POLONEZ was formed in Melbourne in 1965, with the aim of performing and promoting Polish folk and national dances as a means of perpetuating an adherence to, and an understanding of Polish culture, both within the Polish community and the broader Australian context.

The initator and founder was Zbigniew Czech, in association with the Federation of Polish Associations in Victoria. From the beginning of its existence, Janina Czech was the artistic Director of the Ensemble, also taking on the roles, as required of instructor, choreographer, costume designer and the artistic soul and inspiration behind the Ensemble. Her daughter Barbara has been continuing this work for some time.

There have been almost forty five years of continuous, sustained, enthusiastic and energetic activity of promoting Polish song  and dance. Annual full length concerts have been presented at the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourme, at the Alexander Theatre at Monash University, at the National Theatre in St Kilda, and at other venues, including interstate. Marian Maj, as the Ensemble’s first instructor, instiled a dynamic and energetic style of dancing, which the Ensemble demonstrates to this day.

POLONEZ  has always participated in charity and multicultural forums, in Polish commemorative celebrations and in all the PolArt Festivals held all over Australia. 
Special memories are held, of its first appearance in the Moomba procession, of its first performance at the Polish Commemorative Concert on the occasion of the Millenium anniversary of Poland’s Christendom at the Melbourne Town Hall, of the first interstate trip to Canberra in 1969, where the concert was held under the patronage of the Governor General, Sir Ninian Stephens, and Lady Stephens requested to become Patron of the Ensemble, until Sir Ninian left Office, of the HELP POLAND LIVE campaign of 1982, where the Ensemble raised over $6000.00, a huge sum for the time, of dancing before the Pope in 1986, of the invitation to Vilnius (Wilno) to participate in the 15th Anniversary of the Kwiaty Polskie (Polish Flowers) Festival in 2003 and the subsequent visit to Poland to dance with local Groups in Warsaw and Poznan.

In 2005 a large contingent of POLONEZ members participated in the 13th World Festival of Polish Dance Groups held in Rzeszów, Poland and in Vilnius, Lithuania.
In 2008, likewise a large contingent of POLONEZ members participated in the 14th World Festival of Polish Dance Groups, this time in Rzeszów, Poland and Lvov, in the Ukraine.

Frequent concerts interstate were a highlight of early POLONEZ life, until the PolArt Festivals. Thus Polonez has toured most interstate capital cities, and many Victorian provincial cities as well.

The POLONEZ orchestra has been with the Ensemble since its first concert in 1969. Although some of the members of the orchestra have changed with time, the orchestra been under the direction of Henryk Ruta from the outset, now joined by his son Georges, and his grand son Grzegorz. This there are now three generations playing.

POLONEZ has been involved with the the Polish Debutante Balls from their inception in 1966. These Balls, initially organised by The Polish Community Council, have seen hundreds of young girls make their debut. These balls have combined the best of Polish tradition while evoking the dignity, grace, ceremony and splendour of bygone eras, especially highlighted in their most recent setting of the Malvern Town hall. For most of this time, Janina Czech has prepared the debutantes and their partners, in later years Barbara Czech has continued the tradition.

POLONEZ has always been a community ensemble, based very much within the core of Polish community life, and gaining its strength from community support., with family involvement very much at the core of the Ensemble.