Krakówiak
Krakówiak
a Polish folk dance that originated among the inhabitants of Kraków Województwo (Krakówiacy). In the 14th century the dance became popular among the nobility. Originally performed only by men, it was later danced by couples. It has a sharp rhythm, with frequent syncopation, and a lively 2/4 tempo. It is performed cheerfully, spiritedly, and with a proud bearing. In the 19th and early 20th century the Krakówiak became a popular ballroom dance. F. Chopin used the musical form of the dance in Rondo à la Krakowiak for piano and orchestra, and it appears in operas and ballets, notably Glinka’s Ivan Susanin and Asaf ev’s The Fountain of Bakhchisarai.