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Alliance College Alumni Association
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 We
hope you enjoy the memories. You can enhance your
group's memories by sending us pictures, programs, songbooks,
newspaper articles, video tapes, etc. Some will make it
here and others will be part of the Kujawiaki Memory
Book on CD. Send information to: ski2ski2@tampabay.rr.com.
Please also contact me for information regarding
Kujawiaki/Reunion 2005.
Simply click here!
>>> Click here
for the Kujawiaki Members Page! <<< |
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Click photo to enlarge
Kujawiaki Group
Riverside Reunion 2001
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Click photo to enlarge
Kujawiaki Group
Riverside Reunion 2003
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Alliance College
Kujawiaki |
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Directors
1965 - 1972 Jan Sejda
1973 - 1974 Ronald Galasinski
1974 - 1978 Christine Marchewka-Pawlowski
1978 - 1983 Larry Kozlowski
1983 - 1985 Regina Jaworski
1985 - 1988 Larry Kozlowski |
KUJAWIAK
is a
Polish dance from the Kujawy region of Mazovian plains in
central Poland. It is usually danced with dignity and
simplicity, in a smooth flowing manner "reminiscent of the
tall grain stalks in the fields swaying gently in the wind." |
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Welcome! We hope you enjoy
the memories. You can enhance your group's memories by sending
us pictures, programs, songbooks, newspaper articles, video
tapes, etc. Some will make it here and others will
be part of the Kujawiaki Memory Book on CD, which will be made
available later on this summer. Send information to
ski2ski2@tampabay.rr.com . We
will have a hospitality suite at the August Reunion, but
check out all upcoming
Reunions.
Please feel free to e-mail us with suggestions for this site
and tell your friends about this site so that they may enjoy
these memories as well. |
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 KUJAWIAKI
Programs, Performances
& Memories
Under Construction
1960's
1970's
1980's |
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In 1964 several Alliance College students, under the
leadership of a talented and enthusiastic young woman named
Gardenia Wojtuszewska, became interested in forming a Polish
folk dance group. Out of this has developed a troupe with an
outstanding reputation among Polish folk dance groups in the
United States. The man deserving much of the credit for this
fine reputation is the first director of the ensemble, Jan
Sejda. He was chosen in the same year of 1965 to mold
the campus enthusiasts of folk culture as well as a new crop
of freshmen into a group that could eventually present a
unique concert of Polish folklore and act as the emissary of
Alliance College to the public. |
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"Pan
Sejda" fulfilled the requirements needed by the Kujawiaki.
He was already a noted expert on Polish Culture and customs as
well as being one of the original members of the named "Mazowsze".
In Poland he had studied ballet, theater arts and choreography
in addition to traveling throughout the Polish countryside,
obtaining and preserving the regional folk songs and dances of
his native country. |
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In 1973, Mr. Ronald Galasinski succeeded Mr.Sejda.
Mr. Galasinski was once a member of the Duquesne University
Tamburitzans, as well as past director of several other folk
dance groups in the Milwaukee area. Mr. Galasinski added a new
dimension to the Kujawiaki choreography, an "AII American Set"
of old hoe-down music and square dancing. |
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The continuity and tradition represented by the Kujawiaki are
personified in the third and fourth directors, Mrs.
Christine Marchewka-Pawlowski and Mr. Lawrence G.
Kozlowski. One of Mr. Sejda's original student performers,
Mrs.Marchewka-Pawlowski returned as Director in 1974,
following Doctoral studies in Slavic literatures at Indiana
University and a year of theatre study at Southern Illinois
University. She incorporated dramatic elements based on
literary research into the program.
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Mr. Lawrence G. Kozlowski brought pedagogical training,
knowledge of Polish ethnography, and administrative experience
to the Kujawiaki. He further enriched the folkloric base
of Kujawiaki with material researched during his studies in
Poland as well as the Pittsburgh Folk Festival. He also
published books on Polish Pisanki and Wycinanki. |
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Ms. Regina Jaworski, another one of Pan Sejda original
student performers became the Director between 1983 to 1985
while Mr. Kozlowski took a leave of absence. |
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None of this would have been possible without our beloved
Technical Director, Prof. Blair Matejczyk, Professor of
Mathematics and Physics at Alliance College. He brought a
wealth of experience, patience, understanding and a lot of
love to all of the members from the beginning to the very
end. |
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This site is dedicated in memory of
Professor Blair Matejczyk and Pan Jan Sejda.
For comments, inquiries, etc., please
contact
Eva (Rusin) Skibicki at
ski2ski2@tampabay.rr.com
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