The Lajkonik Polish Folk Ensemble has been sharing energetic and colorful Polish folk dances for the last 28 years, bringing a variety of authentic Polish folk costumes, dances, and songs, sharing and preserving authentic culture not only through performance but also through teaching within the group. Lajkonik is a force for Polish dance on the west coast, performing in Portland, Seattle, Phoenix, Sedona, Yorba Linda, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, and representing Arizona multiple times at the International Festival of Polish Folk Groups in Rzeszów Poland.

The Tucson Meet Yourself has a special place in it’s history, being one of the first festivals the group performed at and with deep history with the Polish diaspora in Tucson since almost the start of the festival.

Lajkonik’s collaboration with our friends with the Arizona Balalaika Orchestra has also been long and fruitful, with the groups performing together for nearly 10 years, with Balalaika arranging Polish folk dances for their unique instrumentation, and Lajkonik taking up the Ukrainian Hook and a traditional Puppet dance as part of our repetoir. At least twice a year the groups perform together, bringing live music and folk dance together in a Slavic extravaganza!