Warsaw Voice - Song and Dance

30 January 2003

It's impossible to find a Pole who hasn't heard of the Mazowsze National Folk Song and Dance Ensemble. The oldest, most colorful professional folk ensemble in Poland, Mazowsze has existed since 1950, its artists performing in 45 countries on six continents to a total audience of 15 million people.

Last October the ensemble embarked on its 199th concert tour, this time around Austria and Germany. Over 2,000 people turned out for the performance at the Great Festival Theater in Salzburg and enthusiastically applauded Stanisław Jopek singing Wien, Wien. The reaction in Duggendorff and Oberhausen was similar-full concert halls, large groups of Polish community members moved to tears, many encores and the repeated question: "When are you coming back?"

Folklore came first

This has gone on for several decades now. The ensemble has performed in the most far-away and exotic countries, including Mongolia, Australia, Mexico, Argentina, Egypt, Jordan, Japan and Syria as well as in Norway, Portugal, Romania, France, Belgium and Russia.

"At the beginning there was just folklore, beautiful songs and dances, colorful costumes," says Mazowsze director Włodzimierz Sandecki. "Then came enchantment with this passing world and the all-out commitment of Tadeusz Sygietyński to preserve it." Over the years Sygietyński and his wife-actress Mira Zimińska-Sygietyńska-would visit Polish villages, put song lyrics down, look for the most talented young people and develop the repertoire. From the very start the ensemble was based at Karolin palace, far from the noise and turmoil of the city. This is where for over 50 years arduous rehearsals have been held every day. Music and singing can be heard until the early hours. Visiting a small museum of the Polish costume housed in the palace has always been a great attraction for tourists. Souvenirs from the most distant corners of the world along with gifts from monarchs and Mazowsze ensemble fans are kept in a separate room. Nearby is the building where a number of Mazowsze artists live.

Tonnes of costumes

"Originally, the ensemble drew inspiration from the folklore of central Poland, the music which inspired Chopin," says deputy director Janusz Chojecki. These days Mazowsze's repertoire embraces folk songs and dances from the whole of Poland-presently from 39 ethnographic regions. The artists also sing songs from 140 countries in their original language. There is no other country where folk costumes are as varied as in Poland, where it used to happen that even two neighboring villages competed with each other in terms of costumes and embroidery. "We present the richness of colors which characterize folk costumes from Łowicz, Kurpie, Opoczno and mountainous regions," say Mazowsze dressers. When touring the world, the ensemble takes with them nearly 4 tonnes of stage clothes. "One set of Łowicz folk costume weighs 14 kilograms," says Sandecki. Young artists have to wear these heavy clothes and still dance lightly.

The right presentation of costumes and the whole musical side of Mazowsze is owed to Zimińska-Sygietyńska, who died five years ago. Shortly after her husband's death in 1955, she became the director of the ensemble and reigned until the end of her days. She was extremely demanding and hard-working. It was no coincidence she was nicknamed the "Lady ruling Mazovia."

The ensemble has been lucky with the people that work with it. The remarkable choreographer Witold Zapała and excellent soloist Stanisław Jopek train artists at rehearsals held every day. Students of Professor Sygietyński, including Krzysztof Mierzejewski and Jan Grabia, work with the Mazowsze artists.

A small state

"Recently we lifted the ensemble up a bit-30 people are under 25 and twice as many under 30," says Sandecki. Joining Mazowsze means fulfilling the whole range of conditions. Selections are organized every year. "A candidate has to be skilled at dancing, singing and acting," says Jopek. "What matters is their charisma." An ideal candidate is 18-25 years old. Other important factors include good health, stage image and high resistance to stress. Sandecki is determined that candidates should have at least a secondary education too. The troupe includes several foreign artists, such as a half-Polish, half-Japanese teenager. There is also a Brazilian, a Ukrainian and an Italian.

But Mazowsze consists not only of the ensemble and the directors, but also ballet masters, a choir and orchestra, teachers, accompanists, technical staff, costumists, administration, a legal adviser and a doctor. "A great number of people work for the self-sufficiency of the ensemble," explains Sandecki. He stresses he does not want to change the overall image of Mazowsze. "With a firm hand, I continue the work started by Sygietyński," says Sandecki. "But I'm sure you have to introduce some changes if you wish to develop.

Recently we enriched our concerts with elements of theater. We immediately noticed a better reaction from the audience." Over the next five years the repertoire will be enlarged with new regional songs and dances, for example from the area of Siedlce in Mazovia province. "We intend to prepare two new dances a year," says Sandecki. At present a new program of Przeworsk folk dances, with perfectly sewn costumes of village gentry, is being worked on.
Sandecki would like to see as many guests and tourists as Karolin palace can hold. His dream is to organize folklore workshops and accommodation as well as present Polish folklore to a larger group of foreign guests.

The next concert of Mazowsze will take place at Wielki Theater-National Opera, Feb. 25 and 26 at 7 p.m.

Karolin Palace and Park Historic Complex-Otrębusy, Brwinów commune, tel. (+48-22) 758-50-01, fax (+48-22) 758-57-90; www.mazowsze.bmb.pl
Institutions, event organizers and individuals wishing to invite Mazowsze for concerts can reach the ensemble through Krzysztof Kurlej-tel. (+48-22) 758-50-01, (+48-600) 20-00-31 or Barbara Pieczyńska, tel. (+48-22) 758-50-01.