Village Squire, 1979-05, Page 21PROFILE
This ballet teacher
did more
than put her students
on their toes
BY ELAINE TOWNSHEND
Translated into English, Miloslawa
means love, and Miloslawa Zablocki has
shown love in many ways - love for her
native country of Poland, love for her
family and love for ballet and the hundreds
of students she has tutored since coming to
Canada in 1949.
The tragedy of war is very real to her.
World War II claimed the lives of her
father, mother and sister. Miloslawa was
deported by the Russians from Poland to
the USSR in 1940. Later she was released
on amnesty and joined the Polish Women's
Auxiliary Service in USSR in 1942. She
served in the Mid -East from 1942 to 1944
and in Italy from 1944 to 1947. In 1947, she
was posted to the U.K., where she served
until her release.
She was awarded several Polish medals
including the Polish Bronze Cross of Merit
with Swords, Army Medal and Cross of
Monte Cassino. She also received British
medals - 1939-45 Star, Italy Star and
Defence Medal.
"1 was ready to die for my country," she
recalls. "Poland was a very old country,
and all the people, back then, were raised
to be patriotic."
Although she is proud of her service and
the medals she won, she doesn't dwell on
the thoughts of war.
"When I think of Poland," she explains,
"I see beautiful trees and meadows,
picturesque small villages with straw roofs.
sunsets and small shepherd boys, and I
hear the beautiful music of Chopin, the
famous pianist whose music is ballet."
Miloslawa is a cosmopolitan, having
lived in four parts of the world - Europe,
Asia. Africa and North America. She
believes Poland has the loveliest national
costume and dance, that she has seen in
the world. Over the years, she has
collected a library of books about Poland -
its history, wars. artists and dance.
Although she has not returned to her
homeland since the war, she knows the
nation has become modernized, and in
some ways, that makes her sad. "I love
Canada, of course," she says, "but I can't
forget Poland."
In 1949. Miloslawa, her late husband,
BALLET
RECITAL
14,4
Miloslawa Zablocki of Clinton stands beside a poster advertising the annual recital she and
her students perform. She holds the diploma she presents to each of her graduates.
and daughter Theresea, who was born in
Scotland, came to Canada. Miloslawa
became a Canadian citizen in 1955. The
Zablockis wanted to raise their family in a
small quiet place. They moved from
Toronto to Londesboro, where their son,
Richard, was born, and later settled in
Clinton.
Like all mothers, Miloslawa is proud of
her children. "I don't like to boast, but
they were both good students," she says,
as she picks up a pen won by Richard in the
over -80 club in high school.
Theresea studied ballet for awhile, but
most of her talent and energy went into art.
She now teaches art in Charlottetown,
N.B., and her son, Jason, also shows an
artistic flair. Miloslawa has an interest in
art as well; sketching portraits is one of her
hobbies. She attributes the family's artistic
inclination to her uncle, Ignacy Pienkow-
ski, who was a Professor of Art at the
Academy of Art in Krakow, Poland. A book
of the history of Polish art from 1764 to
1964 contains several references to
Professor Pienkowski.
Another lifelong love of Miloslawa has
been ballet. She began studying at the age
of nine, under a well-known Polish dancer,
Tacjanna Wysocka.
"Ballet depends not only on technique,
but also on feeling and expression,"
explains Miloslawa. "It is based on
expression, talking without words."
Students, who have grown up in the
good life of North America, often find it
more difficult to show expression than
those, who have experienced harder times
in life.
Karen Kain has been described as
"premiere danseuse of the National Ballet
of Canada." Miloslawa was especially
moved by a recent television performance
given by Ms. Kain.
"She found a way to gain public
understanding by mixing humour and
variety with classical ballet," says
Miloslaw . "Karen Kain opened the door
to Canadian audiences...she was fantast-
ic."
Miloslawa obtained the Canadian Dance
Teachers' Association Certificate in 1959,
and the Association of Dance Educators of
Ontario Certificate in 1961. She has taught
hundreds of students from Clinton and
area in her home. Her curriculum goes to
May 1979, Village Squire 19