Dance Mystery from Christmas to Easter
The dance performance of the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble, which is in keeping with the celebration of Easter, draws on the liturgy of the various Christian denominations as well as on the ancient peasant folk customs and songs of the far-flung regions of the Carpathian Basin, which serve as a guide for the audience to the parallel storylines revolving around the life of Christ and peasant traditions respectively. The dances, folk songs and customs are interwoven with religious folk melodies and church hymns associated with notable days - both Christian and Pagan, Hungarian and other ethnic groups - to form a unified stage, evoking the entire Carpathian Basin from the Highlands (SK) from Kalotaszeg through Gyimes to Moldva (RO), from the Rábaköz to the Southern Great Plain (Dél-Alföld).
The fresh, contemporary tone of the performance, the diverse yet interwoven musical texture, the dynamics, virtuosity and lyrical content of peasant dances, the staged realisation of customs, the contemporary visuals and the symbolic representation of the Christian way of life are all joined together to create this unique staple of the Hungarian folk dance theatre.
The performance incorporates archaic folk prayers collected by Zsuzsanna Erdélyi.
The performance of the Bartók Spring is presented by Müpa Budapest as a joint event with Hungarian Heritage House – Hungarian State Folk Ensemble.