Kielce Dance Theatre

The Kielce Dance Theatre is one of three institutional dance theatres in Poland. It was founded, and is headed by Elżbieta Szlufik-Pańtak and Grzegorz Pańtak.

The theatre debuted with a performance called Feelings in December 1995 on the stage of the Stefan Jaracz Theatre in Olsztyn. Choreography for the three-part performance was created by Elżbieta Szlufik-Pańtak and Piotr Galiński.

In the beginning the Kielce Dance Theatre was a private theatre; from 1998 it operated as an association. Based on the Resolution of the City of Kielce dated 11 March 2004, the theatre became a municipal culture institution financed by the City of Kielce.

The management of the Kielce Dance Theatre aims to create an art group specializing in jazz dance repertoire. The theatre’s performances include both small choreographic forms and large performances in collaboration with a symphony orchestra and choir – among others premieres with Świętorzyska Philharmonic: Passion (2006, music by Paweł Łukowiec), Zdarzyło się w Jeruzalem (2008, music by Krzesimir Dębski, stage design by Borys Kudlička). Guest choreographers, who have produced performances in the Theatre, are Katarzyna Skawińska, Ira Nadia Kodiche, Zofia Rudnicka, Beate Vollack, Piotr Galiński, Thierry Verger, Witold Jurewicz, Andrzej Morawiec, Alain Bernard, Jacek Tyski and Sławomir Woźniak. The theatre has collaborated with the following directors: Jerzy Bielunas, Leszek Kumański, Krzysztof Jasiński and Jarosław Minkowicz.

The Kielce Dance Theatre is active in three areas:

• Art: producing and presenting performances,
• Education: educating young dancers in the form of dance groups for children and young people, open dance classes and International Jazz Dance Workshops organized twice a year. Since 2010, the theatre has had access to the Kielce Dance Theatre Dance School building,
• Hosting: organizing the annual Kielce Dance Festival.