Kujawiaki

In 1964 several Alliance College students, under the leadership of a talented and enthusiastic young woman named Gardenia Wojtuszewska, became interested in forming a Polish folk dance group. Out of this has developed a troupe with an outstanding reputation among Polish folk dance groups in the United States. The man deserving much of the credit for this fine reputation is the first director of the ensemble, Jan Sejda.  He was chosen in the same year of 1965 to mold the campus enthusiasts of folk culture as well as a new crop of freshmen into a group that could eventually present a unique concert of Polish folklore and act as the emissary of Alliance College to the public.

“Pan Sejda” fulfilled the requirements needed by the Kujawiaki. He was already a noted expert on Polish Culture and customs as well as being one of the original members of the named “Mazowsze”. In Poland he had studied ballet, theater arts and choreography in addition to traveling throughout the Polish countryside, obtaining and preserving the regional folk songs and dances of his native country.

In 1973, Mr. Ronald Galasinski succeeded Mr.Sejda.  Mr. Galasinski was once a member of the Duquesne University Tamburitzans, as well as past director of several other folk dance groups in the Milwaukee area. Mr. Galasinski added a new dimension to the Kujawiaki choreography, an “AII American Set” of old hoe-down music and square dancing.

The continuity and tradition represented by the Kujawiaki are personified in the third and fourth directors, Mrs. Christine Marchewka-Pawlowskiand Mr. Lawrence G. Kozlowski. One of Mr. Sejda’s original student performers, Mrs.Marchewka-Pawlowski returned as Director in 1974, following Doctoral studies in Slavic literatures at Indiana University and a year of theatre study at Southern Illinois University. She incorporated dramatic elements based on literary research into the program.

Mr. Lawrence G. Kozlowski brought pedagogical training, knowledge of Polish ethnography, and administrative experience to the Kujawiaki.  He further enriched the folkloric base of Kujawiaki with material researched during his studies in Poland as well as the Pittsburgh Folk Festival.  He also published books on Polish Pisanki and Wycinanki.

Ms. Regina Jaworski, another one of Pan Sejda original student performers became the Director between 1983 to 1984 while Mr. Kozlowski took a leave of absence.

None of this would have been possible without our beloved Technical Director, Prof. Blair Matejczyk, Professor of Mathematics and Physics at Alliance College. He brought a wealth of experience, patience, understanding and a lot of love to all of the members from the beginning to the very end.