April 23rd marks a significant Turkish holiday, National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, dedicated to all children of the world by Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic. To commemorate his vision, children from diverse backgrounds join Turkish children in celebration. Recently, on Saturday, April 20th, 11 talented students from the Polish Dance Ensemble (Krakusy) participated in the National Sovereignty and Children’s Day festivities at the residence of the Turkish Consul General in LA. Their captivating performances delighted the audience, with young Kacper Szczesiak, a proud Pole and Turk, welcoming them to the stage. As one of the event’s organizers from LATAA Turkish School, alongside my Polish husband, Mateusz, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the dancers, their dedicated chaperones, instructors, and our Polish School for fostering this beautiful cultural exchange.
Warm regards,
R. Irem Eren-Szczesiak
1st grade parent
Special thanks to the following participants:
Dancers:
– Emilia Ruta
– Kazik Dudzik-Ducut
– Victor Kowalinski-Manalac
– Isabella Kowalinski-Manalac
– Milan Patrias
– Samantha Chmielarski
– Sarah Chmielarski
– Sophia Chmielarski
– Jordan Fonclaud
– Kamila Refaso
– Stella Beaudoin
Chaperones:
– Kasia Wilczek
– Antonio Refazo
– Basia Sowa
– Ula Beaudoin
Here is a video I put together:
Attached is the cropped version of a video from the Turkish Consulate’s official Instagram account. The original, which can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6FjIiELQ2q/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng== had a combined video for the Orange County, LA County (ours) and San Diego Turkish Schools.
I am also sharing the link to the album of all the photos and videos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/XZvKvX3mCrbJkJUv6