Polish folk dancing spotlights University ensemble

A rainbow of fabric and light peeks under the curtain. The drums, accordion and flute signal the entrance of the dancers. In a flash, the curtain rises and standing there are more than 25 couples clad in 35-pound, hand-embroidered costumes.

The Magnificent Mazowsze, the State Folk Song and Dance Ensemble of Poland, offered State College a taste of Polish peasant life when it took the stage in Eisenhower Auditorium last night.

Years of practice, dedication and self-discipline all add up to the resplendency which allows Poland's international folk-dancing troupe to earn the name magnificent. Although Mazowsze's stay in State College was only for a single night, folk dancing has found a home at the University through the Penn State International Dance Ensemble.

"I expect to see a performance where you see the pride and emotions of the people," Taylor said. "It's not like American dance. It's about preserving the folklore. It's much more emotionally powerful."

Both ensembles showcase a more hidden avenue of dance. Although many people may equate folk dancing with teachers easing boys and girls into coed gym class with the forever-dreaded square dancing, the genre has a devoted following -- especially worldwide.

The international focus was the impetus for Joe Jeffcoat, director of the Center for the Performing Arts, to bring Mazowsze here.

"I brought them here because they are well known," Jeffcoat said. "We are looking for dance companies from around the world."

Brygida Linartas, deputy general director of Mazowsze, said through a translator that she feels folk dancing has a unique appeal to college students.

"This kind of art is accessible for any nationality," Linartas said. "You don't need words to follow it on stage."

Urszula Kulakowski, graphic design supervisor of the College of Arts and Architecture and a Poland native, said she feels Mazowsze represents a good introduction to Polish culture.

"This is extremely important for Polish people to keep the tradition alive," Kulakowski said. She also feels Mazowsze's inception during the rise of communism helped keep the Polish tradition strong.

It is a tradition that Elizabeth Hanley, associate professor of kinesiology, keeps alive. After attending a folk-dancing workshop in 1978, she said she knew it was her mission to bring the art to the University.

"I was stimulated because of the tradition, culture, geography, history, music and dancing -- everything that's involved with international," Hanley said. "I thought, 'What a world we live in'!"

The combination of dedication and enthusiasm are what helped nudge students to join the group. Hanley started the troupe in 1978 with only a dozen students pulled from her ballroom and figure skating classes. This year Hanley had to draw the line at 35.

Hanley, perfecting her craft every summer during her visits to the International Olympic Academy in Greece, is so respected in her field that she was invited to Greece to teach Greeks how to do the dances of their own country.

PSIDE member Paras Ghodsi (sophomore-computer science) said she understood why the ensemble is so spectacular. After seeing the ensemble perform last year, she said she had to audition.

"I saw the International Festival last year, and when I found out there was no background needed, I tried out," she said.

Ghodsi has a theory why international dance may not enjoy the popularity other types of dance have.

"I guess people aren't interested in international dance -- I don't know why," Ghodsi said. "When I go to festivals (at the University), there are a lot of international students there."

In the U.S., the association of folk dancing with square dancing and hillbilly clogging belies the respect the art form has worldwide. But the attitude internationally is different.

"Every kid in Poland belongs to some type of folk-dancing group," Kulakowski said. "It's part of a broad education."

Despite the fact that every child knows how to folk dance, the process dancers go through to get into a troupe like Mazowsze is as rigorous as any other professional dance company.

The majority of the dancers have graduated from ballet school, Kulakowski said, adding, "It's choreographed by professionals and staged like a play. That's why it has a higher artistic quality."

Hanley said she was also thrilled about having a professional ensemble perform at the University.

"Mazowsze is one of the best companies I've ever seen," Hanley said.

Jeffcoat agrees. He knows that Mazowsze's performance last night was a rare treat for State College.

"Mazowsze is a different kind of dance," Jeffcoat said. "Mazowsze goes beyond dance."

Like Mazowsze, the PSIDE takes dance to another level. Equipped with colorful costumes and music, the ensemble has represented the University in places as remote as Slovakia.

While traveling teaches Hanley many kinds of dances, she said she concedes that she doesn't have a firm grip on dances of all types.

"I can't be an expert in everything," she said.

And Hanley doesn't expect her students to be either.

A little bit of talent goes a long way. Prospective ensemble members undergo a six-week audition process ending with the hopeful dancer performing three dances.

"We need to know dedication and talent," Hanley said. "But dedication is foremost."

That inkling of the poise and grace which can blossom is what Hanley said she needs to figure out.

"I can manufacture a great deal of talent from just a little bit," she said.

Another plus about international dance comes from the hidden aspects within the art form.

"You can never get bored of it," Hanley said. "There's always something to learn. You never stop learning about politics, culture and history."

An ongoing desire to learn is what has kept Beth Egan, a University instructor of dietetics and former student, an active PSIDE member since 1978. Interested because of her background in ballet and ballroom dance, Egan said the camaraderie between the dancers was another benefit.

"There was definitely a social part to it," Hanley said. "It's one more opportunity for people who can't be on the football team."