POLKA STORIES

A story from Mollie to lift up your spirits about polka in the younger generations:

Spring 2003

Hello POLKA Friends!

I just had to write and tell you something that might make you smile. As many of you know, I teach music both privately and in a school. At the school, I started 3 choirs (a swing choir, a show choir, and a women's choir). I've been wanting to share polka music with the kids since I took the position in the school 22 months ago. I now have. One of my students saw me dancing around in my room back in November (It was going to be a 15 hour day in school so I had to turn my music on and dance to keep me going). She thought it was awesome, so I asked her if she would like to learn... and maybe the whole show choir (8th-10th graders). When I danced the polka for them (to a great polka CD), they were very excited to learn how. And now, the whole show choir knows how and will be performing a polka at the next concert. Just now, I walked past the white board and saw written on the board: "I love polka!!!" "So do I!" "we all do " Isn't that great?? They honestly can't wait to have our next rehearsal. They're hooked -- I love it!

They have performed the polka twice at school, even received a standing ovation. After our first performance, I had to order T-shirts for kids (boys and girls) of all ages at our school that said “Peace, Love, and Polka” and “Polka – the dance of the new generation.” The show choir members now have shirts that say “Ms. Busta’s Polka Dancers.” And Gus Guzevich from “Polka Family” sent us “I Love Polka” stickers. The stickers are now in lockers, on instrument cases, on bumpers, on walls. These kids really are enjoying it. We have a bus trip lined up to go to the Minnesota State Fair to watch “Polka Family” on Labor Day. The show choir may even get to dance to them.