Łowiczanie
Polish Folk Ensemble of San Francisco
Łowizanie Polish Folk Dance Ensemble is
the Resident Dance Company of the Polish
Club in San Francisco. Our enthusiastic and
dedicated dancers and musicians present traditional
music, song and dance from Poland. Formed
in 1975, Łowiczanie is one of six founding
members of the Polish Folk Dance Association
of the Americas and a member of the
Folk Dance Federation of California.
Festooned in authentic costumes, the ensemble
brings
to life the traditional folk dances of historic
Poland.
Łowiczanie performs in concert and for special
events -- including festivals, weddings,
and educational lectures/demos -- and for
museums and children's theater. Our repertoire
ranges from traditional Polish pieces of
the nobility to folk dances from the countryside,
performed in
exquisite, colorful, museum-quality costumes.
The ensemble includes a folk kapela (band)
and a children’s dance
group. We perform dances
from Poland's 38 regions and are proud of
our costume collection of over 400
pieces.
Łowiczanie
has appeared
in the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival
and has toured throughout California, Oregon
and
Washington. In addition to performing
in the Western United States (from museum
venues to ethnic
festivals), the ensemble has appeared at
folk festivals throughout this country and
Poland.
Book our dancers or musicians for
a Łowiczanie performance! We can
tailor our program to suit your audience
and special needs, and suggest connections
to caterers and craftspeople who will help
create an exciting and unique event. We
look forward to bringing you a little bit
of traditional Poland.
Staff
Krystyna Chciuk, a native
of Poland, is Founding Director of Łowiczanie
Polish Folk Dance Ensemble, organized in
San Francisco in 1975.
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Mary
Kay Stuvland is Artistic
Director of Łowiczanie. She has traveled
extensively throughout Poland, has studied
with many of its finest choreographers, and
has presented her choreography on stage.
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Susan
Worland is director
of Łowiczanie's kapela (Polish folk band).
Prior to moving to California five years
ago she was kapela director for the Krakowiak
Polish Dancers of Boston and a guest musician
with most of the prominent east coast Polish
dance groups. She also plays classical music
and Scottish folk music, but her greatest
love is for the music of the mountains between
Poland and the Czech and Slovak Republics.
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Piotr Łącki, born in Tarnów
Poland (near Rzeszów) graduated from State
Choreographer’s Academy in Kraków, Poland
and has been Resident Choreographer for Łowiczanie
for three years.
Board of Directors
Jen Bzura, Ensemble Member
Krystyna Chciuk, Founding
Director
Anna Maria Słonina-Oczoś,
Former Artistic Director; Former Ensemble
Member
Krysia Smolen, Ensemble
Member, Secretary
Mary Kay Stuvland, Board
President; Artistic Director; Ensemble Member
Dasha Tymoshenko, Ensemble Member,
Webmaster
Susan Worland, Music Director
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