[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 8] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 10974-10975] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING PAULINA TUL-ORTYL ______ HON. MARCY KAPTUR of ohio in the house of representatives Thursday, May 22, 2008 Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Paulina Tul- Ortyl of Toledo, Ohio on the 40th anniversary of the commencement of the Echoes of Poland It is with the deepest appreciation that I pay tribute to Paulina Tul-Ortyl upon reaching the 40th anniversary as the founder, director and choreographer of the Toledo-based ``Echoes of Poland'' song and dance ensemble. Her enthusiasm, energy and dedication to the performance of Polish folk dances and songs have given appreciative audiences, through the United States, Canada, and Poland, the satisfaction of seeing and hearing the essence of absolute beauty. Paulina was born and educated in Poland and has a degree in dance choreography from the prestigious Catholic University of Lublin. She has blessed the Toledo community with her talents, her pride of our Polish-American culture and her generous nature, providing numerous years to the development and awareness of the artistic and cultural gifts in our Toledo youth. The Echoes of Poland was founded in the fall of 1967, when Paulina was asked to prepare a group of young people to perform some of the traditional aspects of the Polish Christmas celebration. She gathered some of her friends from the Nebraska Avenue and Lagrange Street areas in Toledo, OH, for the church pageant. During the first few years, the troupe held practices once a week. They were asked to participate at many local festivals and church functions. At that time, the ensemble practiced at several places in Toledo including St. Anthony's, The Argonne Post, Polish Falcons, PNA Hall and the Lagrange-Central Center. Today, the group practices at the Polish Roman-Catholic Union of America (P.R.C.U.A.) hall on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Through the weekly practices, Paulina has instilled in her members a great sense of pride and love for Polish folk customs through dancing and singing. A nonprofit organization, the Echoes of Poland have performed at festivals and concerts throughout the United States and in Canada. In 1977, the ensemble traveled to Rzeszow, Poland for the Triennial World Festival of Polish Folk Dancers. One reviewer said, ``By the end of the performance, everyone in the audience was tapping feet or clapping hand to the infectious rhythms.'' Since 1979, the group has staged their own concerts in the Toledo area to show our full repertoire of regional and national dances. During the mid-seventies, Mrs. Ortyl began a children group to train the young members for the adult ensemble. By starting at a young age, the children become familiar with many of the rudimentary skills in the art of song and dance. In 1980, a Kapela, a Polish band, was added. The dancers certainly enjoy dancing and singing to a live musician. Because of Paulina's untiring drive and inspiration, the ensemble was awarded first prize from a field of 64 competitors at the Rzeszow, Polish Folk Festival in 1980. The ensemble won the highest honor for authentically portraying Polish Folk culture by performing the Dozynki, the Polish Harvest Celebration. The Ensemble has made the trip to the Rzeszow Festival seven times and always performs admirably. Through the years, Paulina has received numerous proclamations, certificates, awards of [[Page 10975]] appreciation and recognition for her outstanding contribution in the field of preserving one of the most endearing aspects of Polish culture; the traditional folk songs and dances from the several distinct regions in Poland. For example, On October 16, 1983, The Echoes of Poland Folk Song & Dance Ensemble held their Fifteenth Anniversary. Mrs. Ortyl was honored for her dedication in perpetuating Polish culture among hundreds of youth in the Toledo area. In 1996, WGTE Public Broadcasting was putting together a special on the Polish people of Toledo for their Cornerstones series entitled ``The Polish in Toledo'' and contacted Paulina about providing the music for this endeavor. Paulina got some musicians together and recorded all the folk music for this 41-minute tribute to the Poles in Toledo. In 1997, The Ohio House of Representatives recognized the members of the Echoes of Poland for their valuable contribution to the preservation of our Polish culture through song and dance. On January 16, 1999, the ensemble had the honor to welcome Lech Walesa, former leader of Solidarnosc and former President of Poland, to St. Adalbert for an informal meeting with the Polish community. In the spring of 2002, Echoes of Poland celebrated their 35th anniversary. Paulina remains the sole choreographer and director of the ensemble. Paulina was presented an appreciation award from P.R.C.U.A. and recognition award from Polish American Congress at the Annual Spring Concert for all her years of dedication. The Echoes of Poland, under Paulina performed their first television show in America, ``Polka Bandstand'' in October 2004. They performed a suite of dances from the Lublin region and Kujawac Obarac to an enthusiastic live audience. Therefore, it with sincere gratitude that I extend heartfelt congratulations to all Paulina has done to strengthen our community through the Echoes of Poland. I wish her unremitting energy, enthusiasm and success as she continues her journey as being the director and choreographer of this most esteemed and talented group. Sto Lat Paulina! ____________________