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Ms. Hanna Bondarewska and six chaperones accompanied students from Anne Beers Elementary School in Washington D.C. on the trip of a lifetime as they traveled to Poland at the invitation of the First Lady of Poland to perform for her at the Belweder Palace in Warsaw and to travel for almost two weeks around Poland.
The show, "Poland the Beautiful, An Imaginary Flight" written and directed by Ms. Hanna combined song and dance with a script containing famous Poles from all walks of life, such as Madame Sklodoska Curie, Frederyk Chopin, and Tadeusz Kosciuszko. This performance was the culmination of a year long program in which the students learned about the history and culture of Poland through theater games, art, and crafts.
Taking the show "on the road" proved a great success and the students were able to not only perform at the Belweder Presidential Palace, but also were invited to other venues around Poland, including the Main Square in Krakow.
Being able to vistit the historical places in Poland that they had previously only learned about and seen in photos was eye opening. They had learned about Copernicus, but to actually see his town, Torun, made history come alive. Through the International Order of the Smile and the Heart Foundation the students also made friends with their Polish peers and even were able to learn songs together which they then performed at the 50th Anniversary Gala in the Swidnica Theater.
This slide show is from the wonderful twelve days that the students spent in Poland and which they will remember for a lifetime.