GROUP
Orlęta Dance Ensemble
Orlęta is a Polish Folkloric Dance Group designed for young people aged 3 – 15 years. The name Orlęta translates to mean “young eagles”, the white eagle is the traditional symbol of Poland.
The aim of the group is to introduce youth to the beautiful music, traditions and folklore of Poland. Orlęta promotes, among young Polish New Zealanders, a sense of identity as well as a chance to share their joy of dance and song with the Greater Wellington community. Orlęta’s curriculum is based on both traditional and contemporary themes and the challenge for dance instructors is to come up with new and interesting dances for the participants. Orlȩta leaders certainly do that in a refreshing and dedicated way. The childrens joy of dance is testament to this.
Tuition
Classes are currently held every Sunday during school terms at the Polish House 257 Riddiford Street in Newtown Wellington and every Wednesday during school terms at Moera Community Hall, Lower Hutt.
There are three groups which are taught by dance instructor Jennifer Goodwin in Wellington and the Lower Hutt group is taught by dance instructor Juliet Rombel.
Wellington Classes
(Sundays)
Lower Hutt Classes
(Wednesdays)
Junior 3 – 6yrs
12:15 – 12:45
Junior 3 – 8yrs
4:00pm - 5:00pm
Intermediate 7 – 10yrs
12:45 – 1:45
Seniors 11+ years
2:00 – 4:00
Joining Orlęta
New dancers are always welcome and inquiries can be forwarded to their email address orleta@polishcommunity.org.nz
Fees are $80 per family per term – these fees pay for the rental provision, purchase and upkeep of costumes for the dancers plus any extra costs incurred by their instructor/s.
Orlęta welcomes donations towards their ongoing costs. These can be made to Orleta Polish Dance Ensemble account 38 9009 0802262 00 reference your name and “donation”
Activities
Apart from dance, the children of Orleta participate in many fun activities run by the Polish Association and parent groups. They attend an annual camp at El Rancho, participate in a children's party for “Children's Day”, make and float traditional floral wreaths down stream, learn the traditional Easter crafts, have movie nights, attend annual Christmas parties and have their own stall at the Polish festivals and Christmas markets and many other fun activities. They make lifelong friendships through dance.
Performance
Each year, Orlęta perform at Polish national celebrations for example Polish Constitution Day on 3rd May and Polish Independence Day. They showcase their dances at the Polish Christmas Market, Newtown Festival, Multicultural events and at the annual Polish Festival. They accept invitations to dance and have performed at a number of rest homes especially where there are Polish residents. Orlęta has become well known for its original musical theatre. Every other year they perform a well known story or legend in a professional theatre with all the bells and whistles. The stories are adapted to incorporate their dances. This year they are preparing scenes from Peter Pan (Piotruś Pan). Other shows that have been produced by the group are Cinderella, Wizard of Oz, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel and the Legend of the Krakow dragon.
Over the years, Orlęta has taken part in a number of International Festivals. They have participated in PolArt festivals in Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmania, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane. They have represented New Zealand at the Inaugural Polish Childrens Song and Dance Festival in Sydney 2018 and shared the stage with visiting groups from Poland and Australia. They are looking forward to participating in PolArt 2025 Wellington in the near future.
Governance
Orlęta is a sub group of the Polish Association in NZ Inc. Orlęta is mainly autonomous but is supported and guided by the Polish Association which has Charitable status.
Orlęta is currently co ordinated by Artistic Director of the group Ela Polaczuk Rombel and has its own executive committee plus a group of dedicated parents to steer the group.
History
Orlęta was founded in Lower Hutt NZ in 1994 by Elzbieta Rombel and a group of Polish School parents. The first dance instructor was Barbara Mazur, a New Zealander of Polish Descent. Orlęta has had a number of instructors over the years. They include, Maria Polaczuk, Tereska Lepionka, Helena Zawada, Melanie Fyfe, Adela Jones, Aniela Reid, Jennifer Hanson and Juliet Rombel. Henry Kurylewski from Obertas in Brisbane, has also choreographed dances especially for Orlęta.
Join!
Every Sunday (school terms)
Dom Polski, Newtown
Orlęta performs the Wizard of OZ