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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Ann
Collis |
State Rep. Richard T.
Grucela |
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Grucela legislation would put the 'dosey doe' into law, strike up the Pennsylvania Polka
HARRISBURG, June 5 – State Rep. Richard Grucela, D-Northampton, has introduced legislation that would designate the polka as the Official Folk Music and the American square dance as the Official Folk Dance of Pennsylvania.
“The legislation would give Pennsylvania an official folk music and dance that truly express the diversity of the cultures that make our state such a wonderful place to live in,” Grucela said. “These are traditions which are ingrained in the lives of many Pennsylvanians, young and old, and they are a fun way to celebrate.”
The polka is a product of the millions of Eastern Europeans who immigrated to Pennsylvania and has been a popular form of cultural expression in the Commonwealth for many years. Further, its tunes, from the Pittsburgh Polka, which is credited as helping the Pittsburgh Steelers to win four Super Bowls, to the Pennsylvania Polka, one of the most popular polkas, are enjoyed by people of all ages and backgrounds.
“Pennsylvania boasts many polka-oriented festivals including Musikfest in Bethlehem, and its polka tent or ‘platz’ has become an irreplaceable part of the festival,” Grucela said.
The ancestry of the American Square Dance can be traced back as far as 1450. Square dance is truly demonstrative of the “melting pot” of cultures that make up Pennsylvania and includes a pedigree encompassing dance forms from Ireland, England, Germany, Poland, Scotland and Mexico, and it offers fun for all ages.
The legislation, H.B. 1495, awaits consideration by the House of Representatives.
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