Karikázó, 1977. július - 1978. április (3. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)

1977-07-01 / 1. szám

This year, the HUNGÁRIA Folk Dance Ensemble is celebrating its 15th anniver­sary, with a series of folk dance shows and performances in the N. Y. Metropoli­tan area. The Ensemble gave two full evening programsrin Passaic, N.J. and at the Robert Wagner Auditorium in N. Y. City. Both well reflected the group's repertoir of its 15 years of existence as well as its pride, great dedication and affection it takes in Hungarian ethnic culture. * Outstanding parts of this repertoir were performed for audiences in New Bruns­wick, N.J. and Danbury, Conn, as well. The entire program will be presented again on July 22nd at Robin Hood Del. in Philadelphia , Pa. Presently, the Ensemble is also pre­paring for its trip to Hungary this sum­mer to participate in a "Festival for Hun­garian Ensembles of Abroad". Upon re­turning to the United States, it will ap­pear with a special choreography at the Hungarian Heritage Festival, Garden State Arts Center on Sept 10 , 1977. Programs presented by the Hungária Ensemble this past spring well portrayed different types and styles existing in Hungarian folk dancing. Varieties, from Palotás - court dance of 19th century nobles to the characteristic dance style of Szék in Transylvania, from the formal,al­lűr ing I^aUaJUKetto^(Double Dance ofKál- FOLK DANCE ENSEMBLE Among ethnic folklore ensembles tne New York based Hungária Folk Dance En­semble, led by Dr. Balázs Somogyi and by Kálmán and Judith Magyar is not only a thoroughly enjoyable, an outstanding and artistically superior group but also unique for at least three other reasons as well . Dancing for fun and love, for music and rhythm is a natural form of self- expres­sion. Dancing on stage to entertain an audience can be a form of communication, of art. But dancing to confirm an audi­ence in its national cultural heritage and identity can be a mission, an act of in­spiration, of communion. Such an act is the program of the Hungária Ensemble, celebrating the fifteenth anniversarycf its foundation this year. In Hungary and in other countries flhere the world's more than fifteen million Hun­garians live, there are remote villages where original folk customs, folk dances are still natural parts of life. On the stages of Budapest and other cities,slight­ly stylized versions of original Hungarian folk dances are performed with great ar­tistic success.Still,vhm seme of that same music, dance and song evokes tears and joyful shouts from Hungarian audiences in New York, Passaic, Cleveland and Washington: there is an almost religious sense of renewed affirmation in the audi­torium. The rhythmic applause and the beaming faces seem to say: yes, that is our essence, our very soul, we recognize it, we are in touch once again with our heritage, with each other and with our­selves. 1Ó) to the simple, dramatic presentation of "In Memóriám", from the robust,earthy temperament of shepherds' dances to the sophisticated, exquisite steps of Transyl­vanian lads were included with the design of creating a colorful, exciting mosaic, revived on stage by the performers' inner feeling and enthusiasm for Hungarian folk dancing and folklore. Folk customs, such as the watering of girls on Easter Monday, the dancing of cooking women at weddings, the merry pastimes of the spinnery (Fon6) were also depicted to the audience. As a contrast to adult dancing , the Children's Dance Group of the Hungarian Reformed Church (Passaic, N.J), directed by Judith Magyar and Zsuzsa Király, per­formed an arrangement of playful folk customs of the youngest generation of Hungarian villages. Guest artists, singer Erzsébét Szalai. musicians László Hogya on cix-nbalom,Ká­roly Géczv on base, Sim Jackendoff on clarinet & furulya, László Pethó on guitar and the group's own folk instrumentalists, singers well complemented the dance program. With their aid the ensemble was able to render for the audience the insep­arability of dancing, music and singing in Hungarian folk dance presentations. The HUNGÁRIA Ensemble's founding director, Dr. Bálázs Somogyi,artistic di­rector and choreographer Kálmán Magyar, The role of an ethnic art group func­tioning anong members of that ethnic her­itage, living in diaspora, should also in­clude to provide a medium, a mode to au­diences to reestablish, maintain and cul­tivate a living relationship with their roots, with their past, with their identity. The Hungária Ensemble has taken upon itself the responsibility to maintain such a role during its fifteen years of existence by not only performing, but also by organ­izing and causing others to organize a re­vitalized, authentic folk art, folk dance activity in the United States. When five, eight, ten years old child­ren are performing some of the age- old folk dances and games to zither music,ob­viously enjoying themselves, one realizes the second reason why the Hungária En­semble is unique: it not only fosters but ass't choreographer and costume dir. Ju­dith Magyar, the technical staff, directed by Levente Koller and Iván Lengyel, the art staff, headed by Árpád C. Makay and above all the dancers deserve great praise for their dedication and solidarity they exhibited during the preparations for the worthy celebration of the group's 15. Year of existence. For this occasion, the HUNGÁRIA has published a booklet, with the history, in­formative text and photographs about the group. It is available at the price of $1.00 plus postage, by writing to this Newslet­ter* Judith Magyar works to perpetuate the love for folk art in generations to come... and not only Hun­garian generations. This is the third as­pect of the group's singularity: throughout the years, it also effected and included performers not of Hungarian extraction, proving that true art is universal to all people. They are making Hungarian folk art available to Non-Hungarian audiences in other ways as well. The leaders of the Ensemble are continually conducting courses and workshops in Hungarian folk dance and folklore throughout the United States. The Hungária Ensemble is not only a folk dance group: it is a movement foster­ing authentic and high quality perpetuation of a universal and, at the same time very specifically Hungarian mode of expressiv« art. Dr.Karoly Nagy 15Öf%ar GAnniveráary Above: "Széki Táncház"-Négyes or Foursome To left: "in Memóriám" (photo:Ruben Jara)

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