| The Ensemble |
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| The
Budapest Dance Ensemble is one of the oldest, yet
freshest folk dance groups from Central Europe.
In the 40 years of its existence the professional
troupe has performed on almost every continent
with very significant critical acclaim while
presenting Hungarian and other Central European
folk cultures. The ensemble consisting of 10 - 12
couples of dancers and a small orchestra presents
folklore that retains the power of authentic
traditions, while at the same satisfying the ever
increasing requirements of contemporary
audiences. In addition to rechoreographing and
adapting original material for dance theatre
pieces, the Ensemble's repertoire also features
improvisational dances inspired by the Dance
House Movement. Our dances and costumes represent the variety and richness of folklore and customs of the entire Carpathian Basin which have emerged over the centuries. With our interethnic repertoire we also wish to contribute to mutual respect and better understanding of the nations living in the Danube area. The members of the Budapest Dance Ensemble are selected from the best young folk dancers throughout Hungary, and they are specially trained by the Artistic Director Zoltán Zsuráfszki until they are ready to tour with the group. All of them are accomplished masters in improvised dancing and are dedicated to the same ideal of preservation and performance of authentic folk dance at the highest level. The dancers represent the very best in Hungary's folk dance scene and so do the members of the small orchestra as far as music is concerned. On traditional folk music instruments they mesmerize the audience by reviving the unique atmosphere of village dance festivities on the stage and make the performance of the Budapest Dance Ensemble an unforgettable event. |
- Established in 1958 by István Molnár as a professional touring company to represent Hungarian folklore
- Triumphant tours on all Continents
- Reorganized in 1991 by Zoltán Zsuráfszki. As from April 1998 the Budapest Dance Ensemble is part of the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble as its artistically independent Chamber Group.
- A young and energetic company
- Continues to be one of the premier professional folk-ballets in Hungary
- A relatively small, efficient ensemble, adaptable for specific requirements of presenters.
- Presenting versatile and flexible repertoire from "authentic folk" to "world dance" presentations
- Programming to focus on universally understood new dance idiom
- Authentic folklore is used as building blocks in a new style of choreographic design
The Ensemble is composed of 10-12 couples of young professional dancers.
- Deffend Irén, Delbó Krisztina, Endrődi Anna Sára, Fejér Erika, Gömöri Éva, Hrabovszky Hajnalka, Kocsis Enikő, Orosz Anett, Péter Zsuzsa, Sóskuti Edit, Sár Emese, Vincze Zsuzsanna
- Albunovics Milán, Busai Norbert, Fitos Dezső, Gémesi Zoltán, Hajdú Flórián, Katona Gábor, Kádár Ignác, Simon Csaba, Taba Csaba, Valach Gábor, Zsuráfszki Zoltán
The small orchestra consists of 4 - 6 musicians playing on string and other traditional instruments including cymbalum, hurdy-gurdy, bagpipe, clarinet, recorder, kaval, jew's harp etc... Its members are:
- Árendás Péter, Balogh Kálmán,
Bartók József, Kelemen László, Makó Péter, Papp
István "Gázsa" who on occasions are supported by some of Hungary's
best free lance musicians as guest artists, such as Juhász Zoltán, members
of the Vujicsics Ensemble or other artists fitting into the repertoire
of the Budapest Dance Ensemble.
The audio clip ("Ádámosi csárdás és szökő") is played by Papp István "Gázsa" (violin), Árendás Péter (3 stringed viola), Liber Endre (cymbalum) and Liber Róbert (double bass) |
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According to the promoter's wishes, the Ensemble can occasionally be supported by famous soloist singers such as Sebestyén Márta and Berecz András. On request, a gypsy band is also available to perform musical pieces of the universally known urban gypsy orchestras' repertoire.
The Artistic Director, choreographer and
solo dancer of the Budapest Dance Ensemble is Zoltán Zsuráfszki, who is the leader of his generation in presenting
folk dance on stage. He received his education during a special period
when the Hungarian folklore revival movement was at its highest energy.
As a performer Zoltán Zsuráfszki is unsurpassed. He can convey the energy,
excitement and authenticity of folk dance of a level never been seen before.
He is respected by audiences on the world's finest stages but he is also
at home at a village wedding in Transylvania. Zsuráfszki's ability to
convey with insurmountable energy the very spirit of folk dance is unique
and was recognized with the highest awards. He is also an excellent teacher
and choreographer who demands the same high standards from the members
of his Ensemble as from himself.
The Musical Director of the Budapest Dance Ensemble is László
Kelemen,
one of a rare breed of musicians who have complete
understanding and knowledge of both classical music and
authentic folk music. He is not only an excellent
musician, composer and prolific arranger, but also a
dynamic author, researcher and producer of authentic folk
music. Recently he coordinated the largest collection of
Hungarian folk music since the early part of this century
which is now partially released on CD.
Artistic Director and
Chief Choreographer: Zoltán Zsuráfszki
Musical Director: László
Kelemen
Dance Instructors: Vincze Zsuzsa, Katona Gábor
Excercise Instructor: Hargitai Zsuzsa
Artistic Assistant: Györgyfalvay Katalin
The Budapest Dance Ensemble often invites guest choreographers as well, such as Sára Ferenc from Transylvania, Varga Ervin from Slovakia and Balla Zoltán, Foltin Jolán (Kossuth-prize award), Györgyfalvay Katalin (Erkel-prize award), Vincze Zsuzsanna from Hungary.
GREATEST SUCCESSES OF THE ENSEMBLE:
Since its founding 40 years ago, the Ensemble toured almost every European country (with several major tours in France, Germany, Italy) as well as - except for Australia - all continents including the USA, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Peru, Algeria, Kuwait, India, Indonesia, Iran, Vietnam, Korea...
| The last large
scale tour was organized in Japan, in 1995. Zsuzsa Vincze and Zoltán Zsuráfszki with Mrs. and Mr. Takamodo, a prominent member of the Japanese Imperial family. ...............................>>> |
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"Die ungarische Antwort auf das Tango-Fieber" Neue Zürcher Zeitung
"Hungarian Exuberance ... It was a terrific evening of boisterous dancing and high spirits combined with serious thought". The New York Times
"Never a Dull Moment in Show By Exciting Hungarian Dancers" Buffalo Evening News
"la creme des danseurs hongrois. L’avant-gardisme et l’originalité des chorégraphies ainsi qu’une maîtrise des techniques de danse traditionnelle ont permis a la troupe de faire reconnaître l’expression folklorique de l’Europe de l’Est comme un art véritable." LeDroit, Ottawa
"Les douze couples de danseurs sont d'une constante virtuosité et donnent le sentiment de vivre leur spectacle avec la meme bonne humeur qu'au premier jour." Quotidien de Paris
"Dieser ungarische Heimatabend reisst das Publikum beinahe von den Sitzen und lässt es bis zum Fallen des letzten Vorhanges ohne Erholungspause." Oberösterreichische Nachrichten, Linz
"Ein kurzweiliger und interessanter Abend, der Lust auf eine Wiederbegegnung mit dem Budapester Ensemble machte... " Fellbach/Deutschland
"Los vistosos trajes típicos y la variedad de danzas folklóricas, combinadas con la música vivaz, alegre y virtuosa de la orquestra húngara, dieron una visión general del paisaje multicolor de la escena campesina del país magyar, uno de los mejor poseídos de tradición popular en Europa." La Industria, Trujillo (Peru)
"Prorompe da esse una strapante gioia di vita, qualcosa che frizza, brilla, eccita, come una coppa di champagne". Corriere di Napoli
- Tetsuo Masunaga, Producer, Tokyo, Japan, Tel. 00 81 426-79-3837, Fax: 00 811 426-75-6263 and 00 81 426-79-3517, E-mail folklore@din.or.jp
- Centrum Management, Kálmán Magyar, 178 Oakdene Ave., Teaneck, NJ 07666, USA, Tel.: 201-836-4869, Fax: 201-836-1590, E-mail: magyar@magyar.org URL:http://www.magyar.org/csardas
- Daniel Coustry, Directeur du Festival Mondial de Folklore de St Ghislain, Belgique, Tél. 0032 65 62.19.74 or 0032 75 45.47.41
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