BOK-MCC studios are special places where workshop participants discover their passions, learn and have fun. Children, young people and adults express here their need to explore and consciously process reality and their own selves.
Residents of Bolesławiec try their hand at various fields of art at BOK-MCC. In the first series devoted to workshops at BOK-MCC, we present two large dance studios (one of the oldest folk ensembles in Bolesławiec County and the Canon Hip-Hop Dance Ensemble) as well as aerobics for young children and their carers.
Bolesławiec Song and Dance Ensemble
The ZPiT “Bolesławiec” group is led by Agnieszka Podłaszczyk, a dance instructor with several years of experience. “Folk dance has been my passion and way of life for many years, which is why leading the Ensemble is pure pleasure for me,” says the head of ZPiT.
By dancing in the “Bolesławiec” Song and Dance Ensemble, one becomes part of one of the oldest folk ensembles operating in Bolesławiec County. Under the guidance of an instructor and choreographer, children and young people learn folk dances, while specially prepared costumes attract the audience’s attention. The ensemble performs with its own band.
The instructor conducts the classes so that they take the form of folklore lessons in a universal form, understandable and close to every generation. Participating in the classes is a unique opportunity to develop passions and interests, as well as to travel and perform on various stages, including abroad. It is a recipe for spending free time in an interesting way, for unforgettable experiences and memories, and for learning about the culture of one’s own country and other nations.
ZPiT Bolesławiec performs during the city’s most important celebrations, including the Ceramics Festival and the South Slavic Culture Festival. At the most recent Balkan celebration in Bolesławiec, the audience applauded the Ensemble for a long time after it performed two folk dances from Croatia in new Croatian folk costumes. Guests invited to the festival were delighted by the young dancers: Koviljka Špirić, ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Ivan Del Vechio, ambassador of the Republic of Croatia; Radojko Bogojević, ambassador of the Republic of Serbia; and Natalia Szczucka, director of the Regional Representation of the European Commission in Wrocław, which provided financial support for the Festival.
Canon and Canonki
Everyone passionate about hip-hop dances at the dance studio during classes of the Hip-Hop Dance Ensemble. Dancers from the Canon group or its younger formation, Canonki, represent Bolesławiec in Poland and abroad.
Since 2003, the ensembles have been led by instructor Katarzyna Tomczyk-Jakubowska, who graduated in care pedagogy with physical education. Dancing children and young people can be seen on stage during City Days, the Cultural Passage, the Star of Kindness event and the Bolesławiec Ceramics Festival.
The group has achieved many successes at numerous festivals and reviews. In 2012, BOK-MCC dance ensembles took second and third place at the “I Can Dance” Lower Silesian Dance Festival in Wrocław. Two soloists, Daria and Dagmara Szuk, reached the top step of the podium.
The girls competed against dancers from Wrocław dance schools, representing a very high level. Canonki performed in three categories—solo, duet and formation—and in several styles: modern dance, hip-hop, disco, contemporary dance, jazz, funky and freestyle.
In 2013, the Canon Ensemble took second place in the Street Dance Show category (ages 12–15) at the “Battle of Dance” competition. Dancers from Dzierżoniów, Bolesławiec, Jelenia Góra, Wałbrzych, Kobierzyce and Wrocław took part in the event.
The ensemble performed with: Daria Szuk, Dagmara Szuk, Aleksandra Niezgoda, Oliwia Cieślak, Kaja Chimniak, Paulina Dobiech and Amelia Woch. The youngest Canonki also took part in the competition. The competition was judged by a professional panel consisting of Maciek Florek, dancer, choreographer and winner of the first Polish edition of “You Can Dance – Just Dance!”, Paweł Kokowski “Buli”, artist and choreographer, and Anna “Youya” Jujka, choreographer, teacher and dancer.
Aerobics for the youngest
Aerobics classes with elements of rhythmics take place twice a week in the BOK-MCC dance hall. The classes are led by dance instructor Agnieszka Podłaszczyk and are intended for children aged four.
Aerobics for toddlers is one of the best ways to teach children that movement can be fun. It is very important for children to learn a healthy lifestyle from an early age and become accustomed to physical activity. Children who exercise regularly perform better at school, are more resistant to stress and also develop coordination, posture and endurance.
“We begin the classes with a short warm-up, followed by rhythmic exercises presented as an attractive form of play,” says Podłaszczyk. “The session ends with breathing and relaxation exercises that help children calm down. It is worth coming to the workshops with your child, because they are an interesting combination of exercise and play,” the instructor encourages.
(commissioned information)