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During the first half of the 19th century, the Schuhplattler was still a freely-improvised courtship dance for couples. The phenomenon of simultaneous group 'platteln' developed from this. Young men from Ramsau started the trend during the Biedermeier era: more and more complicated striking sequences were devised, and in order to learn them the boys had to practice diligently, with no help needed from the girls. Soon they took things one step further by foregoing the female element during dance performances as well.
Soon the Schuhplattler Society of Miesbach was booked for demonstration performances in the cities. If there were girls along, then that was fine too, but the real sensation was the young men. Now they no longer had to keep their eyes on their girl throughout the dance, but instead they could watch their fellow plattlers in order to maintain perfectly synchronous movement to the music.
The plattler was transformed from a means to an end (the courtship ritual) to an end unto itself (the dance). This blazed the trail toward the all-men's dance. Two major requirements developed for the Burschenplattler:
First, that the entire group perform the striking figures with the same movement at the same time (in Ramsau, approx. 1818). And second, the performance of plattlers entirely separate from the girls (Miesbach area, approx. 1858).
Prof. Karl Horak writes: "The progression to an all-male dance contradicts the nature of the courtship dance. Nonetheless, it has its place in this form as well." The Bavarian Folk Costume Federation (Bayerischer Trachtenverband) has also designated the Burschenplattler as an important element of Bavarian tradition. In the mountainous region of the Chiemsee area, it is even the favored variant.
Most other traditional German male dances are limited to a small circle of eligibility restricted to specific professions (barrelmakers or miners, for example). Hats off to a real men's dance (expression of effervescent strength and zest for life), the Schuhplattler-Burschentanz. It's worth keeping up - and we're doing it.
Translated from: Heimat- und Trachtenbote No. 22 and 23, 1987
