dancing pics

Irish dance

Agata Kowalczyk (Irish dance)

The instructor and choreographer of the Irish and Scottish dance school ISTA. For many years she has danced with folk dance teams. In 1997 she was given a Dance Instructor`s Diploma (specialization: folk dance) by the Ministry of Education. She worked out various techniques of dance: folk, classical, Irish. From 2004 she works for the Irish and Scottish Dance School ISTA as an instructor and co-choreographer of the Dance Group ISTA.

broadway jazz

Wurtz Jones Michelle (broadway jazz)


Michelle Jones Wurtz holds a BFA in Dance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Her own instructors included Judith Jamison, now the Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Alexi Yudenich , a Silver Medallist at International Ballet Competition; (second only to Mikhail Baryshnikov); Barbara Sandanato, a scholarship recipient at the School of American Ballet; (home school to the New York City Ballet), Patricia Thomas of the Alvin Ailey Company and Martha Graham School in New York, Milton Myers, head of the Modern Dance Department at the famous Jacob's Pillow Program in Massachusetts, and Peter Bertini of the Garth Fagan Dance Company, to name a few. She has danced professionally with Group Motion, Freedom Theatre, Footfalls Modern Dance Company, and currently with Contempra Dance Theatre where she serves as the Assistant Artistic Director as well as Rehearsal Director. She has also performed with the world famous Liz Lerman Dance Exchange; the company that has been on the cutting edge of dance as a form of expression and art. Michelle received one of only eight grants in the entire Delaware Valley from the Philadelphia Dance Alliance to study choreography from New York's most renowned Composition Instructor, Martha Myers. She has also choreographed for the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, the Independent Choreographers Exchange, and received both "Critic`s Choice" and "Best Bet" reviews from Philadelphia dance critics; and she herself is a member of the National Dance Critic`s Association. Ms. Wurtz also is the owner of the Pottstown Dance Theater performing arts school. Some of Ms. Wurtz` students are now full company members in Alvin Ailey, Momix, Dance Theater of Harlem, and Atlanta Ballet. Michelle is planning on attending Graduate School this fall, and is a certified Pilates instructor on every piece of Pilates equipment. Ms. Wurtz has been assisting Gail Vartanian for the past 6 years choreographing and directing the Contempra Dance Theatre.

modern dance

Beata Wrzosek (classic dance, modern dance)

A graduate of Ballet School in Łódź. From 1968 to 1988 was engaged to ballet team of the Grand Theatre in Łódź. Since 1988 she has been a soloist of Polish Dance Theatre and since 1995 - first soloist of the Grand Theatre in Poznań. She is an esteemed choreographer and pedagogue of the Poznań Ballet School. In 1990 she received Young Creators Prize of Poznań and in 1991 she got Leon Wójcikowski`s medal for the most talented young dancer. Her chorographical works were presented during contests in Vienna, Varna, London etc. She won the 1st prize at the Young Choreographers` Debuts Contest in Gdańsk. She danced in: Adam - "Giselle", Theodorakis - "Grek Zorba", Miasin - "Trójkątny kapelusz", Wycichowska - "Faust", "Symfonia koncertująca", Wołk - Karaczewski - "Msza koronacyjna", Veredon - "Sługa dwóch panów", Gołaska - "Shomon", "Legende of Hell", "Vivre", Wesołowski - "Harnasie", Fokin - "Sylfidy", Cullberg - "Romeo and Julliet", Czajkowski - "The Nutcracker". She created choreography to: Halévy - "The Jew", Dębski - "Piaskowy zegar", Penderecki - Violin Concerto, Sybelius - III Symfonia, Mahler - Adegietto.

salsa again

Iza and Jose Torres (salsa)


Musicians, organizers "Carnaval de Salsa". Jose is a virtuoso of percussion instruments; he comes from Kuba, but lives in Poland. He founded the first Salsa Orchestra in Poland. He has been performing in Poland for over 20 years, co-operating with polish well-known artists: Maryla Rodowicz, Kayah, Ewa Bem, Urszula, Maanam, Ryszard Rynkowski, Stanisław Soyka, Grzegorz Ciechowski, Raz Dwa Trzy and many more. He gave concerts and recorded with best polish jazz musicians: Tomasz Stańko, Wojciech Karolak, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Jarosław Śmietana, Leszek Możdżer. He performed on over 40 recordings, including original soundtracks to films "Blood and wine" (with Jack Nicholson), "Bandit", "Father`s right", etc. For over 10 years has been occupying the first place on the Musician-of-the-Year Top list (category: percussion instruments) in Poland`s most popular jazz magazine "Jazz Forum". He was an artistic manager of TV show "Exotic Summer with the Trio" (September 99) and well-known talk show "Evening with Jagielski". Performed during TV programs such as "Evening with Alice" and "Evening with a vampire".

contemporary dance

Edilson Ribeiro de la Lima (Latino Funky, Samba, Bossa Nova, Contemporary Dance and Yoga)

He was born in Curitiba in Parana, Brazil. He studied rehabilitation at the Krakow Academy of Physical Education. He is a professional instructor of aerobics as well as choreotherapist and fitness instructor. For 5 years he has been a member of the Contemporary Dance Scene group and for 3 years has been dancing in "Krasz" team, taking part in different media events. He works as a dancer and choreographer for the TV program "Droga do gwiazd". He took part in conferences Fitness Dance Nike Body Form in Warsaw and other cities. He leads courses of Latino Funky, Samba, Bossa Nova, Contemporary Dance and Yoga. Latino Funky is a technique that gives possibility to find the rhythm, "the fire", necessary for Latino dancing. It is about elaborating not only ease, but also fluency and softness of movements.

Argentino tango

Pola Policzkiewicz - Woźniak (Argentine tango)

She has been dancing since she was six. She started with classic dance, and then moved on to stage dance, flamenco, ballroom and folk dance. From 1998 she practices Argentine tango. After completing tango courses in London and Paris, together with David Mason (Denmark) she the founded and led the tango evenings project in Warsaw. She was one of the first people in Poland to dance tango, as well as one of founders of the Argentine Tango Academy in 1999 year. She taught tango in Dance and Acting Studio at Warsaw Ballet School, the "Oko" Center of Culture and many others. In 2000 she worked as a co-choreographer for the performance "Tango with lady M." by Polish Dance Theatre. She learnt to dance tango in Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Padwa and Warsaw. In 2003, during her journey to Buenos Aires, she got the specialization at women technique (Aurora Lubiz, Claude Murga, Zoraida Fontclara, Jorgelina Guzzi) as well as tango milonguero. Her teachers were: Nestor Rey, Mabel Rivero, Claudio Omar, Veronica Maria, Emiliano Gimenez, Debra Ferrari, Margarita Klurfan, Marcelo Alvarez, Osvaldo Zotto, Loreny Ermoncidy, Armanda Orzuzy, Danieli Arcuri, Ernesto Balmacedy, Jorge Firpo and oters. From spring of 2000 she is a partner of Jan Woźniak. Together they took part in Star Festival in Międzyzdroje. She danced with teams such as: Trio Revirado, Media Luna, Tangata Quintet, Machina del Tango, Libertrio, Pantango, Tangonave, quartet D`Coté from Argentina. She led courses and workshops in Kraków, Łódź, Gdańsk, Wrocław, Lądek Zdrój and in Śląsk. She was invited as a guest to many cultural programs on radio and television. She published several articles concerning tango. She leads evenings of tango, workshops and courses covering all levels of advance, takes part in various dance performances, organizes concerts, events and workshops with foreign teachers in order to promote Argentine tango. She is a postgraduate student in the Center of Latin-American Studies in Warsaw. From 2002 to 2004 she occupied a post of president of the Argentina Tango Academy, being at board of association from the very beginning.