Paweł Stasiak – his story. The voice of Papa Dance

He debuted as a boy with the group Gawęda, now he’s a Polish pop icon. Paweł Stasiak, a.k.a Mr. Dance, has been entertaining the fans for years with his charisma, talent, and high energy. From Papa Dance to his solo projects – his career is a journey through decades of changes, trends, and unforgettable hits.

Paweł Stasiak – his story

Paweł Stasiak, a.k.a. Mr. Dance, was born on 19 of November 1967 in Łódź. The famous and beloved musician has been interested in music ever since his childhood, as it often is. He began his journey quite early by joining a dance and vocal group Gawęda, known for engaging children and teenagers in artistic activities, which gave Stasiak valuable experience despite his young age.

He also studied ballet at a National Ballet School in Warsaw. Thanks to that we was able to easily sense the rhythm and emotions hidden in music, which was evident in his later projects. Performing before large audiences, for example with Papa Dance, could have been stressful, but Stasiak was well-prepared. In 1980, when he was only 13, he acted in Mniejsze Niebo, a film directed by Janusz Morgenstern. Although he only had a small role, this experience played an important role in his personal and artistic growth.

Soon after, between 1983 and 1985 (through ages 16-19) he was a radio presenter in Rozgłośnia Harcerska and even participated in creating the Polish Radio Three Chart.

His artistic pursuits were also evident in his education. Although he attended a regular high school, he chose his university major following his passion – he graduated from the Polish National Film, Television and Theatre School in Łódź, where he studied film and TV production.

Paweł Stasiak – Papa Dance

Due to his rich experience, Stasiak was able to join Papa Dance. At first he was a backing singer, but in 1986 he replaced Grzegorz Wawrzyniak (with whom the group had recorded its debut album – Papa Dance) as the main vocalist. The group has reached its peak with Stasiak in the lead. Together they’ve released two albums – Poniżej krytyki (1986) and Nasz ziemski Eden (1989).

Papa Dance – Nasz Disneyland

The first album with Stasiak as the vocalist – Poniżej krytyki – received very good reviews. The album featured many popular songs, which established the group as one of the leaders of Polish pop in the 80s with a large fanbase.

In 1989 Papa Dance has released their last album before pausing their activities. Nasz ziemski Eden was more polished and mature, it combined electronic sounds and melodic vocals. Songs like Galaktyczny zwiad and Nasz Disneyland featured futuristic and romantic motives, typical for the 80s, and are among their most popular hits. Even recently, in 2025, the group has released a revamped version of Nasz Disneyland.

Papa Dance disbanded in 1990. However, during their 5-year-long career they’ve accomplished quite a lot and forever made their mark in the history of Polish music. Papa Dance held around 600 concerts and has sold over half a million CDs and tapes.

In 2001 Paweł Stasiak and Waldemar Kuleczka, one of the group’s founders, reactivated Papa Dance. Their return was largely based on nostalgia and a lot of old fans, who grew up listening to their old hits, returned to their music.

However, we can’t say that Papa Dance only rode on their decade-old success. They’ve also released new albums, which featured both revamped versions of their old songs and some new material, which gained interested of completely new fans.

One of their most important post-reactivation albums is 1.000.000 fanek nie mogło się mylić! released in 2008. It featured new songs which highlighted the group’s artistic quality, for example:

• Bez braw, bez łez
• Będziemy tańczyć
• Czarny śnieg

Of course, all of this happened with Paweł Stasiak, who not only didn’t lose his charm, but had gained new experiences which had a positive impact on his music.

Mr. Dance

When Papa Dance first disbanded Stasiak had decided to pursue a solo career and started working on his solo music under the pseudonym Mr. Dance.

In the 90s he released 3 studio albums: Mr Dance, Pozdrowienia dla Papa Dance and Życzenia. In 1992 debut album was certified gold in the category of disco.

Mr. Dance – Do the right thing

As Mr. Dance, Stasiak focused on pop and dance genres, characteristic for the 90s. His most popular song from that time are, among others, Do The Right Thing featuring Kayah and Nasza Love ’93.

Thanks to his solo career Stasiak was able to keep in touch with the fans and explore new sounds during Papa Dance’s disbandment. His albums brought a breath of fresh air to Polish dance music and combined pop melodies with modern arrangements.

Paweł Stasiak now

Stasiak is still a part of Papa D, during their concerts they sing both new songs and revamped versions of their old hits. He’s also working on his solo music. In 2023 he teased a new album by releasing a single Bywa, że.

Paweł Stasiak regularly performs – both as a soloist and with the group. In 2025 he is supposed to perform in Opole during Letnia Scena Muzyczna.

Paweł Stasiak is an artist with rich musical background. Learning about his career can help you understand the evolution of popular music in Poland – its changes, popularity among various age groups, and issues with the law, which forced the group to change their name from Papa Dance to Papa D.

Article: Paweł Skarzyński
Translation: Matylda Widawska
Zdjęcia: Facebook artysty

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