Hungarian State Folk Ensemble
Transcarpathia Invoked
Thence and over the Passes
We live in an age where human communities around us find themselves in an emotional state that is almost beyond their endurance, where they cannot stand the chaos of their souls and the noise coming from their environment. Cliché-like preaching can no longer give spiritual support to today’s people weary of faithless life-styles, unreliable human models and moral confusion; it is unable to recharge them with dynamism, enthusiasm or devotion for action.
Creative people highly responsive to the world are on a constant search for the answer to basic questions of human existence: what sustains us, and what is it that keeps and supports us. What is it that still belongs to us, and what allows us to be ourselves?
Theatre creators using the language of folk art are in pursuit of a state of being that supports and elevates the soul, of veritable experiences and inspirations arising from the Bartokian “clear spring”.
Each culture safeguards and lives its own spirit in a miniature version, but in its basic elements, it holds the heritage of the universal human culture. Part of this heritage is acceptance, solidarity and placing nations next to each other instead of above each other. ‘He, who is able like what he owns – is free, and without any compulsion and insatiable hunger or thirst of possession’ - as we believe together with Janos Pilinszky.
The new choreography of the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble, Transcarpathia Invoked, Thence and over the Passes for the first time in the history of the Hungarian folkdance shows the colourful and rich traditional culture of the nations living in Eastern-Carpathia and in its foreground Transcarpathia: Hungarians, Ukrainians, Rusyns, Romanians, Gipsies, Jews. It presents all that is common in these nations’ folklore as well as all the national characteristics, the emphasis however, is on the common roots, picturing the necessary similarities resulting from the shared historical past. (Those Rusyn nations that still preserve the memory of Francis II. Rákóczi are proud of their forefathers, who fought together with the Hungarians, defending the castles of the prince.)
Passing on tradition, getting to know the folklore language of our own and the neighbouring nations provide possibilities of new encounters and of declaring ourselves. Theatre is a chance for these encounters, it provides a mirror to these. A mirror, that is a pleasure to look into, which provides a reflection to those, who create it and to those, who will experience the state of inspirative acceptance in the silence of the audience.
Contributors: Dance Ensemble and Orchestra of the Hungarian Sate Folk Ensemble,
Guest appearance: Tamás Bősze, Lajos Pál
Eszter Pál. László Szlama (from CD),
Soloists: Martina Szerencsés, Júlia Kubinyi, Eszter Pál, Milán Hetényi, Balázs Szoboszlai
Solo dancer: Gabriella Bakos, Beatrix Borbély
Music by: István Pál Szalonna
Musical editor: Lajos Pál
Choreographers: Dezső Fitos, Enikő Kocsis, Richárd Kökény, Gábor Mihályi
Costume design: Rita Furik
Stage design: Zsuzsa Molnár
Video animation: Soós Andrea
Lights: Győri László
Artistic assistant: Calin Orza
Director-choreographer: Gábor Mihályi
Archive photographs shown in the performance belong to the collection of the phto archives of the Museum of Etnography. The images were selected by Judit Csorba.
Leader of the orchestra: Ferenc Radics
Dancegroup leader: Richárd Kökény
Assistants: Beatrix Borbély, Katalin Jávor, György Ágfalvi
Director of the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble: Gábor Mihályi
