When the world of younger people races breathlessly and spins like a hamster wheel, losing track of thoughts and days, seniors can get off that speeding train—to waste time, look for good stars, and love life for as long as possible, because it still has much to offer them. Life is meant to be lived: dancing oriental dances, singing in a choir, painting a picture, weaving batik threads into colourful landscapes. Active retirees showed all this today.
In the Market Square, associations and non-governmental organisations affiliated with the Bolesławiec Council for Senior Citizens at the Office of the Mayor of Bolesławiec promoted themselves at stalls: the Polish Allotment Garden Association, the “Carpe Diem” Teachers’ Club Social Association, the Day Care Centre, the Association of People with Disabilities, the University of the Third Age, and the Association of Reemigrants from Bosnia, Their Descendants and Friends.
Amateur artistic groups that regularly dance and sing at BOK-MCC performed on stage: the “Bolesławiec” Song and Dance Ensemble, whose instructor is Agnieszka Podłaszczyk; students of Barbara Lendzian’s vocal studio; the Break-Dance studio, whose students are taught by Paweł Klimek; and children and young people from the Canon and Canonki modern dance studio, working under the guidance of Katarzyna Tomczyk-Jakubowska and Krystyna Abramowicz. Vocalists from Agata Pińczuk-Burdzy’s Song Studio and dancers from Halina Bałacka-Kłak’s Contemporary Dance studio also performed.
The stage, however, belonged largely to Bolesławiec’s seniors. The head of the University of the Third Age presented the attractive classes and activities available to retirees.
“I invite active people to join our University,” said Wiesława Olczyk. “With us, you can take part in many interesting and exceptional lectures, learn foreign languages, attend computer classes, practise yoga, dance eastern dances, and attend aerobics at the Orka swimming pool. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the city institutions for their help and support. We are assisted by the City Office, the directors of BOK-MCC, the Museum of Ceramics, the Municipal Public Library and MOSiR,” Wiesława Olczyk thanked them.
Among those performing for the audience were the Oriental Dance Ensemble and the University of the Third Age choir, conducted by Dorota Straburzyńska. The choir performed eight pieces, including “Polskie kwiaty” and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” in an arrangement by Dorota Straburzyńska. This year, the UTW choir won the Grand Prix at the Lower Silesian Review of Seniors’ Artistic Work in Lubań.
Bolesławiec residents can still attend a concert today at the Basilica of the Virgin Mary on Kościelna Street, performed by the Puhački Orkestar Brass Band DVD Valpovo from Croatia. The 2015 Days of Bolesławiec will conclude with a concert by the undisputed star of the Polish music scene, Blue Café.