Our History and People

From Humble Beginings

Dancing and singing have long been part of the history of Polish migration to Western Australia. At least since the resettlement of post-war refugees in the 1950s, Polish parents and children all over Australia participated in national days to honour their cultural heritage.

Through songs and dances the Western Australian Polish community or “Polonia” (Polish diaspora living outside of Poland) have been able to proudly maintain ties to their vibrant traditions, language, music, stories and identity, far away from their homeland “Polska”.

Folk dancing in WA over the many years has involved hundreds of dancers at Saturday schools and dance groups such as “Polonia”, “Młode Mazowsze”, “Promyk” and of course “Kukułeczka”. Kukułeczka’s roots started at the Polish Ethnic School im. Adama Mickiewicza (est. 1952) in Maylands, Perth. The school often included dancing and singing lessons however a more formal Polish Children’s Dance Group was created under the umbrella of the school in the late 1980s – first taught by Ms Monika Szunejko with the support of the school’s Principal Ms Halina Szunejko OAM and parents.

Eventually named Kukułeczka Children’s Dance Group in 1991, Kukułeczka began performing regularly for Polish national days and local multicultural events in the early 1990s. By 1994, Kukułeczka was invited and travelled to Adelaide to participate for the first time in the tri-annual Polish arts festival known as “PolArt”. The group has continued this long-held tradition of participating in every PolArt festival since!

In 2005 Kukułeczka formally separated from the Polish Ethnic School im. Adama Mickiewicza and became incorporated as ‘Polish Dance Group Kukułeczka Inc’, a not-for-profit independent organisation.

To Folkloric Treasure

As the group continued to grow in number and age range of dancers, the dance space, storeroom and costume requirements outgrew the room available at their original home, Dom Polski (Polish House) in Maylands. Kukułeczka soon found a new home at the Polish Club Cracovia in Bennett Springs. In 2015 the group revamped the Kukułeczka logo to include its namesake the cuckoo bird (kukułka in Polish)! The cuckoo bird is a key part of Polish folklore, with several well-known folk songs dedicated to it.

Kukułeczka’s dance teachers, many having completed four-year choreography studies in Rzeszów Poland, or similar, have exemplary knowledge of Polish folklore, customs and traditions which they try to reflect through dynamic and theatrical choreographies.

We have come a long way since changing our name to Kukułeczka 30 years ago! From humble beginnings we are proud to say our group now boasts well over 100 dance members, three treasured dance directors, choir director, music director, 6 dance groups, a recently formed musical group “Kapela”, singing groups, a dedicated committee, large repertoire of national and regional Polish songs and dances and a rich inventory of traditional Polish costumes.

Kukułeczka prides itself on being an ambassador of Polish culture and multicultural diversity in WA and aims to continue this for many, many years to come. One of our aims is to connect Polish youth to their heritage through dance, music, language and culture whilst creating a cohesive and positive social network in the WA community. We continue to do this through nourishing relationships with our networks, reliable governance, frequent performances and attendance at folk festivals, public events, social media promotion and never-ending support of our teachers, dancers and families.

Meet the Amazing People Behind Kukułeczka

At the heart of Kukuleczka Polish Dance Group is a dedicated team of volunteers and teachers who work tirelessly to keep our traditions alive. Our committee members provide leadership, organization, and support to ensure the group runs smoothly and continues to grow. Behind every step and performance are our talented instructors, who share their deep knowledge of Polish folk dance and music with passion and care. Together, this team nurtures a warm, welcoming community where dancers of all ages can learn, grow, and celebrate Polish culture.