Mazurka

The mazurka is a Polish folk dance in triple meter, originating in the Mazovia region and defined by its accented second or third beat, dotted rhythms and spirited, sometimes melancholic melodies. Rooted in the related mazur, oberek and kujawiak dances, it was transformed by *Frédéric Chopin* into a body of sixty-odd piano pieces that made it a cornerstone of Romantic art music, and was taken up by composers including *Karol Szymanowski* and *Maria Szymanowska*. In its folk form it remains a living village dance of central Poland, played by fiddle-led ensembles at weddings and seasonal celebrations.