Magyar News, 1993. szeptember-1994. augusztus (4. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1994-07-01 / 11-12. szám
Dance is one of the most unambiguous, most understandable forms of art, while folk dance is the most instinctive and spontaneous expression of the national consciousness. The origins of Hungarian folk dancing may be traced back to the Middle Ages. The earliest representations of our folk dances were primarily characterized by a strong commitmenttoa“community’’character; as the result, these dances were performed by a number of dancers in a circle or other group forms. The Circle Girls’ Dances are the most ancient manifestations of our national dance culture. Immensely popular and widespread initially, these dance forms may be found only in a few regions of the country, notably in some areas of Northern Hungary, the southern part of Transdanubia and in a few villages of Transylvania. On the other hand, we should quickly add, that the Hungarian National Folk Ensemble never fails to include a few of these dances in its program. Many will recall thedelightful circle dances the girls perform to the sole accompaniment to their cheerful, enthusiastic singing, while the Bottle Dances haveal way s proved to be perennial favorites. Some of the most archaic elements of the Hungarian folk dance traditions have been preserved in our Shepherds’/Herdsmen’s/ Dances. This dance form is strongly related to the performing culture of the Heyducks (Hajdú); some elements of this folk art date back to the 15th century. The shepherds while tending their flocks in the mountains had to survive the vigors of a highly disciplined and severe lifestyle during most of the year; as the result, their annual visits to the relative calm of the villages led to prolonged, care-free and, frequently, wild celebrations of drinking, dancing and other expressions of popular amusements. The Shepherds’ Dances are usually solo dances for men, and their structure significantly freer and less constrained than that of the group dances. They usually provide ample opportunity for unrestrai ned individual improvisation. The Stick Dance frequently becomes a structural element of the S hepherds ’ Dances; it is still quite popular in the eastern part of Hungary and in Gypsy communities. The character of “fighting” in these dances never fails to impress and excite the audience; Stick Dances have become dependable elements in dance compositions of virtuosity. The original Couple Dances of our culture originate from the 16th century. Despite the strong protestations of the clergy, these had become increasingly widespread and popular. The Lassú Magyaros, the Sebes Magyaros and the Forgatos of Marosszek are among the earliest representatives of this group. While performing them, the couples were holding hands and were turning frequently in easy harmony. No wonder, these dances had become so well-liked! The Verbunkos dates back to the 1700’s and represent the custom of recruiting young men, frequently by forceful and unscrupupage 4 HUNGARIAN FOLK DANCE: LIVING Cl lous methods, into the Army of the Austro- Hungarian Empire. The solo-version is still quite popular in Transylvania and the Upper Tisza Region, while the verbunkos group dance is prevalent in the Kisalföld and Kiskunság. The Csárdás is the most recent, newest addition to the Hungarian folk dance culture; it appeared first in the middle of the nineteenth century. It had become widely known and extremely popular. Csárdás had become the Hungarian national dance. The character of this dance is strongly influenced by regional differences of form and expression. It may be classified into “slow” and “fresh” forms. Dancing the csárdás in the 1800’s, during the Age of Reform and Revolution, usually indicated a commitment to national independence. The study and organized collection of Hungarian folk dances and the development of scientific research of the characteristics of national folklore were, to an important extent, prompted by the significant findings and achievements of Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály. Scientific methodology of research was employed in this work from the 1920’s. In the ’30’s, the Gyöngyösbokrcta Movement became an important source for organized study and orderly recording of Hungarian folk dancing. Naturally, the development of increasingly sophisticated recording equipment and the appearance of film and video technology have greatly contributed to this research activity. Reference has already been made to the Hungarian National Folk Ensemble. This performing group was established in 1951, with Miklós Rábai, László G ulyás and Imre Csenki providing the original leadership. The Ensemble had always been very popular; its much-anticipated international tours L were received with reliably tumultuous enthusiasm. Its original performing style tended to be theatrical and highly polished and frequently bore the characteristics of a “folk-show.” Under the leadership of the new artistic director, Mr. Sándor Timár, the performances tend to be less “flashy,” while greater emphasis has been placed on authenticity. The recent North American tour of the Ensemble strongly reconfirmed this performance philosophy. Both the “Rábai” and “Timar” approaches have their adherents and detractors. It appears that, despite of the differences, the Hungarian National Folk Ensemble, has always fulfilled its goal and ambition: itsuccessfully provided quality representation of Hungarian folklore on the stage and has also been able to teach and entertain. A significant development took place in the 1970’s. Prompted by the weekly ccl-After a successful deal at the country fair. (XIX cent.) Verbunkos (Szabolcs-Sz
