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Celebrating 30 Years
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HIGHLIGHTS... KIMBERLEY INTERNATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL: For the first time ever, the senior ensemble of Polanie will be performing at the International Folk Festival in Kimberley, British Columbia during the Labour Day Long Weekend. Polanie will join numerous ethnic folk groups in presenting the best of their repertoire. Break a leg! CELEBRATING the 30th ANNIVERSARY OF POLANIE and 5th ANNIVERSARY OF KRAKUSY - AN UPDATE: The 30th anniversary repertoire show that took place at The Playhouse Theatre in Calgary on June 15 /16 was a tremendous success for Polanie. The venue was perfect for the occasion and the show was filled with many surprises. The self-produced show, a first since 2000 for Polanie, was possible due to the energy, vision, leadership and hard work of Patti Czerski, Artistic Director, as well as Kasia Stevens, Assistant Director, and Kasia Ustienny, dance instructor. Above all, it would not have been possible without the support and volunteer hours of the Board of Directors, parents, dancers, and friends of Polanie! It was an opportunity to showcase much new choreography as well as to build new friendships with the Polonia Polish Folk Ensemble of Regina. Polanie would like to thank all those who participated in making this event a success, as well as to thank all those who came out to support us during our celebration! Thank-You!
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When dancing in a group, like the three ensembles of Polanie, there are opportunities for solo or duet parts, however, most dances are performed in partners. The bottom line is, that whether dancing a solo or in a pair, the foundation of polish dance is group dancing in partners. Such dancing requires coordination of numerous individuals into aesthetic and stimulating choreographies. Hence, when a dancer commits him/herself to group dance they must be aware of their own individual technique, their own personal space as well as how they fit into the whole group. If one dancer is lacking or falling behind, the entire group is affected. Especially in large groups, there is a tendency to fall into thinking that individual flaws will blend in and go unnoticed in the overall execution of the dance. This thinking is erroneous, as in reality when an entire group is synchronized and one person is not in tune with that synchrony, that individual sticks out and is noticed immediately. New Members Melding into a Group: At the beginning of every season, which is September for Polanie, new members audition and are added to each ensemble. Such new individuals have much to learn as they must adjust to the group atmosphere, learn the unique style of the ensemble, as well as catch up to the level of technique of the dancers within the group. This makes the environment within the ensembles very unique as it provides opportunity for new dancers to advance very quickly, and senior dancers to aid in their development. However, it also poses many challenges due to the fact that the more experienced dancers, who may have been members for a longer period, may get discouraged when they have to re-learn some of the things that they already know. This may lead to segregation of new members if they do not catch on quickly enough. In order to avoid such situations, it is important for each dancer to realize that repetition and practice is what makes them better dancers, and taking on a leadership role can prove to be rewarding. When steps or choreographies are re-taught, it is an opportunity for dancers to improve upon their own technique and once again, perfect their skills from the roots up. With time, even the most experienced dancers develop bad habits and make mistakes. It is important to repeat basic skills, as they are the foundation of the more complex and challenging aspects of any dance form. Many of us can relate to the stress and anxiety involved in public speaking or performing. Not even the most experienced performers will deny the butterflies in the stomach or the pre-performance jitters that they experience. It is only natural. But what separates those true performers from the rest of us? My only answer is experience, and this experience only comes from practice and from believing in what you do on stage. The most common form of practice, of which most people are aware of, is that which takes place during dance class. This involves the constant repetition that eventually programs the steps and techniques into our muscles and bodies to the point where we do not even have to think about them. Only then, are we prepared to enter the stressful conditions of the stage. Still, even with hours and hours of practice nothing actually matches the intensity of the actual performance experience. Not many dancers, especially the young ones, realize that the actual performance itself is a form of practice that builds your confidence and presentation skills. It is the act of performing as well as not being afraid to make mistakes that teaches us how to interact with the audience and to truly communicate the vision of the choreographer.
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