Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
lively Alpine folk dance, 1874, from German Schuhplattler, from schuh "shoe" (see shoe (n.)) + south German dialectal plattler, from platteln "to dance."
Wiktionary
n. A folk dance from Bavaria and Austria in which the thighs and the soles of the shoes are slapped
Wikipedia
The Schuhplattler is a traditional style of folk dance popular in the Alpine regions of Bavaria and Tyrol (southern Germany, Austria and the German speaking regions of northern Italy). In this dance, the performers stomp, clap and strike the soles of their shoes (Schuhe), thighs and knees with their hands held flat (platt). There are more than 150 basic Schuhplattlers, as well as marches and acrobatic feats that are often interspersed with the basic dance in performance. They may be seen today in Europe and in German immigrant communities around the world. While the Schuhplattler is still largely performed by adults, it has become increasingly popular with youngsters, who love its colorful costumes and its bouncing, leaping, kicking and choreographed horseplay.
Usage examples of "schuhplattler".
The Schuhplattler girls impartially distributed their favors among the unattached men, including even Hannibal Tyree, the three Chinese and Kesperle Spenz.
I waltz as well as I do the polka and the Schuhplattler and the samba and the rhumba.
The pavilion was practically billowing its roof and sidewalls with all the noise inside it, for the bandmaster was at this moment conducting both the band and the eight midway-girl dancers in their performance of the Schuhplattler.