The National Institute of Music and Dance has lanuched the second edition of The Roots of Dance/Korzenie Tańca – a project in which students from arts schools in the United States, India, China, and Malaysia learn the fundamentals of music and dance from Polandʼs lowlands and highlands. The project takes place online and will result in short choreographies created by the participants, which will premiere online in January 2021.
The Roots of Dance/Korzenie tańca aims at popularising Polish traditional culture throughout the world and incorporating its elements in contemporary art. As part of the project, participants from ASK Dance Company w Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Queensborough Community College and Kofago Dance Ensemble in New York (USA), Sapphire Creations Dance Company and Sapphire Dance Academy in Kolkata (India), Zhejiang Conservatory of Music in Hangzhou (China) took part in the lectures on traditional music and dance from central Poland – given by Janusz Prusinowski. During these lectures the participants also got acquainted with traditional instruments, songs and rhythmic structures characteristic for this region of Poland.
Bartłomiej Mieszczakʼs workshop presented the culture and history of the highlanders of Żywiec Beskid Mountains. After that, in the choreography workshop by Jacek Łumiński, the project participants will create short choreographies inspired by Polish traditional music and dance, trying to find common elements, references and inspirations between Polish culture and their own.
The results of the project will be presented in January 2021 online in the form of choreographic etudes created by the participants, which will be published on the projectʼs website and on the Instituteʼs social media.
The initiator of the project is Aleksandra Dziurosz, PhD, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Music and Dance.
Project pedagogues
Jacek Łumiński – Head of Dance Faculty at the Music Academy in Katowice, choreographer and dance teacher
Bartłomiej Mieszczak – Polish highlander, expert in music, song and dance of the Żywiec Beskid Mountains
Janusz Prusinowski – expert in traditional Polish music and dance
Ewa Koźlakiewicz – dancer, dance partner
Contact person
Agata Szymczak (agata.szymczak@nimit.pl)
Organisers
The National Institute of Music and Dance
Funded by the Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sport
Partners
Queensborough Community College (New York, USA)
Kofago Dance Ensemble (New York, USA)
Sapphire Creations Dance Company (Kolkata, India)
Sapphire Dance Academy (Kolkata, India)
Zhejiang Conservatory of Music (Hangzhou, China)
ASK Dance Company (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
The Faculty of Dance of the Karol Szymanowski Music Academy in Katowice (Poland)
