In Loving Memory
Barbara Bozena Banasikowski Smith was born September 18, 1948 in Malmo, Sweden. She danced into the light on March 15, 2018. She is survived by her loving husband, Leon and son, Gregory Smith.
Barbara was born in exile in Malmo, Sweden with a father who was a Polish World War II hero and a mother who was a concentration camp survivor. She was brought to America and raised in Milwaukee’s Polonia. As a child, she developed a love for ballet and Polish folk dance from her mother. She also developed a passion for Poland’s freedom from her father. Those of us, who knew her well, were treated to wonderful history and stories about her beloved family and Poland. The rest of her life was dedicated to Polish culture and freedom, dance and her Catholic faith.
She studied Ballet at The Warsaw Opera and Polish Ethnic Dance at University of Maria Curie Slidell Sky, Loveland, Poland.
Barbara received a BFA in dance at UMW, her MA in dance at University of Illinois, danced professionally with the Milwaukee Ballet Company, Operetta Carnival and Limon Dance Company. She went on to teach dance at UWM, U of Illinois, Michigan State University, Olivet College, and Albion College in Oslo, Norway. Beyond teaching nationally, she taught internationally and developed exchange programs with Gdansk
Polish State Ballet and Vagonova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. She taught a teacher seminar in 2007 at the Vagonova Ballet Academy where she was the only non-Russian teacher. She is listed in Who’s Who in Paris, Warsaw and the United States.
Barbara founded Greater Lansing Ballet Company in 1990. Barbara has been involved in Regional Dance America for 22 years. She has held the offices of Treasurer, Vice President, and currently was serving as President of RDA MidStates Region.
Barbara received numerous awards including awards from the Mayor of Lansing, Michigan, the Governor of Michigan, the Glen Taggart award for the
International Understanding from MSU, Michigan Artserve Creative Artist Grant, and teacher of the year in Michigan. She is a 2009 Artserve from Michigan Community Arts Leadership Academy Fellow. Three of Barbara’s former dancers have become artistic directors of their own ballet companies, an accomplishment that made her heart soar and of which she was very proud.
Her easy smile and bright blue eyes will be will be missed buy her colleagues and friends of the Regional Dance America MidStates region.
Barbara was born in exile in Malmo, Sweden with a father who was a Polish World War II hero and a mother who was a concentration camp survivor. She was brought to America and raised in Milwaukee’s Polonia. As a child, she developed a love for ballet and Polish folk dance from her mother. She also developed a passion for Poland’s freedom from her father. Those of us, who knew her well, were treated to wonderful history and stories about her beloved family and Poland. The rest of her life was dedicated to Polish culture and freedom, dance and her Catholic faith.
She studied Ballet at The Warsaw Opera and Polish Ethnic Dance at University of Maria Curie Slidell Sky, Loveland, Poland.
Barbara received a BFA in dance at UMW, her MA in dance at University of Illinois, danced professionally with the Milwaukee Ballet Company, Operetta Carnival and Limon Dance Company. She went on to teach dance at UWM, U of Illinois, Michigan State University, Olivet College, and Albion College in Oslo, Norway. Beyond teaching nationally, she taught internationally and developed exchange programs with Gdansk
Polish State Ballet and Vagonova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. She taught a teacher seminar in 2007 at the Vagonova Ballet Academy where she was the only non-Russian teacher. She is listed in Who’s Who in Paris, Warsaw and the United States.
Barbara founded Greater Lansing Ballet Company in 1990. Barbara has been involved in Regional Dance America for 22 years. She has held the offices of Treasurer, Vice President, and currently was serving as President of RDA MidStates Region.
Barbara received numerous awards including awards from the Mayor of Lansing, Michigan, the Governor of Michigan, the Glen Taggart award for the
International Understanding from MSU, Michigan Artserve Creative Artist Grant, and teacher of the year in Michigan. She is a 2009 Artserve from Michigan Community Arts Leadership Academy Fellow. Three of Barbara’s former dancers have become artistic directors of their own ballet companies, an accomplishment that made her heart soar and of which she was very proud.
Her easy smile and bright blue eyes will be will be missed buy her colleagues and friends of the Regional Dance America MidStates region.
Lou Ann Young
