Barbara Nowakowski. As a youth, Basia participated in ZHP, Polish folk dancing, and Polish language school. In college she attended the summer program at the Jagiellonian University. She also participated in several trips to Poland while at Albion College which had students working to refurbish Jewish cemeteries in Poland and working on reconditioning the Oskar Schindler factory in Krakow, which now houses the History Museum of the City of Krakow. There is a large historical plaque that was placed on the factory in 2001 by Albion students. Basia spent a great deal of time during that trip conferring with Polish officials in order to have the plaque released from customs so that it could be affixed to the building. Throughout it though, her main interest has been in the perpetuation of Polish folklore and in Polish folk song and dance.
Basia has been involved with the PRCUA Gwiazda Dancers since 1984. She participated as a dancer, assistant teacher, and has served as the group’s choreographer since 2005. She continues in the role of choreographer and teaches children (and young adults) ages 2-18 Polish folk songs, dances, and culture in this capacity. In 2018, Gwiazda participated in the World international Children’s Folk Festival in lwonicz Zdrój, Poland. In 2019, Gwiazda gave over 40 performances including a guest performance slot with the Lira Ensemble from Chicago as well as a performance for former Polish President and Nobel laureate, Lech Walesa when he visited Oakland University. In 2024, Gwiazda traveled to perform in two international Festivals held in Ohrid in the Republic of North Macedonia.
In 2007 she participated in the “Polka with the Stars” event at the Hamtramck Labor Day Festival. In the late 2000’s she spent several years as a member of the Warren Polka Boosters. Since 2008 she has been a member of the Wawel Folk Ensemble and has traveled with the group to perform at the Rzeszow Festival in 2011 and 2023, to the PFDAA Festival in Regina Saskatchewan in 2010, and to a workshop in Denver that featured Śląsk in 2012, to numerous other PFDAA sponsored folklore workshops throughout the USA and Canada.
As an extension of Basia’s folkloric activities, Basia joined Koło Górali Nr. 4 “Morskie Oko” in 2009 and currently serves as one of the group’s secretaries. She has been active in planning and participating in
numerous events including the group’s annual Piknik and its annual Góralski Ostatki. As a member of the Kolo she has attended the ZPPA’s annual “Goralska Nuta” festival numerous times and in 2014 traveled to Chicago to represent Kolo Nr. 4 in the Chicago Polish Constitution Day Parade. She has co authored materials about the Kolo’s activities which have appeared in the Polish print media in Chicago.
In early 2015 Basia coordinated a Parkinson’s Fundraiser event that was very well attended by the Polish community. Because of Basia’s efforts (along with those of many other talented volunteers), the event raised substantial funds to assist an individual afflicted with this disease.
In 2016, Basia was awarded the Pulaski Award by the Polish American Central Citizens Committee.
Source: Booklet “Top 25 Polish American Leaders in 2025 Awards Banquet”.
