Zygmunt Dąbrowski – born 27 November 1896 in Pruszków near Warsaw, died 20 March 1973 in Warsaw. Polish dancer and teacher.
He completed the Ballet School affiliated with the Teatr Wielki (Grand Theatre) in Warsaw in 1916. During his studies, he already performed in the Theatre’s productions. In the summer of 1915, he was a member of the group from the Teatr Wielki who performed at the Bagatela pleasure garden, the first time he danced the pas de trois from Swan Lake with Maria Sznarowska and Maria Lucas. Upon graduation, he was employed in the Theatre as a coryphe and then as the principal dancer, until 1921. In 1921-1922, he danced in Anna Pawłowa’s group, with whom he performed abroad, in such countries as England, France, Canada and the United States. In 1922-1925, he was a soloist with Jan Ciepliński’s Ballet performing throughout Poland and abroad. He returned to the Teatr Wielki in Warsaw in 1925 and worked there until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. He partnered such female artists as Halina Szmolcówna and Irena Szymańska. He also had side jobs with smaller Warsaw venues such as Teatr 830 (November 1932), Alhambra (February 1933) and Wielka Rewia (June 1935). In the summer he usually worked as a guest dancer performing in Romania, Hungary, Germany, France and many cities and towns around Poland.
In 1935-1939 and 1940-1944, he privately ran professional dance courses in Warsaw. Between 1945 and 1950, he co-managed (with Teresa Dobrowolska) the Szkoła Baletu i Tańca Artystycznego (School of Ballet and Artistic Dance) in Łódź and, since 1947, in Warsaw. Between 1950 and 1967, he taught classical dance at the State Ballet School in Warsaw. After 1950, he also cooperated with the State Ballet School in Gdańsk. In 1952-1956, he worked as a teacher for the Song and Dance Ensemble ‘Skolimów’. Commissioned by the Polish Ministry of Culture and Art, he drew up the curriculum that was implemented in all the ballet schools in Poland. Although he retired in 1965, he continued working for the Warsaw-based ballet school up until 27 November 1969. A ceremony and a special concert performed by his students to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of his artistic work was held on 30 April 1965 in Warsaw.
His repertoire spanned all the major roles in classical and contemporary ballets, including Albert (Giselle, choreographed by P. Zajlich), Siegfried (Swan Lake, choreographed by P. Zajlich), Poet (Chopiniana, choreographed by P. Zajlich based on M. Fokine), Faun (The Afternoon of a Faun, choreographed by J. Ciepliński), Don Juan (Don Juan, choreographed by J. Ciepliński), Daphnis (Daphnis et Chloé, choreographed by P. Zajlich), The Man (Prometheus, choreographed by J. Ciepliński), Kneź Ryś (Świtezianka, choreographed by P. Zajlich), Colin (Lise, choreographed by P. Zajlich) and Franz (Coppélia, choreographed by R. Morawski).
