bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Traditional Hungarian folk dancing is a rousing affair that celebrates the joy of life. The Hungarian State Folk Ensemble's  vibrant Hungarian Concerto, Hommage a Bela Bartok,  introduces Asian audiences to this centuries-old East European art form.
'The dancing is very energetic and there's also a great grace to it. I hope people in Hong Kong will be taken by the enthusiasm of the dancers and will love Hungarian dance,' said Maria Ferencz, managing director of Hungarian Heritage House, one division of which is the ensemble.
The ensemble is widely regarded as the one of the world's great folkloric troupes.
Over 40 members of the troupe, dressed in authentic Hungarian folk costumes, dance to the lively strains of gypsy music played by a nine-piece orchestra of strings, wind and traditional folk instruments - dazzling audiences with intricate displays of footwork.
'One would think the dancing is very easy to do because the dancers are so skilled. But when you try it, you realise it's hard work,' Ms Ferencz said.
Women wear fancy, embroidered peasant dresses, some with full skirts that reveal petticoats as they twirl around. Men wear ethnic  clothes, black leather boots and hats.
'You see the incredible richness of Hungarian culture through the costumes and the dances.' The dancing is enhanced by theatrical techniques, special lighting and video projections, for example, which show the rural origins of Hungarian folk dances. 'Folk dancing came from community life. Some dances were performed at weddings and at harvest time, but these are also everyday dances of village people,' Ms Ferencz explained.
The opening and closing dances pay tribute to native son Bela Bartok,  one of the 20th century's greatest classical music composers who was also an avid collector of Eastern European and Middle Eastern folk tunes.
The first part of the programme begins with a dance performed in black-and-white costumes. 'The choreographer did this in order to concentrate on the essence of the dance itself. This was what Bartok was interested in. The focus is on the purity of the movement,' she said.
'Hungarian dancing comes from the inside. It's not acrobatic. It feels spontaneous.'
Men's solos are one of the highlights of the Hungarian Concerto's 15-part suite of dances. Flexibility and power, combined with dancing virtuosity, characterise their performances. 'There are fantastic solos. The male dances are like competitions,' she said. 'In the villages, people gathered and watched as the men danced and showed off their skills.' The roots of another men's dance date back to the war dances of the Middle Ages which revealed a man's skills and prowess. When girls suddenly arrive, the scene turns into a playful celebration of couples dancing.
Each dance in the programme is separate and stands alone, but the entire effort is choreographed so that dances follow each other almost seamlessly. 'There is a link between each dance. When one dance comes to an end, another one is beginning,' Ms Ferencz explained.
A clapping dance, featuring two dancing couples accompanied by a violin and a bagpipe, allows each dancer's individuality and technique to shine through.
With couples' dances, the more manly aspects are counterbalanced by a more delicate, lyrical quality.
A medieval wind instrument called the tarogato,  that resembles a clarinet, provides the accompaniment for a voice and tarogato dance. An instrument that was forbidden to be played in the early 18th century, it has become an enduring symbol of the struggle for freedom.
In the couple's dance from Csikszek,  Transylvania, another unusual instrument called the 'hit-gardon', carved from a tree trunk, is played. Its strings are plucked and played percussively, as the dancers clap and stomp in a complementary rhythm.
Since the 1970s, Hungarian folk dances have enjoyed a popular resurgence in Hungary. 'That's when a movement began in Budapest. A small group of people realised that these national heritage dances had to be collected and brought from villages to the cities,' she said.
New elements that put an emphasis on the authenticity of the dances were incorporated into existing traditional dances, which Ms Ferencz likened to a 'fresh breeze' sweeping through the art form.
The professional dancers in the ensemble start learning to dance in childhood. They train at dance schools or are selected from top amateur groups. While the average age of the dancers is 23, some have been with the group for nearly 20 years.
Founded in 1951, the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble has performed in 44 countries around the world.
Its aim has been to preserve and revitalise folk dance traditions and  traditional costumes, and to present the dances to a wider audience.
The group won Hungary's Prima Primissima Prize in 2007. The annual national prize has been awarded in various categories since 2003 by the Hungarian National Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers. Its aim is to enhance the development of science, art and culture and to highlight the achievement of Hungarian intellectuals.
The Hungarian Concerto programme at the Hong Kong Arts Festival was first performed during the ensemble's 31/2-month North American tour last year.
The Hungarian State Folk Ensemble performs on March 15 and 16 at 7.30pm at the Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. An extra show has been added on March 16 at 3pm.



Night of dazzling dance