43rd National Táncház Festival & Fair • 5–7 April 2024
Issue:
Starting page: 6
Serie:
 =>  
MAGTÁR – Literature and the dance house. Excerpt from a novel entitled „Iker” (meaning: twin) by Transylvanian Hungarian writer, poet, editor Simó Márton which includes description of the early dance house movement in Transylvania. „…the authorities prohibited it, but allowed it. They permitted it, and didn’t. For awhile. Then they stopped it. There were certain elements in the dance house music and in the dance that could be used for ideological purposes, but only if taken out of the original context.” „… the national schizophrenia. The need to create the myth and the past, in a national package of lies…until the people believe it… The [dance house] movement was born in oppositon to this. Back to the roots. Back to the pure source. The mentality of Bartók, Kodály, Lajtha László, Domokos Pál Péter reappeared and Kallós Zoltán’s folk music collection work seemed to align with this mentality.” One of the novel’s main characters, Hunor participated, „…Hunor felt like he was in his element when he went to the dance house. For one thing there were a lot of women there. Which is important for every young man. You could meet and make friends with teachers, university students, nurses, girls studying to be school teacher…”