Dwight Czech Dancers
This group was started by Alma Jelinek in 1962 for the 1st Dwight Czech Festival. Amy Policky moved to Dwight in 1963 and began playing the accordion for the group. She then took over the group in 1964. In 1972, the Dwight Czech Dancers danced at the Inaugural Ball for Governor J. James Exon. Ramona Kunasek and Vickie Hines assisted Amy with the group from 1986 to 1989. Brenda Coufal took over the group the Summer of 1990. Mary Coufal assisted for two years. Amy played for performances at the festival and Brenda began taping her accordion music so that the dancers could practice without her. Amy Policky has been associated with the Dwight Czech Dancers from 1964 until a few years ago, when she told Brenda her accordion was just getting to heavy. Dances taught to the children are the Birdie Birdie Dance; Annie in the Cabbage Patch; Red Handkerchief Dance; the Flying Dutchman; the Komaro; Apple, Peaches, Pumpkin, Pie; the Red Handkerchief Waltz; and the May Pole Dance. The girls wear red skirts, black vests and white blouses and the boys wear black pants or shorts, and white shirts. They are all decorated diffidently. The size of the group varies every year from 44 to 26 children ranging in age from 2 years to 13 years of age. The town’s the children participate and also include children from Valparaiso, Brainard, Malcolm, Pleasant Dale, Lincoln, Seward, and David City. The children practice and perform for the Dwight Czech Festival. Over the years the children have performed in Valparaiso, Peony Park (1991), The Ulysses 125th (1991), The Capitol Rotunda Celebration (1992), Dwight Assumption for the visit of Archbishop Vlk (1992), The Old Train Station in Lincoln for the Czech Heritage Museum (1993), and the Brainard 125th (2002), at nursing homes and assisted living homes, the Butler County Fair and the Saunders County Fair and many other places. Brenda’s background includes being a past Dwight Czech Dancer; I was in the group that danced for the Governors Inaugural Ball in 1972. I also took tap, ballet, and jazz lessons as a child along with baton twirling lessons. I was the Dwight Czech Queen in 1979-80 and as a child I performed at every festival not only with the dancers but I did my tap, ballet, jazz, and baton for community events. I was also the twirler for the East Butler Band from 7th to 12th grade. I twirled the fire baton. My dad, James R. Kadavy, instilled and inspired me to love my town. He truly loved Dwight and he loved the Dwight Czech Festival.
Over the past summers, what can I say there are so many, many memories. I love children and I love getting to know the children in town and from the surrounding communities. Rick, my husband, is a very important part in being able to volunteer to teach the children for all these years. He is the behind the scenes man. He gets the May Pole set up for performances; he gets the flat bed for the float, and much, much more. I really could not do it without him. My family, Brad and Tonia (Coufal) Jelinek, Trent Coufal and Tara Yates also come home for every festival and help Rick and I out getting everything ready from decorating the float, ironing hankies, to walking the children from their performance to the restrooms and the parade grounds. It has truly become a family affair.
Over the past summers, what can I say there are so many, many memories. I love children and I love getting to know the children in town and from the surrounding communities. Rick, my husband, is a very important part in being able to volunteer to teach the children for all these years. He is the behind the scenes man. He gets the May Pole set up for performances; he gets the flat bed for the float, and much, much more. I really could not do it without him. My family, Brad and Tonia (Coufal) Jelinek, Trent Coufal and Tara Yates also come home for every festival and help Rick and I out getting everything ready from decorating the float, ironing hankies, to walking the children from their performance to the restrooms and the parade grounds. It has truly become a family affair.
