Hungarian folk dance legends visit Folklorama

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This article was published 21/08/2013 (4593 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two award-winning Hungarian folk dancers graced the Hungarian pavilion with their passion and skill from Aug. 11 to 17.

Ignác Kádár and Jozsef Kubriczky arrived in Winnipeg from Hungary to perform during the second week of Folklorama.

Born in Transylvania, Kádár said he was born into the world of dance, as his grandfather was a well-known folk dancer.

“I learned beside my grandfather about folk dancing,” Kádár said.

Kádár has had a successful dancing career so far. He’s won the Golden Spurs Award — a prestigious prize presented to male soloists — three times.

“Fantastic!” Kádár laughed when asked how he felt after winning on three occasions. “The first one was really something special. Once I won the first one, it spurred me on to win the other two.”

Three-time Golden Spurs winners such as Kádár, are inducted into a hall of fame for Hungarian folk dancers.

Kádár said to win the award, contestants must incorporate their knowledge of the three different regions of Hungary’s dance material in their choreography.

Kubriczky started dancing when he was five years old.

“When I started technical college, I joined a dance group in Hungary and I danced for 19 years,” Kubriczky said.

Both Kádár and Kubriczky have taught Hungarian folk dance to many western Canadian dance groups, but this is their first time performing at Folklorama.

“I really like it,” Kádár said. “Based on comments I’ve heard, I feel pleased that everyone is happy with what we are showing them. We’re very pleased the guests are receiving us well.”

Kádár and Kubriczky danced onstage three times together. Their last performance involved a third dancer onstage with them, expertly swinging around staffs.

“It’s a traditional dance that herdsmen do from the northeastern corner of Hungary,” Hungarian translator Agi Libor said. “They dance with their staff that they use for herding sheep.”

The Karpat Hungarian Folk Dancers of Winnipeg (KHFDW) also performed at the pavilion, including a crowd favourite involving balancing objects on their heads.

“One of everybody’s favourites is the bottle dance, where the girls dance and balance bottles (of wine) on their heads,” Libor said. “It’s usually done at grape harvests or weddings.”

For more information about the KHFDW, call 204-231-2009.