Dancers from all over Metropolitan Detroit will be performing before the Detroit Tigers game Friday, May 20, at Comerica Park. It is the 46th annual Polish-American Night and the dance ensembles and musicians will perform with other Polish-American organizations before the game. The Tigers take on the Tampa Bay Rays. Heritage nights are the hot marketing promotion in all sports.
No one does it better than the Detroit Polish community and the Detroit Tigers. They have done it for 45 years.
“We even want our Polish-Canadian friends to come over the Detroit River and enjoy the evening. We will have music, dancing and four polka bands before the game,” longtime coordinator, Wally Ozog said. Ozog is a retired official from the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America headquartered in Chicago.
Ozog continued, “We get all the sponsors of the dance troupes, the Polish National Alliance, the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America and the Polish Women’s Alliance of America and put on a wonderful show. Everyone is Polish that evening. We expect another full house.”
“We have added a few more groups this year,” pregame emcee, Christopher Ozog said. The Wayne State University Polish Club and the Friends of Polish Art will be represented this year. The National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame will have a display on the concourse near the rightfield foul line. There is also a special collector’s tee-shirt available that day.
One of the featured dance troupes will be the PNA-Plymouth Centennial Dancers. “It is a very colorful evening and it gives the youngest members some experience on the big stage,” Barb Martin said. She directs the dance ensemble and they are choreographed by Cathy Michalak. “Our goal is to promote Polish heritage and culture through music and dance,” Martin added.
The PNA-Plymouth Centennial Dancers conducts, The Polish Kitchen, at the Plymouth Fall Festival every year as a fund raiser. They dance in Fourth of July and Labor Day parades in Plymouth, Livonia, Northville and Hamtramck.
“Come early,” Wally Ozog said. “Enjoy the culture, music, and dancing. It will be a full house. Plan for the Woodward Avenue construction of the M-1 rail project.” Ticket prices range from $22.00-$45.00 and the gates open at 5:30 p.m. For more information or tickets to the Detroit Tigers game at Comerica contact 586-751-8168 or 586-524-4907.
Featured performers at the 44th annual Polish-American Night at Comerica Park
Rogalin Dance Troup
Zajaczek Dance Ensemble
Polskie Maki
Opole Dancers
Syrena Dance Ensemble
Halka Dancers
Gwiazda Dancers
Zakopane Polish Folk Dance Ensemble
Tatry Dancers
Wieliczka Dancers
Polish Alliance Dancers
Polanie Song & Dance Ensemble
Centennial Dancers
Lowicz Dancers
Zamek Dancers
Polish Scouts
National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame
Friends of Polish Art
Wayne State University Polish Club
