and unforgettable.