page_title: Staś Kmieć
section_title: Polish culture and dance
hierarchical_section_title: Staś Kmieć / Polish culture and dance
caption_attribution_description: English: The Oberek from Lowicz - The Lublin Polish Song and Dance Ensemble, choreography by Staś Kmieć - Mr. Kmiec's ensemble: author Stas' Kmiec'
context_page_description: Staś Kmieć is an award-winning theater and dance choreographer, specializing in a variety of styles of dance: theatre dance, character/folk, period/historical, social/ballroom, ballet, and concert dance.
  American-born of Polish descent, he is considered the foremost U.S. authority on Polish folk dance and culture, having been published in numerous articles and in Polish Folk Dances and Songs – A Step-by-Step Guide - considered the encyclopedia of Polish dance in the English language. Kmieć is the PBS resident Polish Culture expert and has offered commentary on several programs nationwide and on New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania affiliate stations.
  As a dancer and choreographer, he has worked in many forms of dance - from classical ballet to folk, and from tap dance to musical theater.
context_section_description: Staś Kmieć is one of the authors of the definitive encyclopedia on Polish Dance in the English language, Polish Folk Dances and Songs (Hippocrene Books, 1997), and has appeared on television as PBS's resident Polish culture expert. He has been the culture editor for the now defunct Polish American Magazine, and since 1987 is the culture editor of The Polish American Journal.  He is an Arts columnist for The Post Eagle.
  It was his choreographic work and field research in Communist Poland, which has led to stage productions of Polish culture and dance.  He specializes in the folk culture of southeastern Poland’s Lublin region, and the folklore of its Jewish Shtetl villages.
  In 1989, Kmieć was honored by the Ministry of Culture with Poland’s culture honor – The Oskar Kolberg Award for his propagation and promotion of Polish culture abroad.
  In 1977, when in his teens, he founded The Lublin Polish Song and Dance Ensemble (Zespół Pieśni i Tańca – LUBLINIACY). This was the first ensemble outside of Poland to present the songs and dances of the obscure Lublin sub-regions of Chełm (1982) and Biłgoraj (1985) and Powiśle (1986). He brought his company to Poland to tour  in 1986.  The Polish press remarked that “This is the only Polonia ensemble that evokes true Polish style and character in their performance presentation.”
  Incorporating over 250 performers (dancers, singers, and orchestra) in an outdoor extravaganza, Staś was the director of the 1995 and 1999 Dożynki Harvest Festival held in Orange County, NY.
  Kmieć has created work for other Polish American groups including: The Alliance College Kujawiaki, Chicago’s Lira Ensemble, P.K.M. Polish Folk Dancers (Philadelphia), Syrena Folk Dance Ensemble (Milwaukee), and the Mandala Folk Dance Ensemble of Cambridge, MA. He was also instrumental in the pre-production work of Lira’s Zapraszamy tour project.
  Kmieć is the American cultural representative for Poland’s Mazowsze (folk group) Polish Song and Dance Company, having appeared on PBS as the "PBS' resident expert and cultural ambassador".
caption: The Oberek from Łowicz, choreography by Staś Kmieć
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