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Polanie
Notifier
Winter - Spring 2007-2008
/ Volume
4
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IN
THIS ISSUE:
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HIGHLIGHTS
Starchevski School of Ballet Workshop
read more
Culture Groove Dance
Marathon
read more
XIV Światowy Festiwal Polonijnych Zespołów Folklorystycznych,
Rzeszów'2008
read more
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HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!
MIŁEGO LATA!
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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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Polish Festival - June 21 and 22, 2008
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XIV Światowy Festiwal Polonijnych Zespołów
Folklorystycznych, Rzeszów 2008 (XIV
International Festival of Polish Folk Dance Ensembles, Rzeszow
2008)- July 16 to 24, 2008
Upcoming Fundraisers and Events
August
25-30, 2008
ALL
INTERESTED YOUTH BETWEEN THE AGES OF 12-16 ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND THE
DANCE CAMP. To register, please contact Katarzyna Stevens at:
assistantdirector@polanie.ca
DETAILS OF DANCE CAMP:
Learn Polish dance steps, songs, and principles of folk and national
dance. Elements of rhythm, modern dance, ballet, jazz and
funk, will also be incorporated. Arts and crafts, sports,
fieldtrips, and much more fun awaits! Lunches and snacks will be
provided each day.
Times: 7:30 am - 6:00 pm Mon-Fri
9:00 am - 5:00 pm Sat
Cost: Members: $230.00
Non-Members: $330.00
Location:
Strathcona Community Centre
Program: To be announced (stay tune
for updates on www.polanie.ca)
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
assistantdirector@polanie.ca.
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FEATURE ARTICLE:
What is Polish Dance?
When a Polanie member is asked what
they do with their free time, they usually reply that they partake
in Polish dance. And, in most cases the reaction to this includes a
furrowing of the eyebrows, a look of confusion, and the inevitable
question: so, what is Polish dance?
Polish dance is a rich and very
diverse aspect of Polish culture. For every region of Poland (refer
to map) there are countless Polish dance forms, so unique, that each
region can be considered as having its own distinct culture. This
is extraordinary considering that Poland is only a quarter the size
of the province Alberta. Poland is considered to be divided into
almost 40 of these distinct cultural regions, each one with its own
array of dances, songs, and traditions.
Fundamentally, Polish dance is divided into two main types: regional
dances and national dances. These have also been referred to as
peasant dances and nobility dances. We, however, prefer the former
description. The national dances are most revered and considered as
representative of the entire nation. They include the Mazur and the
Polonaise, which are traditionally danced by the nobility, the
Kujawiak and Oberek originally danced by the peasantry, and finally
the Krakowiak stemming from the region of Krakow, a past capital of
Poland and always a key center of the arts. The regional dances
tend to be more informal and are characteristic of the region that
they come from. For a description of some of these dances and a
visual of the beautiful costumes that are worn, we invite you to
refer to the repertoire link on our website:
REPERTOIRE
read
more
(http://www.polishconsulate.com/images/poland-map.jpg)
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ARTISTIC
NEWS
Krakusy
This winter and
spring has been very productive for Krakusy. They sure are not
inhibited from learning more, even if there are only three boys in
the ensemble! At the beginning of the year Krakusy focused on
perfecting and finishing the choreography for the Krakowiak dance,
entitled 'Znad Wisly, ' meaning that it originates from the banks of
the Vistula River in Poland. At the same time, they began working
on the fundamental steps and songs that make up the Goral (a type of
highlander) dances of Poland. Specifically, these highlander dances
come from the Podhale region, and include dances mostly performed by
males. This is due to the very athletic nature of the dance, which
involve many stunts and the use of the axe as a prop. These dances
are very dynamic, rhythmic, and fast. The girls mostly focused on
learning the Polonaise, which, in contrast to the Highlander dances,
are more graceful and stately. This Polonaise is entitled 'W Starym
Rynku,' meaning 'In the Old Courtyard,' and is meant to portray an
elegant party where the noble ladies have come together to dance in
the courtyard of a majestic castle. The Krakusy dance members have
responded well to the imagery and technique demanded by these
dances. Look for the appearance of these dances on the stage in the
near future.
Polanie
Junior
This spring, Polanie
Jr. has spent
their time learning the steps, songs, and choreography to a new
suite of Cieszyn dances. After having studied these dances at a
choreographer’s course in Lublin, Poland in the summer of 2007,
Patti Czerski began to create this suite of dances for the
intermediate ensemble. Polanie has owned women’s Cieszyn costumes
for many years now, and with the help of the Costume Mistress,
Dorota Wegrzynska, Patti was able to recreate these original folk
costumes into fresher, more colourful and youthful versions for the
young girls. The playful dances incorporate many polkas, mazurkas,
and other dances unique only to the Cieszyn region.
read
more
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WHAT HAVE
WE BEEN UP TO?
January:
The New Year began
with our traditional performance at the Polish Christmas Pageant, or
as it is called in Polish, Jaselka. This event brought all the
ensembles together on the stage, with Polanie performing Kujawiak &
Oberek as well as the ending Polonaise, Polanie Jr. dancing Beskid,
and Krakusy dancing Slask and Krakowiak. This festive production
was a success, with the groups always being an enriching addition.
That same month, Krakusy and Polanie Jr. showcased their repertoire
at the annual Frank's Home Improvements & Renovations Christmas
Party, where they entertained guests throughout the evening.
February:
The month of
February always begins with the annual Calgary Winterfest
performances, where Polanie Jr. and Krakusy join many other cultural
dance groups from Calgary in celebration of winter. Polanie Jr. had
the pleasure of dancing the Lvov Polka, while Krakusy performed
Krakowiak. No matter how cold the weather, the multicultural
dancers always warm things up with their fiery colours and energetic
dancing. This festival is always a winter highlight in our calendar.
March:
Even though the
ensembles had no performances this month, they kept very busy.
Polanie’s focus turned to preparations for their trip to Poland to
participate in the XIV International Festival of Polish Folk Dance
Ensembles in Rzeszow. Polanie Jr. and Krakusy focused on expanding
their repertoire; Polanie Jr. began learning the Cieszyn suite of
dances choreographed by Artistic Director, Patti Czerski, while
Krakusy began a new Goral suite of dances choreographed by Kasia
Stevens. Learning new material requires countless hours of
preparation and rehearsal. Please refer to the Artistic News section
for more information on our progress to date.
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POLANIE TIPS & THOUGHTS
What is your most favourite thing about Polish dance?
What's in a name?
Przysłowia
i Dowcipy Ludowe
Recipes
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
Polanie's e-mail
address:
info@polanie.ca
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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
artisticdirector@polanie.ca
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 and Congratulations to
Karolina Walicka, Polanie's new Development
Coordinator! Karolina has been a dedicated dance member in
Polanie for the last 14 years, and now will assist Polanie in the
capacity of Development Coordinator.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
- We have an immediate opening
for the position of MANAGER (part-time) for Polanie:
§
If you know
any interested candidates, please refer them to Thomas Boguslawski:
Email:
president@polanie.ca, or any Board of Directors member.
§
A detailed
job posting will soon be available on the website at
www.polanie.ca.
§
The ideal
candidate is: a strong leader, organized, independent, fluent in English and
Polish, able to work flexible hours, well-spoken, personable, a
problem solver, and a multi-tasker, as well as tech savvy!
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