HISTORY           Kielce Dance Theatre is one of three institutional dance theatres in Poland.  The idea of creating a professional team was initiated by Elżbieta Szlufik-Pańtak – Director of Kielce Dance Theatre and Grzegorz Pańtak – Vice Director. The Theatre made its debut by the spectacle titled Feelings premiered on the stage of Stefan Jaracz Theatre in Olsztyn, in December,1995. At the beginning, Kielce Dance Theatre was a private team. Since 1996, it has been operated as an association till the date of 11th March, when according to the City of Kielce Resolution has become a self-governing cultural institution financed by the budget of the City of Kielce. The management of Kielce Dance Theatre aims to create an artistic team, that specializes in repertoire based on  jazz dance style. Amongst realization of dance performances there are also small choreographic pieces and spectacles with participation of the symphony orchestra and choir, for example: Premieres with the participation of the Kielce Philharmonic: Passion, music by Paweł Lukowiec, 2006 It happened in Jerusalem, music by Krzesimir Dębski, stage design by Boris Kudlička, 2008 Following choreographers invited by Kielce Dance Theatre, who has carried through the spectacles: Katarzyna Skawińska, Ira Nadia Kodiche, Zofia Rudnicka, Beate Vollack, Piotr Galiński, Thierry Verger, Witold Jurewicz, Andrzej Morawiec, Alain Bernard, Jacek Tyski, Sławomir Woźniak. Kielce Dance Theatre also cooperated with directors as following: Jerzy Bielunas, Leszek Kumański, Krzysztof Jasiński, Jarosław Minkowicz.   Kielce Dance Theatre activity spreads over three areas: artistic , creation and presentation of the spectacles, educational, training of young dancers in the children's and youth dance groups, open dance lessons and the International Jazz Dance Workshops organized twice a year, since 2010 at Theatre disposal there is also a building of Kielce Dance Theatre Dance School, impresario, organizing annual Kielce Dance Festival,   The most important achievements of Kielce Dance Theatre are: creation and organization of Chopin4 a music-dance show, according to Chopin’s Year, cooperation with TVP, 2010 attendance in mega production of Turandot Opera, directed by Michał Znaniecki, Wrocław Opera, 2010, attendance in the concert as well as music and ballet film Seven gates of Jerusalem, on the occasion of 75th  birthday anniversary of Krzysztof Penderecki, Grand Theatre – National Opera (TVP, 2008), the film has been nominated for TV award,  2009 INTERNATIONAL  EMMY® AWARD, in the category ARTS PROGRAMMING, Świętokrzyskie Voivodship Marshal Award In the Labyrinth of Art, in the category: Świętokrzyskie Vivodship Cultural Institution, 2006 Grzegorz Pańtak 3rd prize in Choreography Competition in Ducan Centre in Prauge, Czech Republic, 2005 Kielce Dance Theatre soloists participation in semifinals of prestigious International Competition of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in Nagoii, Japan, 2005 artistic representation of the Świętokrzyskie Vivodship during Polish accession to the European Union, Brussels, 2004 artistic performance during the concerts of: Czesław Niemen, Justyna Steczkowska realized for TVP 2, 2004 in 1998-1999 the spectacle titled To Be or to Take during an artistic season was declared to be the most cultural event in the City of Kielce ( an opinion of Gazeta Wyborcza’ journalist Since the beginning of creation of Kielce Dance Theatre there were about 150 dancers who gave rise to the tradition of theatrical dance in Kielce and shaped the group of professional dancers in Poland.