The Veleta Polka

{1905}

Introduction

The Veleta Polka is simply an adaptation of Arthur Morris' Veleta to polka time.

Two years later, Tom Walton published an almost identical dance, the White-City Two Step, which replaces the slow double chassé in Part III with a quick quadruple one.

The Position

Both facing LOD, holding inside hands.

The Dance

Part I - Promenade and Chassé Along LOD (4 bars): Polka forward two steps along LOD (1-and-2, 3-and-4), then step side (5), close (6), side (7) along LOD, opening up to face against LOD at the end.

Part II - Promenade and Chassé Against LOD (4 bars): Repeat opposite, traveling against LOD, and closing up to closed position at the end (1-and-2, 3-and-4, 5, 6, 7).

Part III - Polka and Chassé (4 bars): One full turn of polka (1-and-2, 3-and-4), then chassé twice along LOD (5, 6, 7, 8).

Part III - Polka (4 bars): Two full turns of polka (1-and-2, 3-and-4, 5-and-6, 7-and-8).

Repeat from the beginning.

The Music

"The Veleta Polka" by Arthur Morris is the specified tune, but it doesn't appear to have been recorded, so any early 20th century polka will do.

Sources

Arthur Morris. (1905). Veleta Polka, New Dance for the Ball Room. London.

See Original Description

For more dance descriptions, see our three books on dancing:
The Book of Mixers: 100 Easy-Teach Dances for Getting Acquainted (2022) by Richard Powers and Nick & Melissa Enge,
Cross-Step Waltz: A Dancer's Guide (2019) by Richard Powers and Nick & Melissa Enge, and
Waltzing: A Manual for Dancing and Living (2013) by Richard Powers and Nick Enge.

For full-length teaching videos, visit: University of Dance.

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