National Folk Song and Dance Ensemble Mazowsze https://www.mazowsze.waw.pl/en/news/368,The-Second-Family-Picnic-with-Mazowsze.html 2021-10-10, 14:56 The Second Family Picnic with Mazowsze Several artistic events and thousands of guests Last Saturday and Sunday, several thousand people visited the home of Mazowsze in Otrębusy. There were the ensemble’s fans, but also people who came to see and listen to the artists for the first time. The two days were filled with music, song, and dance. There were also attractions prepared especially for children. The Family Picnic had gained a permanent place in the ensemble’s event calendar. In the Karolin Park, on the area of 30 acres (12 hectares), there were several stages where Mazowsze presented performances of various kinds. These were not only typical folk concerts, but also pop and chamber music, classical and film music. During the concert “Mazowsze Symphonically,” the listeners could enjoy the music from the Star Wars movie series or from the musical Rocky Broadway. The audience listened to, and saw a presentation of the famous tango Por una cabeza, featured in such film productions as The Scent of a Woman and Schindler’s List. There was also Masquerade Waltz, featured in the ballroom scene of War and Peace. The dances were presented by the ballet artists Kamila Borowska, Milena Burchardt, Dorota Rak, Marcos de Lima, Mateusz Ludwikowski, and Adam Czechlewski. It was an exceptional concert conducted by Jacek Boniecki and Andrzej Borzym Jr. The picnic was also the time to show presentations prepared during the “Dancing with Mazowsze” workshops. The ballet dancers took part in this concert, too. We could admire Kamila Borowska and Marcos de Lima in the classic duet Spring Waters. The first day of the picnic finished with an evening concert “Mazowsze patriotically,” during which the ensemble presented material from their latest CD, and the ballet artists danced the Kontuszowy Polonaise, Ułański Mazur, and walked off the stage dancing Wojciech Kilar’s polonaise. They walked down to the audience, presenting a rare opportunity to admire the choreography up close. On Sunday the ensemble, conducted by Jacek Boniecki, presented their usual folk repertoire. On both picnic days, there were dance workshops, too. On Saturday, Monika Tymińska and Rafał Sawko taught national dances, and on Sunday, a group of ballet dancers gave a show “Bachaty Sensual” prepared by Marcos de Lima, who then invited several audience members on stage to teach them. Apart from the events on center stage, the audience could also take part in events taking place on smaller stages. On Sunday afternoon, soloists Agata Barwinek-Bembinow, Alicja Borkowska, Piotr Borek, and Filip Micek, together with the choir and intrumentalists, presented the concert “Żyj kolorowo [Live Colorfully]”. The artists, conducted by Mirosław Ziomek, performed the well- known and loved songs, such as Czerwone korale [Red Beads], Kawiarenki [Little Cafes], Dwudziestolatki [Twenty-Year-Olds], Moje serce to jest muzyk [My Heart Is a Musician], or the concert title song Żyj kolorowo [Live Colorfully]. All the songs were musically arranged by Andrzej Borzym Jr. After the concert the viewers could watch a flamenco presentation by Mazowsze’s ballet dancer Magdalena Jankowska. Over the two picnic days, there were two quartets who played chamber and film music – the string quartet Atutti, and the trombone quartet Quatro di Tromboni. The last event of the picnic was the evening concert “Mazowsze for the Finale,” which attracted crowds of the fans. The viewers could see several new choreographic routines, prepared by the ballet director, Wioletta Milczuk, for example Piotr Tchaikovsky’s Polonaise from the opera Eugene Onegin, and Johann Strauss Jr.’s Armen-Ball- Polka. Apart from several of the unusual Mazowsze concerts, the picnic guest could enjoy other events and attractions. There was a specially designed Kids’ Zone, with inflated castles and slides. Unmissable face painting, soap bubbles, and balloon twisting attracted a lot of attention. Art workshops and playtime sports activities were just some of the many surprises that awaited out youngest guests. One of the biggest attractions was the group of circus artists Mosaic. They presented their unusual skills during shows, and then held circus workshops to teach juggling, plate spinning, diabolo skills, or riding a unicycle. In between the activities and workshops, the children could watch an educational play: The Vistula Mermaid. Adults listened to Big Band Błonie or the Stasiek Wielanek Warsaw Band. There was also the Brass Band of the Nadarzyn Volunteer Fire Brigade, and the folk song and dance ensemble Mali Karniewiacy. Everyone could visit the fair of regional goods and artistic crafts, taste traditional dishes, or just enjoy delicious meals from food trucks. Mazowsze wishes to thank everyone for the time spent together, and to invite you to the next event of this kind. See you next year! Photos by Katarzyna Pasieczna and Jan Drzewiecki Fot. Katarzyna Robaczewska, Jan Drzewiecki Previous Next.