Hanna Zawadzka-Korpolewska is a choreographer and educator, former dancer at the Baltic Opera and Philharmonic in Gdańsk, soloist at the Grand Theater in Warsaw and the Navy Stage Ensemble in Gdynia.
She was born on November 20, 1933. A student at the City Ballet School in Warsaw and the High School of Choreography in Gdańsk, she debuted on the stage of the Baltic Opera and Philharmonic in Gdańsk in 1946, where she danced until 1961. In 1958, she also worked as a soloist of the Navy Stage Ensemble in Gdynia. From 1961 to 1971, she was a soloist at the Opera and Grand Theater in Warsaw. Between 1974 and 1976, she also served as an assistant director at the Targówek Theater in Warsaw.
Her major roles include performances as the Bride in The Wedding in Ojców (Opera Studio at the Gdańsk Philharmonic; 1952; chor. Janina Jarzynówna-Sobczak), the Tsarevna in The Firebird (Baltic Opera and Philharmonic; 1957; chor. Zbigniew Korycki), the title role and the role of the Stepmother in Cinderella (Baltic Opera and Philharmonic; 1959; chor. Janina Jarzynówna-Sobczak), Młoda in Harnasie (Baltic Opera and Philharmonic; 1960; chor. Janina Jarzynówna-Sobczak), Odile in Swan Lake (Baltic Opera and Philharmonic; 1961; chor. Lev Ivanov, Vladimir Burmeister) Mercedes in Don Quixote (Warsaw Grand Theater; 1967; chor. Alyaksey Chichinadze).
Zawadzka-Korpolewska’s performance as Cinderella went down in history as unforgettable, with Tacjanna Wysocka praising her rendition of the Stepmother “an original, interesting Macocha [that] we have not yet seen. Zawadzka was able to depart from the banal grotesque, creating a type of lady that was distinguished, haughty, and at the same time mischievous and deeply comic.”
Zawadzka-Korpolewska also created other roles in h productions as Eugene Onegin (P. Tchaikovsky; 1959; Opera Studio at the Baltic Philharmonic), The Haunted Manor (S. Moniuszko; 1950; Opera Studio at the Baltic Philharmonic), The Bartered Bride (B. Smetana; 1950; Opera Studio at the Baltic Philharmonic), Peter and the Wolf (S. Prokofiev; 1952; Opera Studio at the Gdańsk Philharmonic), The Seasons (A. Glazunov; 1952; Opera Studio at the Gdańsk Philharmonic), Cherevichki (P. Tchaikovsky; 1952; Opera Studio at the Gdańsk Philharmonic); The Marriage of Figaro (W. A. Mozart; 1952; Opera Studio at the Gdańsk Philharmonic); The Young Guard (J. Mejtus; 1953; Baltic Opera and Philharmonic), Master Twardowski (L. Różycki; 1954; Baltic Opera and Philharmonic), Faust (C. Gounod; 1956; Baltic Opera and Philharmonic), Krakatuk (T. Szeligowski; 1956; Baltic Opera and Philharmonic), Carmen (G. Bizet; 1957; Warsaw Opera), Daphnis and Chloe (M. Ravel; 1958; Baltic Opera and Philharmonic), The Miraculous Mandarin (B. Bartók; 1960; Baltic Opera and Philharmonic), Aida (G. Verdi; 1960; Baltic Opera and Philharmonic); Little Suite (W. Lutosławski; 1961; Baltic Opera and Philharmonic), Świtezianka (E. Morawski; 1962; Grand Theater in Warsaw), Wierchy (A. Malawski; 1962; Grand Theater in Warsaw), The Enchanted Inn (A. Szałowski; 1962; Grand Theater in Warsaw), The Naked Prince (R. Twardowski; 1964; Grand Theater in Warsaw), The Haunted Manor (S. Moniuszko; 1965; Grand Theater in Warsaw), Halka (S. Moniuszko; 1965; Grand Theater in Warsaw), Master Twardowski (L. Różycki; 1965; Grand Theater in Warsaw), Stravinsky’s Night (I. Stravinsky; 1965; Grand Theater in Warsaw), Swan Lake (P. Tchaikovsky; 1966; Grand Theater in Warsaw), Faust (C. Gounod; 1966; Grand Theater in Warsaw); Don Quixote (L. Minkus; 1967; Grand Theater in Warsaw); Voci (A. Bloch; 1967; Grand Theater in Warsaw); The Bartered Bride (B. Smetana; 1968; Grand Theater in Warsaw); Giselle (A. Adam; 1968; Grand Theater in Warsaw).
In 1955, Zawadzka-Korpolewska won second prize in the Classical and Characteristic Dance Competition in Warsaw, while in 1959 she was awarded the Prize of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Georgian SSR on the occasion of the Days of Polish Culture. In 2008, she received the silver medal “Meritorious to Culture Gloria Artis.” On the occasion of the 31st International Dance Day in 2013, she was presented the Special Award of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.
Bibliography
- Irena Turska, Almanach baletu polskiego 1945-1974, Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, Kraków 1983, p. 187.
2. Entry “Hanna Zawadzka-Korpolewska” [in:] Encyklopedia teatru polskiego https://encyklopediateatru.pl/osoby/5348/hanna-zawadzka-korpolewska, [accessed November 16, 2023]
3. Tacjanna Wysocka, Dzieje baletu, Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, Warszawa 1970, pp. 477-478.
4. Entry “Teatr na Targówku” [in:] Encyklopedia teatru polskiego, https://encyklopediateatru.pl/teatry-i-zespoly/1307/teatr-na-targowku[accessed November 16, 2023]
5. Barbara Kanold, Gdańsk. Gloria Artis dla primabaleriny Alicji Boniuszko, “Gazeta Wyborcza Trójmiasto”, on-line, April 29, 2009, [quoted in:] Encyklopedia teatru polskiego https://encyklopediateatru.pl/artykuly/71932/gdansk-gloria-artis-dla-primabaleriny-alicji-boniuszko [accessed November 16, 2023]
5. Entry “Hanna Zawadzka” [in:] Archives of the Grand Theater – Polish National Opera in Warsaw https://archiwum.teatrwielki.pl/baza/-/o/zawadzka-hanna/191621/20181 [accessed November 16, 2023]
Photo:
Hanna Zawadzka (dancer). Portrait photograph. National Digital Archive. Ensemble: photographic archive of Edward Hartwig. Call no.: 42-L-553-2
