Before Lajkonik:

Urszula Lang had danced originally in the folkloric Ensemble “Syrenka” as a young girl, and then became assistant to a former Mazowsze dancer and costume designer, Jozef Walczak who defected from Communist Poland to London in the 1950’s , finally ending up in Sydney, Australia in the early 70’s, where he lived for the next 25 years. After teaching Syrenka in Ashfield for approximately two years (1972-73), Jozef formed his own dance School under the name of “Warszawska Syrenka” in Bankstown. After five years of dancing under Jozef Walczak and becoming Assistant Teacher, Urszula travelled to Poland where she completed a Choreographic Diploma at the University of Marie Curii Sklodowska in Lublin, Poland, as well as being a member of the largest dance Ensemble in Lublin, Zespol Piesni I Tanca “Ziemia Lubelska” established by a wonderful and highly-respected choreographer/ethnographer called Wanda Kaniorowa (this Ensemble is now known as Zespol “Lublin”). Urszula was highly-influenced by another highly-acclaimed choreographer in Ziemia Lubelska called Ignacy Wachowiak, whose work and techniques she was lucky to observe and learn.

After spending 3 years in Poland, Urszula returned to Australia and started “Polanie”, a small children’s group, training in the Sefton Community Centre. This small group survived for only two years due to lack of resourcing as well as lack of support from the Polish community during those early years.

In 1988, Urszula signed her children, Dariusz and Joasia, up with Polish Dance Ensemble “Kujawy” based in the Bankstown Polish Club and they danced there for two years. After a brief period where Urszula taught the junior group, Urszula joined with many families from the “Polskie Osiedle” in Greenacre (a unique townhouse development where most of the townhouses were owned by the Fala 80 [1980’s Wave] Polish immigrants to Australia) and some other young families, to form a new dance Ensemble. One year later, the new Ensemble members considered a list of possible names and voted on the name “Lajkonik”. Lajkonik’s first home was in the Georges Hall Community Centre and Lajkonik’s first performance was at the blessing of the statue of Sir Paul Edmund Strzelecki in Jindabyne, in January of 1990.

In subsequent years, Lajkonik moved around to hold rehearsals in various locations including Chester Hill Community Centre, the White Eagle Association Hall in Cabramatta, Seton Hall/ Moorebank Community Centre, Lansvale Community Centre, St Felix Hall in Bankstown, and St Gertrude’s/Smithfield Parish Hall. In 2009, a large contingent of Lajkonik’s Senior Group left to form a new Ensemble under the name of Podhale, based in Cabramatta. Diminished, Lajkonik’s Senior Ensemble continued at the Smithfield hall for the next 5 years and looked for ways to attract new members. Its junior group had since moved to the Liverpool Parish Hall and was doing quite well in that location.

A move to Marayong in 2014

In 2014, Urszula Lang spoke to the Parish Priest of Marayong at the time, Ks. Antoni Dudek. Ks Antoni agreed to let Lajkonik train in the John Paul II Parish hall in Marayong.

New dancers from the Parish joined our Senior Group and by the time Melbourne PolArt came around at the end of 2015, Lajkonik was rejuvenated with 10 dancing pairs and was feeling very confident in its new home. Throughout 2014 and part of 2015, the junior group still trained at Liverpool but once lessons started up regularly on Sunday mornings for younger children, during 2015, the two junior groups merged. Children from Liverpool were requested to come to lessons at Marayong.

Having our home base at Marayong came with some new obligations, ie being present and visible at special masses and feast days throughout the year and performances for the Parish. This was never a problem as Lajkonik had always nurtured good relations with the Polish priests and other Polish Organisations including the Polish Consulate, Polish Schools, NSW Federation of Polish Organisations, Nasza Polonia, SBS Radio, Puls Polonii and Bumerang Polski.

Since the earliest years, Lajkonik always offered and gave performances and short concerts in the Marayong Nursing Home. This practice continues to this day, as time permits, and was only interrupted by restrictions during and post the Covid pandemic.

As well as the concerts in the Nursing Home, Lajkonik has had other “connections” with Marayong. In 2005, at the initiative of Lajkonik’s then President Bozena Pagin, Lajkonik organised a concert at Marayong which raised money for the Parish. Other groups and artists took part. The Polish Consulate gave a grant, which together with “wolne datki” (donations) collected at the concert, paid for the first piano at a cost of $3,500. Lajkonik over the years has contributed to other major needs of the Parish including the new toilets and the Grand Piano in 2023. Lajkonik has held numerous zabawas and concerts over the 10 year period in Marayong, as well as participating in concerts and events organised by other organisations for special events such as Dzien Flagi Polskiej, Boze Cialo and parish Anniversaries.

In 2016, Lajkonik was permitted to build cupboards in a rear storage room, kindly built by a Lajkonik father/builder, Leszek Latecki. This was the first time Lajkonik felt a sense of permanence and that Marayong could be “our long term home”.

In 2023, Ks. Artur allowed Lajkonik to build solid full height wardrobes in the left corner of the stage area. These storage facilities now house our best, newest and heaviest costumes. Many costumes are still stored privately, and other assets and equipment in a container located privately. Dry, safe and secure storage of costumes and sound equipment and assets for an active, high-performing Ensemble like Lajkonik is always a challenge. One day we hope that this issue can be properly and permanently resolved. We look forward to solutions that could secure Lajkonik’s future. Our beautiful costumes are our prime asset and have been acquired by many years of fundraising and performances.

In 2018, Lajkonik organised a major Festival at Marayong, the Inaugural Children’s Festival. Over 100 children from three dance Ensembles in Sydney joined together with Ensembles from Canberra and Wellington New Zealand to stage an unforgettable three-day event.

Lajkonik is deeply grateful to be at Marayong and call it “home”. We love our beautiful hall with a good-sized stage. We love the heritage-listed Church and the grounds with plenty of space. We love the fact that Marayong is historically and today - a “Polish place”. Our Lady of Czestochowa Polish Church is the only Polish Church in Sydney. It is a place where the teaching and promotion of Polish culture to children and young people is appropriate and worthy of nurturing and further development. We believe that this is what the first wave of post-war immigrants who worked for and donated towards the purchase of the grounds of Marayong and to pay for the first orphanage, the convent, the presbytery, the Church, parish hall and nursing home – would have envisioned and wanted.

Lajkonik’s future is now in the hands of a young Committee including all Executive positions of President (Abigail Latecka), Treasurer(Adam Taras) and Secretary (Victoria Hospodaryk) occupied by senior dancers all with strong affiliations with Marayong Parish. The Committee includes Joasia Fisher, a foundation member of Lajkonik (35 years) and other senior dancers with long term membership. Together with a number of caring, hardworking parents with an “artillery of skills and good will” which helps Lajkonik in many different ways, we form the Lajkonik Management Committee.

Lajkonik looks forward to the next 10 years and we ask for the support of everyone in the Marayong community to keep Lajkonik an integral and developing part of the Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish, and Marayong as a Polish residential, religious and cultural place with a bright and strong future.

Written by Urszula Lang, Artistic Director of Lajkonik for 35 years, June 2024