On Saturday, January 18th, 2020 Wesoły Lud Polish Folk Dance Company of P.R.C.U.A. celebrated its 43rd Anniversary and milestone anniversaries of the following dancers: Camilla Steczek and Sylvia Kupiec (10 years); Ania Cieplucha, Carolina Kukulski, Weronika Niedzielski, Alexander Labudzki (5 years). A big thank you to former dancers Robert Kroplewski and Kacper Szumiec for assisting in making Camilla and Sylvia’s special anniversaries more special as well as Kuba Stypula and Mitch Gajda for the extra effort in adding to Carolina and Weronika’s solos. Ania and Alex joined their talents for their Mazur solo. The artistic genius of Richard Jaminski, Artistic Director and Choreographer, assisted by Michael Dziadkowiec prepared a wonderful program which was further adorned by group performances by both representations. Emcees of the evening included Ania Kraszewski-Winkler and Joanna Niedzielski the latter who also organized the sweet table with the delicacies provided by parents. The 50+ member group presented dances from Rzeszow, Lubusk, Gorny Slask and the infamous Killer Bee Polka in addition to the Kujawiak, Warszawska, Mazur, Jive and Oberek solos. The anniversary celebration was a part of the 2020 Wesoły Lud Masquerade Ball that took place at the Camelot Banquets in Hickory Hills, IL. The event gathered over 400 guests. Thank you for a wonderful evening!

You are cordially invited to the 2020 PRCUA Wesoły Lud Winter Masquerade Ball! The event will be held on January 18, 2020, at the Camelot Banquets, 8624 W. 95th St. in Hickory Hills, IL.  Entrance at 7:00 pm, dinner at 7:30 pm. For additional information, please contact Camilla Steczek at 708-698-7474 or csteczek@gmail.com.

The mission of the Wesoły Lud Polish Folk Dance Company, Inc. is to perpetuate, educate and validate the importance of the beautiful folk dance and song culture of Poland to present and future generations.

On the 200^th anniversary of his birth, we celebrate the “Year of Stanisław Moniuszko,” the renowned Polish 19^th century Romantic era composer known as the father of Polish opera.

This year’s PRCUA Christmas card depicts Ubiel Manor in modern-day Belorus, the Moniuszko family home where Stanisław was born, the theme of October’s PRCUA Polish American Heritage Month coloring contest.

The winning contest entries can be viewed on PRCUA.org.

Original card artwork was created by Chicago artist Patrycja Stępniak, owner of “PatriciaArtStudio.”

The PRCUA Fraternal Department received almost 300 entries for its 2019 Polish American Heritage Month Coloring Contest. This was a record number of entries submitted for the contest, which was open to all members from ages 3 to 18 years. Entries were divided into five age categories. Three winners in six age categories were selected by PRCUA Home Office employees on Tuesday, November 19.The year 2019 has been declared the “Year of Moniuszko,” celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Stanisław Moniuszko and the 2019 contest pictures commemorated this special occasion. The winners of the 2019 coloring contest are:

The Polish Roman Catholic Union of America cordially invites you, your family and friends to attend its annual “Opłatek”, hosted this year by PRCUA District 7.

The event will take place on December 7, 2019 at 7 pm in the Great Hall of the Polish Museum of America ( 984 N.Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL).

Join us for the Wigilia style dinner, Christmas caroling, meeting with Santa and more!

Donation: Adults $35, Children 12 and under $17.50. Cash Bar.

For reservations or more information please contact District 7 Directors: Ewa Cholewiński (224.622.1517) or Anna Krysiński ( 847.529.2555) or email: prcuadistrict7@gmail.com.

For more information please contact Adult Culture Group of PRCUA on Facebook, adultculturagroup@gmail.com or Mr. Edward Muszalski at 708.937.3812

Congratulations to the Southwest Center of Polish Song and Dance on its 34th Annual Recital!

On Sunday, April 28, dancers from all age groups presented their talents on stage at Mother McAuley High School in Chicago. Wesoły Lud Polish Folk Dance Company performed as a special guest of the Center. In this long-standing tradition, young artists celebrated the end of the school year with this special performance, which gives them an opportunity to showcase their choreographic achievements and our beautiful Polish folklore. The audience greatly enjoyed and cheered on Mały Ludek, Wesoły Ludek, Ludziki, Krasnoludki, Młody Ludek, Wesoły Lud I and II. The program included dances and folk songs from Lublin, Nowy Sącz, Śląsk, Kaszuby, Górny Sląsk, Kurpie, Beskid, Kraków, Stara Warszawa as well as a performance of the American-style Polka. The big finale was the song “Niech Żyją Wakacje” (“Long Live Vacation!”) performed by all of the groups. During the recital, the Center also acknowledged its 5 and 10- year members.

Special thanks to: Anna Kraszewski-Winkler – Manager and School Director; Richard Jaminski – Artistic Director and Choreographer; all the dance instructors: Richard Jaminski, Michael Dziadkowiec, Danielle Kroplewski, Rene Kroplewski, Sylvia Kupiec and Camilla Steczek; and their assistants: Weronika Niedzielski, Kacper Kaczmarczyk and Ania Cieplucha.

Dancing in the Southwest Center of Polish Song and Dance is one of the many membership benefits offered by PRCUA. Call us to become a member and to request information about signing up to any of our dance groups.

Members of PRCUA Districts #7, #8 and #9 and their guests celebrated the annual PRCUA Święconka. The event took place on Sunday, March 31^st at the at Candle Light Banquets in Chicago Ridge, IL.

This year’s event was hosted by District #8. Guests were welcomed by District 8 Directors Elizabeth Dynowski and Mirek Cislo. The delicious Easter lunch included the traditional polish soup, “Żurek.” After the meal, Vice President Micheline Jamiński invited everyone to participate in a right-left game. As Mrs. Jaminski read the the Easter-themed text, everyone played the game by passing colored surprise eggs from left to right or right to left. At the end of the game, whoever was in possession of the egg with the Wesołego Alleluja greeting won the Polish basket full of Easter chocolates.

A delicious meal, friendly atmosphere and great companionship made this year’s Święconka a very relaxing and fun celebration of the Easter season and long-awaited spring. The 2019 Święconka was attended by PRCUA President James Robaczewski with his family, Vice President Micheline Jaminski and her husband, Richard, Secretary-Treasurer Agnieszka Bastrzyk with her family, National Directors Anna Krysinski and Joanna Ewa Cholewinski (D-7), Krystyna Lech and James Rustic  (past Directors of D-8), Elizabeth Sadus (D-9), guests from from the Polish Falcons of America, 2019 Cinderella Runner – up Katarzyna Burdzy and 2019 Prince Charming Aleksander Sacinski, members of the Adult Culture Group, Sales Director Robert Fattore, Marketing Director Elżbieta Sawczuk and Naród Polski Executive Editor Lidia Kowalewicz. Special thanks to the PRCUA Wesoły Lud and its artistic director, Richard Jaminski, for a great folk dance performance during the event. For more pictures from the event please visit PRCUA Photo Gallery.

On Saturday, February 23^rd, attendees joined together in Troy, Michigan, for the 2019 PRCUA Shirley Ann Galanty Michigan State Ball, which honors the graduates of PRCUA Polish dance schools based in Michigan. This year saw the celebration of twelve talented young people: Alexis Assenmacher, Kennedy Babicz, Faith Brandt, Maximilian Chabowski, Benjamin Czarnota, Michael Federico, Grace Gutierrez, Brendan Lubiarz, Tapanga Makowski, Alexandria Middleton, Zachary Palencik, and Katie Sigler. One of the highlights of the evening was the drawing of winners for the State Ball Scholarship, which was presented to Kennedy Babicz, Grace Gutierrez, Brendan Lubiarz, Alexandria Middleton, and Tapanga Makowski.

The Ball was attended by PRCUA National President James Robaczewski, National Vice President Micheline Jaminski, and National Secretary-Treasurer Agnieszka Bastrzyk. Many thanks to the organizers for a beautiful evening and congratulations to all of the graduates!