Donna Kalinowska-Werter

Donna Kalinowska-Werter has been the Artistic Director/Choreographer of the WAWEL (pronounced Vavel) POLISH FOLK DANCERS, INC. for the past 20 years. She became interested in Polish folk dancing and it's ethnographic diversities, after having been a serious student of classical ballet, with the ballet master Andre Eglevsky, for more than eight years.

While on scholarship from the Kosciuszko Foundation in 1982, Donna studied both the language and culture of the Polish people. During that time, she also auditioned for and became a member of "Zespol Piesn i Tanca Slowianki" which is a folk dance troop based in the city of Krakow, under the direction of Henry Duda.

She then continued her studies in Polish folk dance and ethnography by attending the Lublin course for directors of Polonian folk ensembles. There her studies consisted of individual classes of Poland's various regions, their folk history, dance, song, dialects and costumes. Donna graduated from this course "z wyroznieniem" a distinction of high honors.

Aside from a formal course of study, she has also conducted independent research projects in the cities of Zakopane, Pulawy, Slask and in various villages surrounding Nowy Targ and Nowy Sacz, during the subsequent years following graduation.

In 1998, under the auspices of the Rzeszowski Oddzial Stowarzyszenia "Wspolnota Polska"; Donna returned to Poland not only to refresh her knowledge of Polish dance and song, but also to continue her study.

As a guest choreographer for the "Vistula Polish Dancers" in San Francisco, California, Donna Kalinowska-Werter has choreographed several national and regional suites as well as vocal arrangements for the group. In 1993, she was invited to and lectured at the University of Hawaii, College of Social Sciences, on the subject of Poland's cultural diversity and how it is demonstrated in their regional costume. She has also written several articles on the same subject, as well as having worked extensively with children's groups.

In 2001, Donna composed, choreographed and taught a suite of songs from the regions of Zywiec and SLASK to "Dolina" a well established and respected Polish Folk dance and song troupe from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Not limiting her efforts to the Polish community alone, Donna, in conjunction with long time "Wawel" members, Basi Ferrara and Diane Mazurkiewicz-Sudol was invited to and conducted a workshop in 1996 on Polish regional dance for the New York State Association for health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Inc.

Her work with the "WAWEL Polish Folk Dancers, Inc." has included repertoire development, dancer training, costume purchase and authentic replication, musical and vocal arrangement, as well as choreographing and managing the group’s affairs. Under her direction, the group presented suites of dances and song from eight Polish regions as well as performing all of its national dances. The “WAWEL Polish Folk Dancer’s, Inc.” has been charter members of the “Polish Folk Dance association of the Americas” since its inception. Donna has also served on this organization’s Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Polish Organization “Polskie Towarzystwo Etnochoroelogiczne” located in Warsaw. Most recently Donna was honored in December of 1998 with a Commendation from the New York City Comptrollers office.

The “WAWEL Polish Folk Dancer’s, Inc.” have performed mainly in New York, New Jersey and Long Island, as well as such cities outside of the New York metropolitan area as Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Minneapolis and Waikiki.

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