I'm sorry if this is posted in the wrong forum...

I'm going to be in Poland for the entirity of Summer 2004! I am traveling with a Polish friend and we'll be staying at her grandmother's house in Warsaw.

Apparently there is a National Opera Ballet that performs in the city, and I am very interested in seeing them. But I have yet to find any information on the ballet there, whatsoever.

Has anyone heard of them? What sort of reputation do they have? Do they perform in Warsaw during the summer?

:shrug:
Thanks!

No, you were right the first time; this IS the very place for this kind of post. My distinct impression over years of ballet news-viewing is that on the first of June everything dancing in Poland takes a distinct lean in the direction of Gdansk. By August, anything happening in dance is down by the boats! Everybody heads either toward the sea or the mountains, and most of the dance news seems to come from the seaside in the summer. My great-grandfather was no dancer and he liked the mountains!

Thanks for the information, Major Mel.

That sounds nice! We weren't planning on staying in Warsaw the whole time, so I'll see what can be done.

THe dance place to be in Poland at the end of June is at the Silesian Dance Festival in Bytom (down near Krakow) -- I've been there a couple of times, the place is crawling with dancers taking classes of all kinds (ballet, release, "Afrikanski," Cunningham; American show dancing -- I learned a dance from "Hair") performances every night by comapnies from THe USA, Russia, Switzerland, England, and of course Eastern EUrope -- mostly contemporary dance, but some ballet, and some extras in hte middle of the dayperformances

Bytom is not a major city, but it has a very dynamic modern dance company headed by Jacek Luminski, who's one of the most remarkable dancers I've ever seen -- he's stopped performing, but he teaches -- his class is mobbed -- he's so lifted, it's like a cobra standing on its tail --

Hi, I am of Polish origin and have visited a few times during summer - Unfortunately I have noticed in the past that a lot of national companies like operas and theatres close for the summer season which is silly but oh well. There are a LOT of cultural festivals and music festivals and such - there is usually one Jewish one in Krakow worth seeing but you'll probably have to wait until you get there and look it up at an information ofiice.
Good luck and enjoy.
Magda

Cześć.

The Silesian Dance Festival sounds amazing. Do you have to register and buy tickets in advance, or is it okay to just head down?

I was finally able to locate the website of the Opera Ballet. It's a shame they don't perform much in the summer, but I guess it also works similarly all over the world.

Music-wise, I know there will be a lot to experience. My friend and I are both great fans of Chopin.

Thank you, Magda and Paul.

Yes, in Poland summer season is often called a 'dead season'. Almost all theatres are closed. But summer is - as you said - also a time for festivals. As far as dance is concerned, in August there are organised Contemporary Dance Workshops by Polish Dance Thatre - Poznań Ballet in Poznań.



Cześć



About Silesian Dance Theatrer - as I know thery organise worhshops every month, and they cost 120 zł/person, if you are in a group of 5 people, you pay 80 zł/person. I don't know the prices for workshop during the summer festival.