August 9, 2026, 20:30
(Rain Date: August 10, 2026, 20:30)
Great Forest Open-Air Stage
Following in the footsteps of the tireless ethnographer György Martin, the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble invites audiences to the richly decorated folk region of Kalotaszeg. The year is 1969, and the occasion is a landmark dance-collecting expedition. The result was a documentary film that became a milestone in the history of Hungarian—and indeed European—folk dance education. This performance is a tribute to the Hungarian, Romanian, and Romani tradition bearers, dancers, and musicians who preserved and passed on this extraordinary cultural heritage.
Living Dance Archive
Several years ago, Kossuth Prize-winning choreographer Zoltán Zsuráfszky launched the Living Martin Archive series, inspired by the original field recordings and research of Dr. György Martin, as a tribute to the renowned scholar’s life’s work.
Bonchida Three Times
Kalotaszeg
Szatmár
Gyimes
Mezőség
The Living Dance Archive series revolutionized Hungarian staged folk dance by demonstrating the remarkable artistic power that can emerge from an authentic “pure source.” The productions in the series—Bonchida Three Times, Kalotaszeg, Szatmár, Gyimes, and Mezőség—showcase the most deeply researched and faithfully mastered authentic dance traditions of each region, highlighting their outstanding dancers and distinctive styles. They offer audiences the opportunity to rediscover the richness and beauty of their own dance and musical heritage. Every sincere and moving moment of these performances is a testament to the creators’ deep devotion to traditional folk culture.
Director and Choreographer: Zoltán Zsuráfszky
