National Polish Dances
Polish dance is divided into two categories – the National Dances and the Regional Dances. National Dances are internationally known and danced even by the nobility and royalty. Most of the National Dances originated as Regional Dances and became stylized and balletic by the nobility, who subsequently spread them throughout the country. The Regional Dances remain in styles characteristic to specific regions and are usually danced by the villagers.
There are five National Dances- the Polonez, the Krakowiak, the Mazur, the Kujawiak and the Oberek and seemingly infinite amount of regional dances.
The Polonaise, one of five "National" dances from Poland, is one of Poland's most widely-recognized traditional dance forms. At the height of its popularity in the 3rd quarter of the 19th century, the Polonaise was enormously popular. The elegant polonaise, has other names: chodzony (walking dance), pieszy (pedestrian), traditionally opened up balls and weddings in country villages throughout Poland. The dignity and pride displayed in this "pacer" dance symbolizes Polish core values of trust and devotion in God, Honour and Homeland.
The Hussars Polonaise -choreography was created to the majestic composition of Krzesimir Debski.
Choreography by Majka Kowalczyk.
The Warsaw Polonaise - composed in 1948 by Tadeusz Sygietynski (music) and Jerzy Ficowski (lyrics).
Choreography by Majka Kowalczyk.
The Mazur’s(mazurka) origin is from Kujawy, but got its name from Mazovia the region around Warsaw. Like most nationals dances the mazurka was the music and the dance of peasants under the feudal system who were forced to work on landowners' farms.Later on the most beautiful Polish nationals dance,was embellished into an intricate swift moving elegant dance, cherished by the social elite and eventually became the Polish National Anthem.
Mazur from Polish Opera "Halka"by
Stanislaw Moniuszko
Choreography by Majka Kowalczyk.
Kujawiak and Oberek - two nationals dances combined the slow, romantic, lyrical kujawiak builds into a lively oberek with music full of life and temperament.The kujawiak – the dance of the Kujawy region – was originally danced with a calm dignity and simplicity, in a smooth, flowing manner.The Oberek came from the Mazowsze region of Poland. Its name comes from the Polish verb obracac sie which means to spin. It is the fastest of the Polish Folk Dances. Oberek were very lively and difficult to dance and it’s rhythm mostly remained a polish treasure.
Kujawiak-oberek are performed in unique, handcrafted costumes of the people from the central plain regions of Lowicz-its heartland: Mazowsze. The costumes are one of the most beautiful sets in all of Poland- rich in colorful woven patterns and ornate embroidery.
Choreography by Majka Kowalczyk.
Regional Suites
Polish regional dances are those dances that come from specific regions of the country and dance there most often. There are many folklore regions in Poland. The most important of them are: Mazowsze, Warmia and Mazury, Kurpie, Kaszuby, Kujawy, Podlasie, Łowickie, Opoczyńskie, Lubelskie, Rzeszowskie, Krakowskie, Lubuskie, Wielkopolska, Lower Silesia, Upper Silesia and Cieszyn, Żywieckie, Sądeckie and Podhale. The last four of these regions are the regions of highlander dances, which are very original and dissimilar to the rest of Polish dances. They resemble dances from the Carpathian region (Hungary, Slovakia, Romania) and not from Central Poland. Regional dances are performed in costumes characteristic of the area from which they come. Folk costumes have changed over the centuries and there are always several versions of a given outfit, for example, winter, summer, everyday, festive and solemn, eg wedding. Clothes cuts, ways to decorate them, and above all the materials from which they were sewn, from simple to expensive, eg silks or velvet, changed.
Spisz-
comes from a small region of Poland in the borderland of the Carpathian mountains, just north of Slovakia. The region is an reflection of the historical relations between Poles, Hungarians and Slovaks.
No matter which side of the political boarder, the costumes are similar, the steps the same, the music is shared and the folk scene is alive and well and this is definitely a highlighted dance for Mazovia.
Choreography by Majka Kowalczyk.
Goralski Suit ( Highlander Dance)
From the rugged mountains of Southern Poland come a hard-working people who love to sing, dance and celebrate. The tradition has it that Góral men impress their women with their fancy dancing and complicated footwork.The dance, music and folklore of the Podhale region in the Tatra Mountains in southern Poland is drastically different from the rest of Poland. Podhale is extremely mountainous, the people there have a very different life style from the other regions of Poland, where the land is mostly flat. Also, the mountaineers of Podhale (called Górale, plural of Góral) have been exposed to a different set of cultural influences, the Slovaks and the Magyars are one example of this, but by far the most important influence to reach Podhale from the outside of Poland was during the 15th and 16th centuries when a nomadic people, the Wallachian shepherds, wandered through the Carpathian Mountains. The folklore of Podhale has more similarities to other areas in the Carpathian Mountains outside of Poland than it does to Poland proper. Góralski is the couple dance of the Górale. Partners however do not dance with each other, but around each other, and touch only during, the turning step, the zwyrt. There is also a men’s dance, the Zbójnicki, which originated from the brigands who roamed the Tatra Mountains in the 17th and 18th centuries. There are the only two folk dances that have been preserved until today in Podhale. Many Górale continue to hand-build wood houses in the old style.The men still work the fields and walk the streets in their traditional costume, and at a wedding or christening celebration, or a party, musicians will play Góralski music and people will dance. This dancing is a natural process, something people learned as children through observation and started doing when they became of age.
Choreography by Majka Kowalczyk.
The Old Warsaw dances
The Old Warsaw dances were popular in late 19th and 20th Century. Those dances are the street dances which will take you to the old time Warsaw, where dancing on the street was a popular sight.
Polka Warszawska was performed in the market places and city squares to street bands. This playful dance ,brings life onto the stage reflects the joyful atmosphere of the Saturday dance parties were the young men strive for the attention of the girls.
Choreography by Majka Kowalczyk
Tango Andrusowskie was one of the most popular prewar songs in Poland. It was composed by Jerzy Petersburski the lyrics are quite amusing- written in a street lingo, it describes the pleasures of dancing the "rascals" tango.
Choreography by Majka Kowalczyk
Sztajerek
Choreography by Majka Kowalczyk
Polka z kwiatkiem
Choreography by Majka Kowalczyk
Kurpie
The region of Kurpie in northeastern Poland has only been settled since the 16th century, mostly due to the presence of two vast forests. These two forests were called "Puszczy Zielona" (Green Wilderness) and "Puszczy Biala" (White Wilderness). Although the people of this region were forest dwellers, they developed lively and energetic dances not unlike those found in the mountain regions of southern Poland. The dance presented here comes from the more northerly Puszczy Zielona. This particular choreography shows off the variety of steps found in the region, ranging from slow movements to intricate footwork. The men's costume consists of a plain white linen shirt worn underneath a short red jacket. Underneath are white pants. The men wear black caps).The women wear striped wool skirts, mostly red, and overtop they wear a vest. The white linen blouses have little ornamentation although the women always wear necklaces made from amber. A very ancient element is the black velvet hats decorated with flowers or ribbons
Choreography by Majka Kowalczyk
Occasional Dance
Viennese Waltz -
Waldemar Kazanecki- Night and Days
The most characteristic of this dance are the rapid swirl rotations. It was first executed in 1815, during the Congress of Vienna.
Choreography by Majka Kowalczyk
Dance of Lights is a mysterious show with lanterns depicting a starry night in which all miracles
are fulfilled.
Choreography by Majka Kowalczyk.
Canadian Dances
"Cotton-Eyed Joe"It is traditional country - western polka line dancing song. Popular at various times throughout the United States and Canada. A feisty, irresistible dance tune, dates from before the Civil War, and was firmly established as a fiddle piece by the mid-1800 s. Truthfully nobody knows where Cotton-Eyed Joe came from but it has proven a great communal activity, getting people moving at parties, theme nights and country festivals. With line dance inspiring people of all ages ( and sizes) across the world, there really has never been a better time to enjoy country and western dancing like "Cotton Eye Joy" .
Choreography by Majka Kowalczyk.
La Bastringue ( French Canadian ) One of the few true folk dances, still danced by " folk" in Quebec, Canada as part of a longer dance suite. Some say " la bastringue" means " the hoedown". Some say it means " the honkey- tonk". This style of dance is usually done in informal settings like a barn or a field. at the end of a long work week as the farmers throw down their shovels and hoes ( hence "hoe- down") and dance together in their communities. Celebrating the hard work and good lives they lead.
Choreography by Majka Kowalczyk.
Red River Jig is a traditional and perhaps the most famous of all the Metis song. The origins of the dance lie in the traditional dances of the first Nation, French Scots, and Orcandian peoples from whom the Metis Nation was born. The name refers to the Red River of the North. Some jig steps were derived from the French and Scottish jigs that were common in the 18th century. Still others imitated the dances of wild birds commonly observed on the Prairies. The fiddle is played with a focus on creating danceable rhythms that jiggers can dances to. Often accompanying the fiddle is the jig. Young and old, male and female, perform the jig, often with the younger jiggers performing with incredible speed and stamina. Jigging can be performed solo, in pairs, or in larger group dances, often involving complicated patterns and sequences of movement.
I seems that whenever a song comes on with a good upbeat dance rhythm , jiggers will be on the floor performing their steps.
Choreography by Majka Kowalczyk.
Contemporary dance
Contemporary dance is a genre of dance performance that developed during the mid twentieth century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout the world, with particularly strong popularity in the U.S. and Europe. Although originally informed by and borrowing from classical, modern, and jazz styles, it has since come to incorporate elements from many styles of dance. Due to its technical similarities, it is often perceived to be closely related to modern dance, ballet, and other classical concert dance styles.
Orła cień
Music- 'Orła cień' by Varius Manx
Choreography by Majka Kowalczyk
Dance before Herod scene.
Choreography by Majka Kowalczyk.
