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COMING UP!
… be sure to check our website at
www.polanie.ca for regular updates
and details on performances and events as they are made available!
Upcoming
Performances
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Frank's
Home Improvements & Renovations Christmas Party - Krakusy (January 5,
2007)
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'Jaselka' Christmas
Pageant - at the Polish Canadian Cultural Centre (January 13, 2007)
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Winterfest (February)
Administrative Business
We are currently working on creating a database and
compiling a mailing list for Polanie… if you would like to be
added to the mailing list, please contact Kasia Stevens at
km.stevens@shaw.ca. We promise
not to send junk mail! We just want to keep our supporters informed on
what’s going on with our dance ensembles.
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FEATURE ARTICLE:
FROM THE
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR...
Season’s
Greetings to everyone! With 2007 quickly coming to a close, we look
back upon the past year, summarizing our accomplishments and
experiences, as we look forward to a new year of betterment and
continued successes. The past year was an exciting one for Polanie,
with many new first-time festival performances, and most
importantly, our 30th anniversary concert in June. The
birthday celebrations were extended all the way to October with a
focus on the anniversary at our annual Masquerade Ball. Without
hesitation, I can say that the past year, although extremely busy,
was one to remember as an extraordinary one for Polanie; it brought
us many new performance and travel opportunities such as the Regina
Mosaic Festival and the Kimberley International Folk Festival, as
well as a renewed and elevated sense of artistic development and
creation. New choreographies were created for all ensembles, and
this momentum is carrying us forward into the new year as we are
once again enriching our repertoire with new regional dances for
each ensemble.
read
more
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ARTISTIC
NEWS
The fall has been an eventful and
exciting time for all three ensembles of Polanie. As customary, at
the beginning of the new dance season all groups underwent a change
of membership due to selections made during our annual auditions.
Welcome to all new members!
The senior ensemble began the
season by reviewing dances already in the repertoire, as well as
learning the steps of the Zielone Kurpie region, which will soon be
choreographed into a full suite of dances. Polanie Jr. also started
the year by bringing new members up to speed on the current
repertoire dances and by learning fundamentals of the choreography
for the Cieszyn suite of dances currently being choreographed by
Patti Czerski.
Krakusy, in spite of having the
challenging number of 7 girls and 3 boys to work with, has refreshed
the Slask and Krakowiak dances, and in November had the pleasure of
working with guest choreographer, Konrad Kasparek from Toronto. In
just four intensive rehearsals, Konrad taught the youngest of our
dancers all the steps, songs, and a full choreography for a Bilgoraj
suite of dances. Konrad and Patti also worked together in teaching
Polanie and Polanie Jr the Cieszyn and Zielone Kurpie dances in
addition to polishing existing choreographies. It was an intensive
ten days of rehearsals for the ensembles during Konrad’s visit, but
each moment was beneficial and has had a lasting impact on all the
dancers.
The senior ensemble
has also started preparing for their July tour to Poland, to perform
at the International Festival of Polish Folk Dance Ensembles in
Rzeszow. The festival will take place from July 17th-
24th in 2008, where the Polanie will join approximately forty other
Polish dance groups from all over the world. These groups will all
have an opportunity to share their repertoire with each other, and
in front of their truly supportive homeland audiences. With over
1000 dancers that participate in the festival, live together and
dance together for one week, the experience is unrepeatable and
truly life-changing. Polanie will also have the pleasure of meeting
and working with renowned Polish choreographers who are leaders in
the Polish dance form. Each participating ensemble is required to
prepare a 30-minute program, which usually consists of 3- 4 Polish
dances, plus one dance representing the group’s country of origin;
Polanie will be taking their Kujawiak & Oberek, Goral Zywiecki, Zielone
Kurpie, and Lublin dances, as well as a yet-to-be choreographed
piece representing Canada. Qualifying ensembles for the festival
must represent each chosen dance not only with artistic flare, but
also with attention to the history and traditions of the particular
region’s music, dance steps, and customs; working in Polish dance
means finding a unique expression within a framework of guidelines
that originate from the roots of Polish folklore.
read
more
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WHAT HAVE
WE BEEN UP TO?
September:
The beginning of a
new dance season is always busy and full of excitement for all
ensembles. Not only did we start off the season with a brand new
program for each ensemble, but we also had to prepare for, and give
several performances at the annual Spruce Meadows Masters. These
preparations actually began in August, during our annual dance camps
at Sylvan Lake. Once again, this year’s dance camps were ten
fun-filled days of dancing and enjoying the last days of summer.
read more
October:
The entire month was
committed to preparations for Polanie's annual Masquerade Ball,
which is our biggest fundraiser each year. The senior ensemble
performed the Kujawiak and Oberek, which was initially debuted at
the 30th anniversary concert last June. Polanie also performed the
Lublin Suite, showcasing for the first time the newly choreographed
oberek finale. Both Polanie Jr. and Polanie traditionally opened the
ball with a special Polonez for 12 pairs, underlining the 30th
anniversary celebration of the group. Our guest performers this
year, Matthew and Justine, also entertained the sold-out crowd with
their award-winning ballroom dance moves. The entire event turned
out to be a hit, from the dinner, to the performances, the dancing,
and the popular costume contest. Each year, more and more attendees
are getting into the masquerade and Halloween spirit by dressing up,
and this year showed the best turn out of creative, daring, and
funny costumes (check our on-line photo gallery to see for
yourself).
read more
November:
The
highlight of this month was having Toronto choreographer and
instructor, Konrad Kasparek guest teach all three of our ensembles
for an intensive ten days. Konrad, who works for the Polski Orzel
(Polish Eagle) dance ensemble in Mississuaga was hired by Polanie to
choreograph a new suite of Bilgoraj dances for Krakusy, as well as
to work with Patti Czerski in teaching the Cieszyn and Zielone
Kurpie choreographies to Polanie Jr. and Polanie respectively.
Having Konrad teach the ensembles provided an always beneficial new
approach and style of teaching, which inspired the dancers in
different ways than they are accustomed to. Konrad and Patti met in
Poland in the summer of 2006 while attending the Polish dance
choreographers’ intensive courses in Lublin. They have been dance
partners for two years in a row at the course, and this was their
first time working together outside of Lublin.
Having similar visions and an equal passion for Polish dance, it was
a natural choice for Patti to invite Konrad to Calgary, and have the
opportunity to work together professionally. Moreover, building
strong relationships with choreographers and instructors outside of
Calgary is an important aspect of expanding the artistic scope of
Polanie, and having Konrad work with Polanie was one step in that
direction.
read more
December:
To
wrap up the year, Polanie focused on preparing for their upcoming
performances in January, bringing new members up to speed on various
dances, as well as dusting off the rust that sometimes settles into
the movement of senior dancers. Dancing is an ever- evolving art,
and movement has limitless possibilities and ranges, making it
important to always assess, reassess, and refocus the way we move
and perform on stage. With a successful first half to the season,
Polanie dancers are now enjoying a well-deserved Christmas break.
May the New Year bring us many new performance opportunities,
organizational successes, and learning opportunities!
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POLANIE TIPS & THOUGHTS
Dancing in Polanie
A
True Performer
Thinking about Christmas
By Kasia Stevens,
Assistant Director and Dance Instructor
TIPS FROM MEMBERS OF KRAKUSY:
What does it mean to be a Krakusy dancer?
Magda
Mazur 13
Tessa
Pankiewicz 12
Natalia Czarnecki 13
Gabriella Gut 14
Michal
Jablonski 13
Natalia Kulaga 13
Krystian Wisniewski 13
Patrick Wegrzynski 13
Click on
the tip your interested in to
read more.
THANK-YOU TO ALL THE
KRAKUSY MEMBERS WHO
CONTRIBUTED THEIR THOUGHTS!
IMPORTANT
NOTICE:
Our current
mailing address is:
Polanie Polish
Song & Dance Association
Polish Canadian
Cultural Centre
3015 15 St. N.E.
Calgary, AB
Canada, T2E-7L8
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Polanie is
looking for experienced musicians to form a Polish folk capella! The aim
is to have the capella present at select rehearsals with the dance
ensemble, and to accompany the group at performances, festivals, and
tours. We are seeking musicians to play the following instruments:
accordian, acoustic bass, violin, clarinet, trumpet, percussion. Sheet
music will be provided, but input from experienced and enthusiastic
musicians is more than welcome. Interested musicans should contact Patti
Czerski, Artistic Director at 287-7226 or
patticzerski@hotmail.com Opportunities for travel, local
performances, and festivals are guaranteed.
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Polanie is
looking for archival photos of past performances, festivals and Polanie
events – we would like to share more of these memories on our website
and have them for our archive purposes. If you have photos you could
pass on to us, no matter how old or new, we would greatly appreciate the
help! Please contact Kasia Stevens.
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Welcome to Bartek Grochowski, the newest dance instructor to join
our team this year! Bartek is a senior Polanie dancer, and has
been training to as an instructor teaching the Krakusy ensemble
alongside Kasia Stevens, and currently with Patti Czerski. Good
luck Bartek, it's great to have you on the teaching team and the
Artistic Committee!
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CALL FOR BOYS- Krakusy is looking for boys between the ages of
12-15 (or in Junior High) who would like to try their feet at
dancing. A great sense of rhythm and coordination, plus a positive
attitude and energy are all that is required! The time committment
is Monday night rehearsals, extra weekend workshops as required,
plus performances and fundraisers. For more information please
contact Patti Czerski, Artistic Director. Tel: 287-7336. Email:
patticzerski@hotmail.com
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
- Polanie is in the
process of hiring a Development Coordinator to meet the needs of our
non-profit organization. For details regarding this position or
how to apply, please visit our website at www.polanie.ca.
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