Re: pas d'espan, vengierka

[Robert A. Rothstein <rar...>]

Sylvie Braitman wrote:

>Just curious. Does "pas d'Espan" comes from the French "Pas d'Espagne"
which means Spanish Step?
>What else could it mean, and what are the ethymological roots?

    The Yiddish and Russian term _pa despan_ does indeed come from the
French expression.  One Russian dictionary defines the term as referring
to "a ballroom dance in triple meter with waltz-like and balancing
movements."

    The Polish spelling for the previously discussed dance is
_polka-wegierka_ (with a reverse cedilla under the first "e"), the
second part pronounced "vengyerka."  It is described in one dictionary
as "a rapid circle dance" and mentioned by the Polish writer Jan
Brzechwa (1900-1966) as one of the dances taught at the dance classes
his mother sent him to in pre-Revolutionary Kiev.  I've also seen
references to a "polka hongroise," which may be the same thing, and
which was described as originating in Paris. The Library of Congress web
site (at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/mussmhtml/mussmTitles123.html) has
music for one such "polka hongroise" under the title "Les Esperons"
(misprint for "Les eperons").

    The _Kammen International Dance Folio No. 1_ includes a "Padespan"
and a "Russian Wengerka."  There's also a "Pas d'Espagne," arranged by
Henry Lefkowitch in his _Album of Polkas and Dances for Piano (or
Accordion)_ (c. 1926), published by Metro Music in NY, and a "Pas
d'Espagne" and a "Wengerke," both arranged by Luigi Paparello, in
another Metro Music publication, _Album No. 1_ or _Album of Russian
Music - Folk-Songs, Romances, Dances - for Violin or Mandolin Solo_,
originally c. 1924 by Joseph P. Katz, with copyright assigned in 1928 to
Henry Lefkowitch.  (The last two collections also have Russian titles.)

        Bob Rothstein


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