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WILKES-BARRE — A trumpet blast announced the entry of each young woman, clad in a formal white gown and long-sleeved gloves.
A child handed her a bouquet and she curtsied to the people at the head table before beginning the Polonaise, a ceremonial, processional dance.
If you think that sounds a bit like the coronation of Prince Henry of Anjou as King of Poland, you’re right. Dance historians trace the Polonaise back to that 1573 event, when lords and ladies marched through the Krakow palace to be presented to the new king.
Thanks to the Polish Women’s Alliance of America, Councils 40 and 44, of Luzerne and Lackawanna counties, the tradition continues.
The group presented 10 debutantes, all students from various area high schools, during the 41st local Bal Polonaise at King’s College on a recent Saturday.
“She’s truly a young woman now,” Patti Prociak of Jenkins Township said, smiling at her daughter, Rebecca, who took part in the coming-of-age dance.
“We were all having a lot of fun learning it,” Rebecca Prociak said.
Rebecca Prociak recruited two friends, Sara Flannelly of Exeter and Alyson Manley of Plains, to participate as well.
“It’s another chance to dress up,” Flannelly said with a smile.
Elizabeth Cherkauskas of Ashley didn’t have to be recruited; she’d been looking forward to being old enough for the Bal Polonaise since she was a little girl.
“I used to do Polish folk dancing,” she said. “I did that for years.”
Another example of her enthusiasm for her Polish heritage could be seen on her right foot when she lifted her long white skirt to reveal a tattoo of the Polish falcon and the words “Jestes Piekna,” which translate to “You are beautiful.”
Speaking of feet, her escort, Alex Laudone of Allentown, fretted that he had “two left” ones but said he would try his best to follow his partner through the dance.
The presentation of the debutantes soon began, with speakers reading a list of their accomplishments. French club … ski club … basketball forward … lacrosse … field hockey … distance runner … SPCA volunteer. They all had lengthy lists. Even the three young pages who presented the debutantes with flowers had impressive accomplishments. Among hers, 9-year-old Eliza Mealey of Townson, Maryland, — a fifth-generation member of the local Polish Women’s Alliance — was credited as founder of a “Bug Club” at her school.