PRINTER'S NO. 1246
No. 1010 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY BOSCOLA, WONDERLING, O'PAKE, BROWNE, LAVALLE,
WOZNIAK, STOUT, STACK, ROBBINS AND D. WHITE, JUNE 26, 2007
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, JUNE 26, 2007
AN ACT
1 Designating the polka as the official dance of Pennsylvania; and
2 designating the square dance as the official American folk
3 dance of Pennsylvania.
4 WHEREAS, The polka has become an important part of 20th
5 century American and Pennsylvania culture; and
6 WHEREAS, The polka is a product of the millions of Eastern
7 European immigrants that migrated to Pennsylvania; and
8 WHEREAS, The polka has been a popular dance and form of
9 cultural expression in Pennsylvania since the 1920s; and
10 WHEREAS, The "Pittsburgh Polka" helped inspire western
11 Pennsylvania's own Pittsburgh Steelers to win four NFL Super
12 Bowls in the 1970s; and
13 WHEREAS, The "Pennsylvania Polka" is one of the most well-
14 known polkas heard throughout the United States; and
15 WHEREAS, The polka continues to be an important aspect of
16 Polish-American and other Eastern European cultures; and
17 WHEREAS, The polka remains a popular dance and entertainment
18 form among the citizens of this Commonwealth today; and
1 WHEREAS, Square dance is in itself representative of the
2 melting pot of our nation, having been brought to this country
3 by our pioneers; and
4 WHEREAS, The ancestry of American square dance can be traced
5 as far back as 1450, as shown by its genealogical history, and
6 includes a multitude of dance forms from England, Germany,
7 Poland, Ireland, Scotland and Mexico; and
8 WHEREAS, Records in American history from 1651 show American
9 square dance has been danced through the years dating back to
10 the days of our first settlers; and
11 WHEREAS, Square dance offers fun and fellowship to both young
12 and old as well as the handicapped, with no restrictions as to
13 race, color or creed; and
14 WHEREAS, Due to the popularity of American square dance,
15 square dance federations have been formed in every state in the
16 United States and in most foreign countries; and
17 WHEREAS, Square dance is the American folk dance which
18 includes squares, rounds, contra, clogging, country western and
19 line dancing; and
20 WHEREAS, Since 1951 square dance enthusiasts have joined
21 together for a National Square and Round Dance Convention; and
22 WHEREAS, Since 1994 the Pennsylvania Square and Round Dance
23 Federation has sponsored annual State Square and Round Dance
24 Conventions in this Commonwealth.
25 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
26 hereby enacts as follows:
27 Section 1. Designation of official dance of Pennsylvania.
28 The polka is hereby selected, designated and adopted in
29 perpetuity as the official dance of this Commonwealth and added
30 to the array of official symbols of our Commonwealth.
20070S1010B1246 - 2 -
1 Section 2. Designation of official American folk dance of
2 Pennsylvania.
3 The square dance is hereby selected, designated and adopted
4 in perpetuity as the official American folk dance of this
5 Commonwealth and added to the array of symbols of our
6 Commonwealth.
7 Section 3. Effective date.
8 This act shall take effect immediately.
F5L71DMS/20070S1010B1246 - 3 -