Some say the polka should be Kansas’ state dance. What about the Time Warp?
It may not take oom-pah-pah-precedence in Topeka this session, but some Kansans want lawmakers to declare the polka the state’s official dance.
Senate Bill 158 continues an effort introduced last year which, if adopted by the legislature and signed by the governor, would add the polka to a list of Kansas designations that include the western meadowlark as the state bird, cottonwood as the state tree, ornate box turtle as the state reptile and “Home on the Range” as the state song.
I appreciate the polka. I understand its connection to the culture and heritage of some Kansas immigrants, particularly the Czechs who settled Ellsworth County and inspired the World’s Largest Czech Egg in Wilson.
I enjoy dancing (or at least bouncing) along with the beer steins and lederhosen at ICT Bloktoberfest in Wichita, and I adore the punk-polka Bolzen Beer Band from Nebraska that performs at the Iron ChileHead Competition.
But here’s something to think about: We have one shot at this official state dance business, and there may be a few more we should consider.
A list of official dances from the 32 states that have made their choices so far shows a surprising lack of daring and diversity.
More than two-thirds have declared the square dance as their official dance, a fact some have dubbed the “state folk dance conspiracy.” Nothing against the do-si-do lobby, but getting rejected at the federal level does not entitle you to promenade around every Statehouse.
Hawaii has the hula. Texas has the two-step. New York has the Lindy Hop. California has the West Coast swing. Originals, all.
Wisconsin and Pennsylvania have claimed the polka. That doesn’t mean we need to rule it out, necessarily, but we should explore all options before making a commitment.
So many other great dances could set Kansas apart and perhaps even boost tourism.
The twist, for example, could be a salute to our Kansas tornadoes.
The Loco-Motion could honor our railroads.
The hustle, the robot, the wobble, the chicken dance — appropriate dances for Kansas politics, no?
Perhaps the Time Warp, from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” is the quintessential Kansas dance, with its pendulum-shifting jump to the left and step to the riii-iii-iii-iii-iiiight. (And, judging from debates over the Super Bowl halftime show, it’s the pelvic thrust that really drives us insane.)
We could go bold and different. Why not the Thriller? Cotton-Eyed Joe? The Cha-Cha Slide? The Cupid shuffle? Vogue? The Y.M.C.A.? Or watch us whip, watch us nae nae.
Two years ago, an Overland Park fourth-grader successfully lobbied the Kansas Legislature to designate a state rock (limestone), mineral (galena) and gemstone (jelinite). The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism persuaded lawmakers to add a section to that bill declaring the channel catfish as the state fish.
This year, a group of students from the Central Heights school district in Richmond are pushing for the watermelon to be the state fruit.
Hard telling what will happen with the polka proposal — whether lawmakers will move quickly or just dance around the issue. But if we’re going to have a state dance, let’s at least consider all the options.
This story was originally published February 4, 2020 at 5:15 AM.
