The polka, a lively couples dance in 2/4 time, had developed from folk roots and became a European popular dance craze in the 1840s. In elite Paris salons and in humble village squares and taverns ...

as it’s tightly linked to the nature of the dance: the polka is based on a pattern of stepping from one foot to the other to moderately fast music in 2/4 time. The polka quickly spread across Europe, ...