The polonaise (/pɒləˈneɪz/, French: [pɔlɔnɛz]; Polish: polonez) is a dance of Polish origin in ³
₄ time. Its name is French for “Polish.”

The polonaise has a rhythm quite close to that of the Swedish semiquaver or sixteenth-note polska, and the two dances have a common origin.

The polonaise is a widespread dance in carnival parties. The polonaise is always a first dance at a studniówka (“hundred-days”), the Polish equivalent of the senior prom that occurs approximately 100 days before exams.