MAEM after hours

Klaudia - Graphic Designer

A simple calculation shows that a person between the ages of 20 and 65, working forty hours a week on work duties, is just spending more than 10 years of his life on work during that time. One third of the day of the working week is spent performing work duties. Where do we get the strength and motivation to derive, above all, satisfaction and contentment from work? Let's focus on the well-known slogan: ‘Man does not live by work alone’. We invite you to a series of articles in which selected MAEM employees will show us their passions and unique interests. In subsequent issues of ‘M Magazine’ we will present MAEM employees who will talk about their work and share their hobbies.

The character of the next article from the ‘MAEM after hours’ series is Klaudia - graphic designer, designer; marketing department employee. The work she does for MAEM can be seen in many areas. Modern design of packaging, commercial documents or company presentation are just some of the projects Klaudia performs. Our ‘M Magazine’, which you are reading right now, is also one of the projects that would not be possible without Klaudia's involvement.

Privately Klaudia has several passions. In this article we will tell you about one of them, namely - folk dancing.

Where did your passion come from? How old were you when you felt you wanted to try your hand at such a field?

I have had a special interest in music from an early age. As early as in kindergarten, I enjoyed rhythmics and music classes. My serious adventure with Polish folklore started quite late, at the age of 16. At the school I attended, we had workshops on Polish folk dances and national dances as part of the extracurricular activities. Right after the class the instructor invited me to audition for the Krakowiak Song and Dance Group where she led the dance groups. That is how it all began...

16-year-old Klaudia is convinced that she wants to try her hand at folk dancing. What does the road to realization of such a dream look like? The workshops made me catch the ‘folklore bug’. I immediately accepted an invitation to a casting, feeling that folk dance can be an amazing artistic adventure.

In order to apply to join a dance company, you must meet a number of requirements that are scrupulously evaluated during the audition. The key factors here are height, good looks, and presentation in folk costume. When the candidate meets these requirements, he/she can start the actual rehearsal. It consists of repeating the basic steps and figures of Polish national dances. A candidate for a member of the folk group also undergoes a vocal audition. After verifying these skills, the commission and the candidate must decide together whether they want to continue working together. You are a new member of a company that consists of many dancers. Only a few of them perform on stage. Isn't it like in a soccer team - you are a newcomer and you have to work to get into the first team?

That's right. The newly joined member is placed in the second lineup, where he or she prepares for dance advancement. I was fortunate enough to get a chance to perform on stage in Group I three months after joining, all the while working hard in rehearsals. Practices were two/three times a week and lasted two to three hours. In order to be promoted to the first dance company, apart from technical skills, the ability to harmonize with the other partners and the ability to find oneself on stage plays a key role. My dance partner at that time, Szymon, is now my husband, so our love for folk dance made us dance our lives away. Coming back to the beginnings of a novice in the group, it is certainly not easy, but the joy of the first performance compensates for the tiredness and stress.

A music band means constant rehearsals, performances, concert tours... I guess dancing professionally interferes with your other job? How does it look like for you?

A professional career in a folk song and dance ensemble is challenging. It is a very interesting way of life, but unfortunately not for long. A career in a professional group is absorbing and makes it difficult to find other permanent work. Now I dance only for pleasure, physical health and social aspects. The fact that I treated dancing, which I love, as a hobby and not as a way of life is a matter of deliberate choice.

Does your passion help you in your career? Or is it rather a distraction from it?

For me, dancing is a source of harmony, which allows me to separate from everyday life. It gives me a lot of satisfaction and makes me look at the world in a positive light. Thanks to the fact that I have my own way of getting rid of everyday worries, I am creative and full of good energy at work.

The Song and Dance Group consists of people whose cooperation results in recognition and admiration of the audience. It is an analogy of

a well-organized company in which the cooperation of the people in the company's departments results in its reputation and customers' appreciation.

Of course, I think it is an apt comparison. I think the best reward for involvement in the concert is the joy of the audience and the knowledge that they have experienced the concert with us. Usually 8 to 12 couples perform on stage at the same time. It takes a lot of effort, willingness, concentration and commitment to synchronize all of them, that is to make each pair perform the figures in the right moment, in the right place on the stage, conveying the emotions set by the director. The result of this work is a beautiful performance, with which we give joy to others. The two-hour concert is a performance of four age groups, formed by a certain number of dancers. Coordinating everyone is a difficult issue. In a company we have departments, built by employees. The ability to ‘dance together’ when it comes to activities determines the success or lack thereof. The existence of a company in the form of a ‘dance company’ is not just the dancers we admire on stage. It is a large group of people whom we do not see, but without whom no concert would be right. I mean the people responsible for the tailoring and maintenance of the costumes, which pass from generation to generation and require constant care. Set designers, lighting designers, choir and orchestra are another group supporting the band during the concert. We have here, as well, a direct analogy to a well-organized company.

So you went from being the front man in the band to this invisible to the viewer support group in MAEM?

You can say that. My graphic designs and various compositions are created not only for the marketing department but also for any employee who needs my help.

Can you still be seen on stage?

The last concert of the band in which I could be seen was the October concert celebrating the band's 35th anniversary. I performed there as a ‘graduate’ of the band. It gave me a lot of joy to know that, despite ending my career, I was invited by the band's management to perform at the jubilee concert. For me and other ‘graduates’ it is the best proof that our work and contribution to the band is still appreciated. Some of the photos in the article come from this concert. I hope that on the occasion of the next jubilee I will appear on stage again.

If you could turn back time, would you join the team again and steer your career the same way?

Being a member of the band is a kaleidoscope of colors, emotions, dancing, singing, regions and our history. It is a beautiful adventure marked by hard work, but also by great satisfaction. I am proud to share this part of my life. The Krakowiak Song and Dance Group has provided me with beautiful memories and taught me perseverance in pursuing my goals, for which I sincerely thank everyone involved in my adventure with Polish folklore.

fot. Kamil Szmidla