Polish dances are performed at Tucson Meet Yourself by the Lajkonik Polish Dancers.
Away from the cities and villages of Poland, even away from major American centers of Polish immigration such as Chicago, New Jersey and Detroit, down in the hot, beautiful desert city of Tucson, Arizona, thrives a small Polish community. There is no Polish neighborhood in Tucson; rather, the community is brought together through a shared language, religion and culture. A Catholic mass in Polish monthly and a folk dance group that emphasizes teaching Polish language and culture to its children really help to bind the community.
Folk music and dance, and the traditions that go with them, have always been a vital part of Polish life. In 1998 Joanna Schmit, along with a few other women in the Polish community, created the folk dance troupe, Lajkonik. Joanna, who was a member of the children’s dance troupe, Gaweda, while growing up in Warsaw, wanted a way to share with her children as well as with others the language and traditions of her Polish heritage. So this core group of mothers, in association with St Cyril of Alexandria parish, put together the dance group, Lajkonik, whose mission is to teach and share the cultural richness of Poland. Through weekly meetings at St. Cyril parish Polish language, history, culture and dance are taught to the Polish community’s children, and through public performances throughout the year the beauty of Polish dance and culture is brought to the people of Tucson.
The group, which is made up of a number of families from the community, consists of both children and parent dancers. |
