We are going to meet MALI SZCZYRZYCANIE “by the brook,” somewhere in the picturesque valley, embraced in the arms of the Wiśnicz Foothills in the north, and the Island Beskids in the south. And the brook is sure to be one of the tributaries of the Stradomka river, which runs through Szczyrzyc, the home village of the Lach ensemble children. As far as we know, MALI SZCZYRZYCANIE have been in operation for 62 years, which is easy to calculate, because they were established at Władysław Orkan School in 1960, but the origins of the village are lost in the mists of time. Since it is an old village, there is a plethora of customs, traditions, rites and costumes preserved.
Interestingly enough, Szczyrzyc dates back to 1234, when the Cistercian Monastery was established here. Some time later the Cistercians founded a private grammar school with four grades. The school was attended by Władysław Orkan, who had a masterly command of the word with which he was able to render the beauty of the Gorce and Podhale. It was also at this school that in 1926 the Szczyrzyce Inhabitants’ Association was founded, and along with it - a folk ensemble. Thirty four years later MALI SZCZYRZYCANIE children’s ensemble was formed; currently Alina Adamczyk serves as its leader. And so the story goes, weaves and runs, just like the water in the brook.
There are some girls gathered by the brook. And the work is not easy when you need to bend over and immerse your hands in the freezing current in order to make the dirty laundry clean. Sometimes some items need to be hammered with paddles, and, to top it all, there are those scary stories about goddesses... Will such dances as Pasterka, Chodzony, Kowal etc., along with the games, e.g. the sycamore people, be enough to help the concerns? We will see!
There are some girls gathered by the brook. And the work is not easy when you need to bend over and immerse your hands in the freezing current in order to make the dirty laundry clean. Sometimes some items need to be hammered with paddles, and, to top it all, there are those scary stories about goddesses... Will such dances as Pasterka, Chodzony, Kowal etc., along with the games, e.g. the sycamore people, be enough to help the concerns? We will see!