Transcript- Interview with Anthony Muzia of Hejnal

Anthony Muzia, Hejnal Polish-American Dancers of Long Island

[00:01] SIENKO: Why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself?

[00:03] MUZIA: I’ve been in the group for 10 something years, like 11 almost. Started when I was young, right out of Polish school. Father made us join. Didn’t really want to, but I guess I’ve stuck with it for 10 something years now, so its fun, good stuff.

[00:20] SIENKO: What do you like the best about the group or being in it?

[00:26] MUZIA: The dances is fun, it’s a, you know, form of exercise. You know, learning Polish culture, dancing, stuff like that. Just to see like peoples faces and stuff, and like, their applause after we’re dancing, that kind of stuff is always key.
You know, the people in the group are, you know, pretty much 90% fine, you know good. Its just fun, we do stuff outside of practice and stuff like that, you know we go on trips and stuff together. It’s just a lot of fun.

[00:54] SIENKO: The fact that you get to participate in your culture, is that important too?

[00:59] MUZIA: Yeah, actually, because I know how to speak Polish, I did Polish school for like seven years when I was younger. Back then it was like the next step, its like, once you graduated from Polish school it was an automatic that you come and join Hejnal. Its not like that anymore, we have to like, fight and pull teeth, and go out and really recruit. We’re like a D1 school or something like that, trying to recruit players and stuff like that.

[01:21] SIENKO: Why do you think that is? Did something change? Are youth less interested now?

[01:28] MUZIA: Different generations, you know. Work ethic, no one really wants to work hard I guess anymore. The generation that’s coming up wants everything given to them, they don’t want to work or anything for it.

[01:40] SIENKO: Why is it important for you to engage in your culture?

[01:45] MUZIA: To keep it alive. So it doesn’t die out. Because if we didn’t do it, you know, this whole group, and 40 years worth of work would go down the drain. We have a core group of people here, that can teach the dances, that can do the steps, that kind of stuff. It’s just mostly keeping it alive, keeping the Polish dance culture, keeping everything alive.