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. The dances and costumes represent the variety and richness of folklore and customs of the entire Carpathian Basin which have emerged over the centuries. With their interethnic repertoire, they 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. |