A mazurka is a polish folk dance that is featured in many classical ballets as a character dance. Mazurkas are typically done in 3/4 time as the musical tempo. A mazurka featured in a classical ballet usually features a group of corps de ballet dancers and a lead, soloist couple. The costumes generally include longer, full skirts for the woman with heeled character shoes while the men may possibly wear pants and character boots with heels.
Mazurkas in Classical Ballets
Many classical ballets have a mazurka in between the action of the classical dancing. Here’s a list of some of the Mazurka’s in classical ballets:
- Swan Lake, Act 3 Mazurka: Here’s a video of the Mazurka from Swan Lake, performed by Mariinsky Ballet
- Coppelia, Act 1: Enjoy this video by the Bolshoi Ballet, highlighting the mazurka in Act 1 of Coppelia
