The Grand Tour of Poland: A Tapestry of Dance

Step back in time to experience village life of yesteryear with this vibrant tour through various regions of Poland

Proudly part of PolArt Sydney 2022, the largest touring festival of Polish arts outside Poland, back in Sydney for the first time since 2003.

This event will be presented in both English and Polish to ensure language accessibility for all audiences.

Thanks to the research of great Polish folk ethnographers in the 19th century, knowledge about dance, music, attire and tradition has been preserved in perpetuity. Step back in time to experience village life of yesteryear with this vibrant, lively tour through various regions of Poland from the mountains to the sea.

The great Polish ethnographer Oskar Kolberg chronicled song, music, dance, customs and clothing of Polish rural life in the 19th century, notating intricate details and differences between each village and region. Upon his death in 1890 he had collated over 40,000 pages of work, much of which is still being published. His legacy, and that of others, has inspired internationally renowned professional folk dance companies Mazowsze and Slask, and ensured that Poland has a uniquely broad cultural diversity preserved for future generations.

This in turn has inspired ethnic Poles across the world to turn to folk traditions, music and dance as a means to connect with community, and to maintain a passionate, emotional link to the ancestral homeland.

In this concert, audiences will journey across diverse regions of Poland from the mountains to the sea, view authentically hand-embroidered, colourfully woven tapestries in a riot of movement, and listen to songs and music from a bygone age – a true ethnographic experience.