William Penn Life, 2000 (35. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2000-08-01 / 8. szám
The Hungarian Folk Dance THE CHRONICLES OF EUROPE'S dance history overflow with references to Hungarian folk dance: the recruiting dances of the 18th and 19th centuries, the Verbunk, the dance of the Hussars, the peasant couple dance and the csárdás, which became a ballroom dance in the mid-19th century. During the 19th century, Hungarian dancers appeared on the stages of Europe, scoring great success with their national dances and virtuosity. In the 1820's, for instance, József Farkas earned critical and popular recognition for his “Hungarian toe dance." Imre Vahot's first Hungarian dance company toured Europe in the 1840's with great success. And, as Hungarian dancers gained recognition, the csárdás—a dance of peasant origins-was added to the waltz and polka in the programs of the fashionable balls of London, Paris and Prague. Hungarian dance stems from various layers of the national culture. Bela Bartok's ballet "The Wooden Prince" displays the unmistakable features of Hungarian art. The "bottle dance" and the "swineherd's dance" in the repertoire of the Hungarian Folk Ensemble were originally performed on festive occasions by peasants as late as a generation ago. Other original folk dances still survive in small villages and are often recorded by researchers. Birth of the Csardas When Franz Liszt visited Hungary in 1842, a ball was organized in his honor in the Gentry Casino, Pest- Buda. Toward midnight, Liszt asked to be shown a really fiery Hungarian dance, similar to those he had seen during his tour in the provinces. Wishing to please their illustrious compatriot living abroad, a noble brother and sister from Gyöngyös came forward and performed the spirited couplé dance, which the grape-gatherers perform at vintage time. Liszt took such a liking to the dance that he asked the couple to One more time, in English... For the benefit of our readers not schooled in the Hungarian language, we present this English version of this month’s “Magyar Nyelv” feature. It is not a complete word-for-word translation, but we feel it will give you a general understanding and appreciation of the subject discussed. repeat it twice during the ball. News about this great success spread quickly, and the couple dance soon become a fashionable national dance performed by landowners and peasants alike at harvest festival and vintage celebrations. The dance's name was coined by a correspondent of the Diet writing about the ball. He noted the dance performed there "was the same as the dances performed on Sundays by peasant lads and girls in the csarda (village inn or pub)." This name soon was applied to all couple dances, often with additional distinctive attributes like "tough csárdás" and "rapping csárdás." The csárdás is danced throughout most of Hungary in the following succession of patterns: (a) The boy and girl dance in front of each other with his hands on her waist and hers on his shoulders; (b) After various motifs, the couple whirls or the girl pivots around the raised hands of the boy; (c) In more archaic forms, the couple separates and the boy performs a spectacular solo while the girls turns about her own axis or imitates the steps of the boy with reduced dynamism; (d) The dance usually ends with the couple twirling together. , ' JFheBíecruitinfgOánces^ In the group of soldier dances, the Haidu-dance, performed with swords in the 16th and 17th centuries, is known nowadays from historical documents. The still surviving Verbunk has, however, preserved the memory of the recruitments of bygone times. (The word Verbunk derives from the German Werbung, which means recruiting.) In the western part of the country the circular pattern of the dance reflects the circles formed by the young recruits around the corporal. The term Verbunk applies not only to these round dances but also to freely improvised male solos performed as an introduction to village balls or between couple dances to show off individual skill. In many places after the girls had left the ball, there commenced a freer, more reckless frolicking in which the young lads pitted their virtuosity against each other's. This type of dancing is rather rare in today's villages and is indulged in only by the most skillful. The Verbunk has inspired many Hungarian composers and artists. A classic example is Zoltán Kodaly's famous "recruiting dance" in his opera "Janos Hary," which has been choreographed by opera companies, the Hungarian Folk Ensemble and amateur dance ensembles. The Pastoral Dances Another group of male dances are the pastoral, or herdsman, dances. Living outdoors winter and summer alike, Hungarian herdsmen had to rely on their own strength and skill to defend their herds from wolves, thieves and rough weather. They became adept at handling sticks, axes, ropes and other tools. The pastoral dances adapted the skills of the herdsmen, especially the use of sticks. In these dances, the dancer will hold the stick on his shoulders, lay it crosswise on his back or even twirl it around his fingers on one hand while slapping his boots with the other hand. This type of dance is a favorite in many contemporary Hungarian dance programs. It serves as a touchstone for the very best performers. |"p| | William Penn Lile, August 2000 17
