Schottische

(from Ger. schottisch: ‘Scottish’).

A round dance, like a polka, but slower. Any connection with the écossaise has been denied by some writers, but according to Sachs the schottische arose from the incorporation of waltz-like turns into the écossaise, and after the disappearance of the latter lived on as a waltz in 2/4 time. It was known in Bavaria as the ‘Rheinländer’ and introduced into England in 1848 as the ‘German Polka’. In the USA the ‘military’ schottische was a popular variant, and through the popularity of Tom Turner's Dancing in the Barn Schottisch (1878) became known in Britain as the ‘barn dance’. It involved the couple first advancing along the line of the dance and then doing a complete waltz turn. During the 20th century this further evolved into the progressive barn dance, which included changes of partners. The Schottische bohème, or Polka tremblante, was a particular kind of polka introduced in Paris in the 1840s.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

C. Sachs: Eine Weltgeschichte des Tanzes (Berlin, 1933; Eng. trans., 1938/R)

P.J.S. Richardson: The Social Dances of the 19th Century (London, 1960)

MICHAEL TILMOUTH/ANDREW LAMB