Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem play a polka in The Muppets Take Manhattan.
Polka is a lively and fast-paced dance and musical genre that originated in the mid-19th century in Central Europe. Characterized by its upbeat tempo, and distinctive "oom-pah" rhythm, polka became especially influential in the United States, where immigrant communities helped establish thriving polka traditions in Pennsylvania and throughout the Midwest, including such cities as Chicago, Cleveland, and Milwaukee.
The music is commonly performed with accordions, brass instruments, and clarinets, and remains a key element of cultural celebrations, from Oktoberfest gatherings to Polish and Slovenian festivals. Popular polka tunes include "Beer Barrel Polka," "Pennsylvania Polka," and "The Chicken Dance."
When the group falls on hard times in The Muppets Take Manhattan, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem relocate to Pennsylvania and adapt to wearing lederhosen and playing polka music. Frankie Yakovic and his Polka Dots appeared as a failed act on Muppets Tonight. Polka music and dancing has been featured on Sesame Street throughout the years; most notably in "The Alphabet Polka," "The Transylvania Polka" and "The Snuffleupagus Polka." Slimey the Worm performed polkas as a member of the group "Slimey and the Polka Worms."
Polka tunes[]
Other polkas:
Grundgetta plays a dust-spewing accordion in Episode 1604.
- Oscar, Grundgetta, and the Grouchketeers attempt to perform a Grouchy polka in Episode 1604 of Sesame Street.
- Telly dances a polka with a giant wedge of cheese in Episode 2691 of Sesame Street.
- Big Bird and the kids dance to a polka in the opening of Sesame Street Episode 2731.
- A Muppet accordion appears in "Elmo's World: Music" and plays some short polka riffs for Elmo.
- Ernie begins a "paperclip polka" to help Bert recollect his paperclips in a 2012 segment.
- The Honkers are briefly seen dancing "The Honker Polka" to celebrate "Dance Your Favorite Dance Day" in Episode 4818 of Sesame Street.
Polka renditions:
- In episode 402 of The Muppet Show, a group of German penguins and pigs perform "Swanee" as a polka. Presented as "an old German folk song," the Muppets perform the American folk song traditionally associated with the south as a German-style oom-pah song. (Kermit comments on the song as "it's not from West Germany, it's not from East Germany, it seems to be from, uh… South Germany?")
- Slimey and the Polka Worms perform a polka version of the "Sesame Street Theme" in Episode 3448.
- In Muppets Most Wanted, the Muppets perform a polka rendition of "The Muppet Show Theme" in Germany, featuring an oom-pah beat and Rowlf the Dog on accordion. Their performance is cut short when Constantine falls from the 'Die Muppet Show' logo, but an extended version of the full song was released as an iTunes exclusive in Europe alongside the film's soundtrack.