43rd National Táncház Festival & Fair • 5–7 April 2024
Issue:
Starting page: 12
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The first dance houses held in Budapest (which were not open to the general public) were at the book club on Liszt Ferenc tér in May and June of 1972. Directors of the Bartók, Bihari, Vasas, and Vadrozsák amateur folk dance ensembles thought the members of the performing dance groups should come together in a social situation to do folk dance. Sebő, Halmos and Éri Péter played music. The event was actually organized by dancers of the Bihari Ensemble: Lelkes Lajos, Foltin Jolán and Stoller Antal; main mentor of the events was folk dance and music researcher Martin György. This event sparked the beginning of the dance house movement. A 3rd dance house was held in February of 1973, this time at the "FMH" (a community cultural center in Budapest’s 11th district) and this event was open to the general public. The Bartók Ensemble became the motor and organizers of an urban folk revival movement which became popular amongst a certain layer of Budapest youth. Intellectual leaders/masterminds of the initiative were Martin György, Timár Sándor, Sebő Ferenc and Halmos Béla. Includes excerpts from interviews with Halmos Béla and Foltin Jolán.