Mazowsze: A Jubilee

'When years go by and we're not here anymore, some part of us will stay here in this rush, something will stay, something will not be gone...'

A Warsaw Day (lyrics: Stanisław Ryszard Dobrowolski, music: Tadeusz Sygietyński)

The Mazowsze Folk Song and Dance Ensemble is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the ensemble's first concert. The anniversary performance is an homage paid to Mazowsze's founders – Mira Zimińska-Sygietyńska and Tadeusz Sygietyński, but also to all the artists who have their place in the ensemble's history. The Jubilee Concert contains over two hours of music, singing, and dancing, which allows it to present the richness of Polish stylized folklore. It also includes the most interesting choreographic routines from the ensemble's repertoire, which were prepared by Elwira Kamińska, Eugeniusz Papliński, and the famous Mazowsze choreographer Witold Zapała. During the evening, the artists will present everything that the ensemble is famous for – the perfected dance suites interlaced with the characteristic sound of the Mazowsze choir and orchestra. The vigorous, dynamic dance routines, with a spectacular finale, are the essence of the Mazowsze style. There will also be folk songs, which are exceptionally important in Mazowsze's repertoire. This is how Suzanne Arlet, who wrote about Sygietyński, recalls the ensemble's beginnings: 'I saw how he raised his magic wand, and suddenly the woods, meadows, and lakes were dancing. They danced, flickering, from dawn till evening, and the rainbow shine accompanied the countryside music.' The ensenble has its own characteristic, authentic style, which has been Mazowsze's hallmark for seventy years. However, both the sound of the growing orchestra and the song interpreations constantly evolve. Today, Mazowsze consists of 160 artists who, keeping true to the past, create fully professional renditions of musical pieces, both in terms of music and dance. Maestro Jacek Boniecki along with the ensemble, have repeatedly proven that through many ways of communicating with the audience, such as song and dance for instance, it is possible to create a surprising, multi-layered performance.