Do an Allemande Left, Put an arm around your partner in a star promenade you do the Jessie Polka Dance,
You balance and you swing until the music starts again.
The side couples arch, head couples dive right under,
Dip and Dive round the ring, home you go and don't you blunder,
Do an Allemande Left, Put an arm around your partner in a star promenade you do the Jessie Polka Dance,
Left forward, right back, right forward, left to your left toe, 4 two steps
Left forward, right back, right forward, left to your left toe, 4 two steps
Left forward, right back, right forward, left to your left toe, 2 two steps
Swing and promenade
Then promenade this lady, keep her for your partner,
You balance and you swing until the music starts again.
This call describes the actual footwork being done for the Jessie Polka.
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Before teaching them the square dance, it's best to have a group learn the round dance. It is simple, and done
in Varsouviene position (left hands joined in front, mans right hand holding ladies right hand over the ladies right shoulder).
It goes like this (in beat to the music)
Left heal forward, then bring it back to place,
Right toe back, then bring it back to place,
Right heal forward, then bring it back to place,
Left heal forward, then kick your left heal backwards to your right knee and do
Four quick forward two-steps
Repeat throughout the song to the beat of the music.
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Now teach them the square dance routine,
During the star promenade, the caller says, "Do the Jessie Polka dance"
The dancers will do it three times thru in a row, the same as when they did the round dance, except, during the four
two steps, the men will go forward, while the ladies do four two steps in a little circle (essentially rolling back to the
man behind them, he will put an arm around her in a start promenade). This is repeated three times until she meets her
corner, whom she swings and promenades with.
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This dance is a lot of fun, and a ton of exercise. Take a five minute break when your done, you'll need it.
This is a real old time square dance, as done in the 1930s-1950s. It was very popular at that time. It is
easy to find old 78's with copies of this popular dance on it. It is also available on 45 as a dance by Johnny Wykoff.
