DANCE AND THE KASHUB CULTURE

The tradition of Kashubian Dance was not preserved in Canada; instead our ancestors quickly adapted to traditional Canadian dances which were mostly from the Irish Culture.
Reviving Kashubian Dance in Canada was realized in 2008 in time for the 150th Anniversary Celebrations in August.

On August 2 & 3, 2008, Marta Janczarski [second from right in photo below], choreographed  and directed her dance group Polanie from Ottawa in performing a Kashubian Dance Medley for  the 150th Anniversary.  Shown below, Marta with Adam and Joanna Pachulski on left, and Mathew Sasseville on right.

Love of dance is very much a part of our cultural heritage, even though the traditional dances were lost in Canada. The pioneer Kashubs in Canada quickly adapted to Canadian dances such as square dancing, waltzing, step dancing etc. At the 150th Celebration on August 2, 2008, Sarah Chippior demonstrated step-dancing in Canada's Ottawa Valley style, accompanied by accomplished fiddler, Lyndon Coulas.  Both these talented young people are descendants of Canada's Kashubian pioneers and through them and a growing number of others, the WilnoHeritage Society hopes that the culture will continue to be preserved and celebrated for generations to come.

We were very pleased to have our Wilno Heritage summer students, Mary Bloskie and Sarah Chippior,  along with the local talented Platt brothers join the Polanie Dance Group to do a present day dance of celebration.

Kashubian costumes were needed to perform a Kashubian Dance number. These came from the museum collection, generously supplemented by gifts of two complete sets of costumes, male and female, from the Ms. Miroslawa Lehman and Mr. Jerzy Poblocki, Mayor and Vice Mayor of the town of Kartuzy, Poland, and from Mr. Franciszek Kwidzinski, Dance Director and founder of the Kartuzy Dance Group.  

Presentation of two complete sets of Kashubian Costumes to the Wilno Heritage Society as Anniversary gifts on August 2, 2008.
From left: Thad Kay [on microphone, does translation. Thad had also given the Society a complete Kashubian male costume several years before] with 150th Anniversary gift givers: Franciszek Kwidzinski, Jerzy Poblocki and Miroslawa Lehman, and Wilno Heritage Society Directors holding costumes: Larry Serran, Teenie Mask, Ed Chippior and Ursula Jeffrey.

Then in St. Mary's Church hall, Wilno, on August 3, 2008, the eight young people performed a short Kashubian dance number all wearing Kashubian costumes from the museum collection, generously supplemented by the gifts of two complete sets of costumes, male and female received the day before.

Photo compliments of G. Pachulski

To Learn more about Kashubian Dance,
visit  www.syrenadancers.com/kaszuby.html .

For more information on the Wilno Heritage Society e-mail:
heritage@wilno.org