A Moss Side-based dance group which schools children as young as three in Polish folk traditions is appealing for more boys to sign up, highlighting that there is nothing "girly" about Polish dance.
Thanks to the dedicated team of volunteers at Mlody Polonez, Polish heritage children in Manchester can grow up immersed in their colourful culture, despite living over 1,000 miles away from their homeland.
Around 30 children from all over Greater Manchester are regular attenders, though the vast majority are girls.
"Many boys are initially shy about dancing," says Dorota Witkowska-Dziuma, one of the volunteers.
"Most of our girls rarely have the opportunity to dance with a male dance partner because there are currently very few boys in the group," she said.
The group is turning 10 this year and to celebrate, they will perform at a major open air festival in Manchester.
"I hope boys in the audience realise what fun Polish dance is and that it is definitely not just for girls," she said.
"For instance, highlander dancers perform with a ciupagi, which is a kind of axe and Kashubian dances include fishing scenes."
Children meet each Wednesday evening at the Polish church on Lloyd Street North to learn traditional singing and dancing and cultural traditions such as Dożynki (harvest festival) and Noc Kupały or summer solstice.
Mlody Polonez, which means young polonez, is run by Dorota and two other volunteers, Magdalena Bartusiak and Asia Gwiazdowska-Cullinan. The group takes its name from one of Poland's national dances and the three women take the role of safeguarding their culture for future generations very seriously.
The children come together every week to learn and perform Polish national dances, including their namesake polonez, the mazur and the oberek as well as regional dances from the south easterly Lublin, south westerly Silesia and the northern Kurpie regions.
"Polish folklore is incredibly rich, colourful and diverse," said Dorota, "and every region has its own costumes, music, choreography, props and traditions."
Dorota says that what makes Polish folk dance special is its "energy, colour and storytelling".
"The dances are lively, joyful and theatrical," she said. "There are humorous scenes, romantic moments, playful arguments between dancers, acting elements and traditional props used on stage."
All the children who currently attend have Polish roots or come from mixed heritage families, though sessions are open to everyone who is interested to learn about Polish culture and dance.
The group grew out of adult dance group Polonez, which has now been running in Manchester for 77 years and is one of the oldest Eastern European folk dance groups in the UK.
In 1953, Polonez performed at a series of events to mark the Queen's coronation, including at the Free Trade Hall and in Alexander Park in Whalley Range. In the same decade, the group appeared at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Mlody Polonez was set up in 2016 to prepare the next generation of dancers who may one day join the adult group.
The two groups are closely connected and most of the dancers in the "young" group have parents who are also folk dancers. They often perform together and can next be seen at Góbéfest in Manchester's Cathedral Gardens on Sunday 21 June. Tickets are pay as you feel.
Performing alongside other dance groups from all over eastern and central Europe, as well as Stretford-based street dancers Energy Dance and dance fitness outfit Bhangracise, Mlody Polonez will take to the stage at 1pm, having earlier run a free Polish dance workshop in teh activities tent (11am-12pm)
Dorota said: "We work very hard as volunteers to keep this group going, teaching choreography, organising performances, running workshops, making and altering costumes, and working behind the scenes to ensure that Polish traditions and folklore continue to be passed on to the next generation.
"We very much hope to encourage more boys to sign up, so our traditions are not just shared down the female line."
Mlody Polonez meets on Wednesdays at 5.45pm at Polish RC Church of Divine Mercy, on Lloyd Street North in Moss Side. They can be contacted on 0790 720 3367.
On Sunday 21 June, Mlody Polonez and Polonez are performing on the main stage at 1pm at Góbéfest in Cathedral Gardens. You can find out more about the festival at www.gobefest.com
