The Slavonic Dances (Op 46, No. 8, G Minor) are one of the most frequently performed compositions of Dvorak and became popular immediately after publication. Dvorak composed the dances at the request of the Berlin publisher Simrock. The composer Brahms had recommended Dvorak´s “Moravian Duets” to Simrock, who assumed that Dvorak might do as well with Bohemian folk music as Brahms had done with Hungarian folk music when he composed the “Hungarian Dances”. So Simrock invited Dvorak to write Slavonic dances.
Between 18. March and 7. May 1878 Dvorak composed eight dances which were published as op. 46. But in contrast to Brahms, who used authentic Hungarian tunes, Dvorak´s tunes contain little or no melodic elements of Bohemian folk song or folk dance. He  used only the folk rhythms  and composed his own original music. Nevertheless the dances reflect the temperament of the Czech people as probably only Dvorak was capable of expressing in music, because he knew his people from many years of experience as a menial labourer, singer, violinist and organist in pubs, coffee houses, opera houses and places of worship. The popularity of the first eight “Slavonic Dances” justified the composing and publishing of a second group of “Slavonic Dances” – the opus 72 in 1886. Both sets of dances were first published as piano duets as, in those days, love of music implied both the ability and the willingness to participate in performing music. Like many other of Dvorak´s works the dances were eventually written for orchestra.