Mayor James J. Fiorentini > Press Release

For Immediate Release: May 14, 2007

Mayor Fiorentini Awards Citation to Staś Kmieć
World traveler, performing artist and former Haverhill resident

Mayor James J. Fiorentini awarded former Haverhill citizen Staś Kmieć with a citation celebrating his successful career as a performing artist and his positive representation of the City of Haverhill. Mr. Kmieć has had an incredibly successful career as a performing artist and has worked with many of Broadway’s finest. As a dancer, Kmieć began his career at a young age teaching Polish dance throughout the City of Haverhill.

His strong commitment to his Polish background and his love of dance served as a starting ground to a very successful and illustrious career. Born and raised in Haverhill, Massachusetts, he began his early training locally at the Elaine McLeod Dance Studio.  Locally he staged shows at Haverhill High School, The Hale Hospital Follies, founded The Lublin Polish Song and Dance Ensemble, choreographed for The Newburyport Ballet, and mounted the popular International Celebration performances at Bradford College.  As a member of the Haverhill Arts Commission, he was instrumental with the institution of Septemberfest and the Holiday Downtown Stroll.

A graduate of Tufts University and the University of Marie Curie-Sklodowska in Lublin Poland, he is a contributing author of Polish Folk Dances and Songs Step-By-Step Guide (Hippocrene Books, 1997), the culture editor of The Polish American Journal.  His photographs have been seen in publications throughout New York.

“We are honored to have Mr. Kmieć representing the City of Haverhill throughout the world. We commend his success and look forward to seeing what his career will bring.”

Staś Kmieć is now a New York theater and dance professional, having performed on Broadway with American Dancemachine and Rudolf Nureyev's Don Quixote; The Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and The Boston Ballet.  He has choreographed in many styles – musical theater dance, ballet, and folk, notably Off-Broadway, the national tour of Me and My Girl, the Irish premiere of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and dance consultant for star Billy Crudup in the film, Trust the Man.