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About Us Oberek was formed in 1993 to bring to Swindon and the surrounding area, an exciting aspect of polish culture. We dance for fun and fitness (which some of our older members need more than the rest) and would welcome any new members whatever age, culture or ability - you will receive a warm welcome. If you're interested in joining, please contact us one via one of the methods mentioned here. We meet every Tuesday night from 8:00 to 10:00 at the Polish Club in Swindon, under the watchful eye of our choreographer and artistic director, Mrs. Krysia Sas. Our dances are from varying regions of Poland (our costumes can be seen here) and we dance at different venues around Swindon or further afield. Our dancers are all enthusiastic adults, some born in Poland, some second and now some third generation of Polish descent. When possible, members make their own costumes, though some items, the boots for example, are imported from Poland: An amateur group like ours is actually very representative of what folk dancing is all about. Members come from all walks of life, but meet together because of a shared enthusiasm for dancing and we aim to share our enjoyment with our audience. The interest in singing developed as a natural consequence, because many of the dance tunes have accompanying texts and so the songs have become an integral part of the dance. Our
commitment to representing each region as authentically as possible has
many important implications: research, visiting specialists in dance and
music, workshops on specific regions, costumes, and not least the regular
rehearsals. It usually takes about a year to put a programme together. The Team Krysia
Sas
Lublin A
programme from the region around the town of Lublin in the east of Poland.
The costumes are very bright and cheerful. The girls' costumes present
a rainbow of coloured ribbons on the skirts, aprons and bodices, and a
flowery head-dress worn characteristically on the back of the head. The
men's costumes by contrast are less flamboyant but with a dashing belt
worn on the over shirt. The dances are crisp, full of verve and vitality.
They are choreographed for the stage but we have tried to recreate the
atmosphere of spontaneity, the dialogue, teasing and gentle flirting between
young men and women as they meet in the village square to enjoy themselves. Kaszuby Kaszuby,
in the north, on the Baltic coast, which is more or less on the same parallel
as Newcastle. The climate of the region is harsher, the living harder,
the songs and dances more gentle and lyrical. Wielkopolska The region of Wielkopolska, roughly the west of central Poland. The region was on several occasions invaded and occupied by Prussia. Repeatedly the German language was made compulsory in schools and administration, and the population had to fight hard to preserve its identity and traditions. The costumes, though they may appear simple, are quite a challenge in their detail. Sky blue brocade for the body trimmed with kilometres of hand pleated ribbon, the lace head dress and handkerchief, not to mention the red petticoat under the white skirt. The men's pleated coats over the red waist-coats are more flamboyant and the whip, characteristically carried by the man, were specially ordered in Poland. Cieszyn Cieszyn is situated in Upper Silesia, on the south west border of Poland. The local natural resources made it one of the richest regions and this is reflected in the costumes. The region offers a rich variety of dances with changing tempos: simple walking dances with graceful bowing, lively mazurkas and polkas, dances performed by trios, but always tempered by the natural gentleness traditionally characteristic of the people of this region. Krakowiak The
Krakowiak is possibly the best known Polish national dance and is considered
to be the most representative of Polish character. Krakow wschodni Means Eastern Krakow. Obviously people living in and around Krakow enjoyed dances other than the Krakowiak. From gentle walking dances to fast polkas and oberek, the region has a style of its own. The dances provide a surprising contrast to the famous national Krakowiak. As with all folklore, Polish folklore has been passed down from generation to generation. It has always been nurtured, cherished and protected as something very precious. Poland as a country has no natural geographical defences to the west or to the east. Its history has been very turbulent with several invasions and occupations by neighbouring countries, which attempted to impose a foreign language and culture. When one's national identity is threatened it tends to arouse patriotic fervour. Great Britain, being an island, has not suffered anything similar since the Norman invasion in 1066. However, recently, the issues of a European Community and a European Currency have raised some anxiety about British national identity. Within Great Britain, perhaps it is the perceived need to preserve national identity that partially explains why Wales, Scotland and Ireland still have their national costumes and dancing. Poland
has a very rich heritage of songs and dances. Initially these would have
been very localised, specific perhaps to only one village, but would eventually
naturally spread and be adopted by neighbouring towns and villages. Hence
the concept of regional dances. The terrain, the climate, the availability
of local materials and instruments, economic factors and the temperament
of the people all contribute to the characteristics of each region and
account for the wonderful variety of songs, dances, music and costumes.
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