Schottische

The schottische ( or ; German for "Scottish") is a partnered country dance that apparently originated in Bohemia. It was popular in Victorian-era ballrooms as a part of the Bohemian folk-dance craze and left its traces in the folk music of various countries. The schottische is considered by The Oxford Companion to Music to be a kind of slower polka, with Continental European origins.

The basic step of the schottische is made up of two sidesteps to the left and right, followed by a turn in four steps. In some countries, the sidesteps and turn are replaced by strathspey hopping steps.

Schottisches danced in Europe (in the context of balfolk), where they originated, are different from those danced in the United States. The European or Continental version is typically danced to faster music and is quite restrained in its movements. The American version is often large and open, with a slower tempo than the European schottische. The first part is often expressed equally as promenades, individual or led twirls or similar moves, and the second part is most often expressed as a close pivot.