Polka is the new black
Sharon Mathala | Monday August 10, 2015 18:00
Polka originally called Boerewalf, is said to have been introduced to Batswana by the Dutch people who settled in Botswana, many years ago. It is the staple dance in the Southeastern part of Botswana and southeastern Namibia.
Fast forward to 2015; Polka has now been included in the calendar of events. From President Day celebrations, to major festivals polka has now become the in thing. It is the new black.
This past Saturday, at the Police Day Celebration held at the Lobatse Stadium, much attention was given to Polka dance. The event featured two Polka groups, while traditional dance had only one group performing at the event.
This is relatively new to Police Day celebrations, as the dance, which is gaining popularity at a fast speed, was not featured at last year’s event. The event over the years used to have a number of traditional groups performing.
Polka groups walked away P4000 richer after giving a performance much to the appreciation of President, Ian Khama, who nodded every two minutes whilst the groups danced away in the sunny weather of Lobatse. The traditional group, Police Traditional Dance Troupe also tried their luck but received little or less ovation from attendants. The group displayed their skills, but the clowns who joined them on stage received more cheers than the traditional group. Polka has now taken the crown from Bakalaka’s traditional dance, Hosana, Phathisi, and Tsutsube amongst others as the most featured.