AAWM Journal 13/No. 1 (2025)

Hitting the Beat: Transylvanian Roma Musicians and Village Dancers in Community Improvisation

Judith E. Olson

rhythm, beat, dance, Hungarian folk music, Roma, legényes, táncház, Transylvania

“Hitting the beat” is both a compliment and a requirement of Transylvanian musicians in evaluating the Hungarian villagers for whom they play. “. . . it’s good for someone to know how to listen, to stay constantly together, not just now and then, to hit together, and then again, all the way to the end. Like pistons at work, it’s not possible to miss two hits, because it has to go on. In that way it makes sense.” Prímás „Pali Marci” (Filep Márton (Quigley and Varga 2020, 128))

This paper will look at various manners of hitting the beat in Hungarian village dance, the assistance (mostly) Roma bands give to dancers, and their interactions. I attend to all members of the band, the primás who leads and plays the songs, but also supporting musicians: bass and especially brácsa (Hungarian viola), and how they create structure and opportunities for the dancer to play with the beat as he pounds it.

This approach represents a recast in considering the interaction of all members of the ensemble, musicians and dancers, and in emphasizing the beat as a driver of the choice of gestures that form the fodder of traditional music and dance analysis. In looking at beat, elements of analysis include overall form, phrasing, melody shape, cadence structures, and the use of various body systems. I will include other relevant parameters, such as standard dance structures, instrument construction, and attention to the essential responsibilities of each voice. This approach highlights the interchangeability of both musical and dance material in service of a fundamental goal.

Material includes archival films and videos of Transylvanian Roma bands and dancers, current rural dancers, and enthusiasts who represent this art, professionally and as avocation. Interviews are with both musicians and dancers.

Traditions represented include those of Kalotaszeg, Mezőség, and other parts of Transylvania and Hungary, focusing on men’s and couple dances, but noting unaccompanied women’s dances (karikázó).

Research is integrated with Quigley and Varga’s articulation of relations between peasant dancers and Roma musicians, as well as foundational analytical materials of Martin, Sárosi, Pávai, Felföldi, et al (var. dates).

Judith E. Olson is a researcher at the American Hungarian Folkore Centrum.

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[1] This article examines how timing and rhythm at different levels provide the structure and medium of engagement for dancers and musicians in community events including improvisational dance, now often called táncház, in Hungarian villages in Romania.^[1] I will consider archival examples of the Kalotaszegi Legényes, a solo men’s dance from the Kalotaszeg region, as well as a couples’ dance from the nearby Mezőség region, with more recent examples from events in the village of Visa (Vișea jud. Cluj). The Kalotaszeg region is generally to the west of Cluj-Napoca (Hungarian: Kolozsvár, German: Klausenburg), and the Mezőség region is to the north and east (Illustration 1).

[2] I will focus on how the band and dancers work together to preserve timing and keep the beat, each medium informing the analysis of the other. To approach this interaction, I explicate a relationship which Quigley and Varga have recently defined as “choreomusical intimacy,” a “conversation” in which individual dancers interact with the band and form an expressive whole (Quigly and Varga 2020). This intimacy is noteworthy because of the split in social class, choice of medium, and type of professionality (monetary or social) between the two groups.

The Field

[3] Roma bands specialize in the dance repertoire of nearby villages. These bands often consist of professional dynastic families in which children begin learning instruments at a young age. As younger generations of musicians master the material, they often join existing bands. For example, Martin Kodoba Florin is now bringing his sons into the Magyarpalatka band. Another model is for younger musicians to form separate bands, as in the village of Szászcsávás.

Illustration 1: István Pávai, “Erdély a néíajz- népzene- és néptánckutatás tájszemléletében cimű tanulmány térképmelléklete nyomán” [“Map of Transylvania from the Perspective of Hungarian Ethnographic, Folk Music, and Folk Dance Research”]. Area noted on corresponding map of Romania.^[1]

[4] Many peasant dancers have developed dance into a highly original and often virtuosic art through singing and solo dance practice at odd times and within work circles, as well as at community events. Villagers traditionally booked bands collectively to play for them, each paying a little cash that guaranteed them time in front of the band, in which the band played primarily for them. Within this society, Roma musicians occupied the position of providing musical service to the villages they lived nearby. The economic relationship between village dancers and band highlights this social division, in which Roma tend to be viewed as underclass within European society, generally precluding deep friendship between people from different groups (Quigly and Varga 2020, 122-123). As explored later in this discussion, dancer-band interactions can break this impasse.

[5] A third interested group is from the outside.^[2] In the early 1970s, experiments by Budapest choreographers and professional dancers attempting improvisation in the manner of villagers at events they also called táncház created a new group of enthusiasts. In Transylvania, students from localities like Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca jud. Cluj) attended rural events to learn, then organized similar dance events on their own turf. This back-to-nature impulse rode the wave of beat-music of the 1960’s and early 1970’s (led by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones) and later coincided with other student movements. In Hungary, it also became a clandestine resistance movement of supporting Hungarians in other communist countries and at home using mechanisms of communism–group centers, and non-professional activity– all with a frisson of danger^[3] In 2011, UNESCO designated the táncház method of holding community events including teaching of improvised dances a “Best Practice.”^[4] Researchers and dancers felt that the richness, complexity, and even the heart of the material rested on the invention of individual dancers. This meant fitting the dance to their own bodies and allowing themselves to find new gestures, but within the practice of their own villages.^[5] Early on, táncház dancers decided that while improvisation was essential, in order to preserve the form, it could only consist of gestures and figures done by villagers. This decision created a devil’s bargain (informal, but widely practiced) of being creative, yet not creative at the same time. Dancers were encouraged to study the archives and find figures that appealed to them and fit their bodies, often resulting in a hybridized dance combining figures from several rural dancers from different villages. Some dancers practice to exactly replicate archived Legényes routines or make new figures by combining small parts. In other words, invention tends to the combination of fragmented gestures, rather than the creation of a figure that would necessitate new movement in its realization.^[6]

[6] These days, because of many late 20^th and early 21^st century events, changes, and modernization,[7] traditional dance in Transylvania rests on the unbroken line of Roma musicians, some remaining older dancers, and dancers trained in the táncház method. I have frequently heard that it is táncház participants who have provided the support that allows Roma musicians to continue to work.^[8]

[7] For the táncház group, knowledge of older practices has rested primarily on 20^thcentury collection efforts, largely hampered by limitations in technology. Filmed dance segments are very short, and dance researchers often distorted the relationship between dancers and musicians by asking people to dance to the camera and frequently omitting the band entirely from the shot.^[9] Music researchers recorded musicians on tape without recording dancers, or without dancers present. This meant that those studying the tapes, especially amateur táncház dancers and musicians far from Transylvania, gained a distorted view of the relationship between band and dancer.^[10]

The Dance Band

[8] To understand how music and dance fit together and intricacies of rhythmic interplay, I will first describe the responsibilities of each part of the band. The violin (hegedű) is the melodic voice and adds ornamentation to songs and interludes. In place of vibrato as an expressive device, notes are filled in with arpeggios and runs which emphasize cadences and phrasal pickups. The violin is generally played in second position for greater pitch flexibility,^[11] and is supported by the player’s wrist in contrast to standard practice. This positioning facilitates particular ornamentation (see Example 1) and helps the player tolerate long hours of playing (Mihó, 2019). The primary violin, or prímás, leads the band and actively regulates the entire dance/music event and its sections.

[9] The viola or brácsa provides the inner voices of the triadic harmony and subdivides the beat. This instrument has a flat bridge in order to play all strings at once. It is played against the chest with an up and down movement. Brácsa bows differ in size, shape, and heft according to region and locality. The main brácsa bowing patterns are dűvő and esztam (broadly, playing on and off the beat) and are played in coordination with the bass and sometimes with another brácsa player.[12] An excellent example of these performance techniques for both violin and brácsa can be seen in Example 1.^[13]

Example 1: ”Palatkai banda — lassú cigánytánc, szökős és sűrű csárdás”^[14] (see YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTGSOLCBnUY).

[10] The brácsa gives the beat in such a constant, regular manner that dancers entrain to it. This constant beat division helps dancers predict the coming beat and time their movements accordingly. Also, whereas dancers can find the beat from just a melody line, synchronizing with the brácsa frees their concentration for improvisation.

[11] The bass or nagybőgő provides a regular pulse and the foundation for each chord. It is generally three-stringed, bowed German-style, and the bow is specialized to local music. The bőgő and brácsa form a unit that stabilizes the ensemble and clarifies phrase structure. These lower voices expressively shape the line, sometimes playing pickups that lead into the next phrase, or hold notes over the bar line into a new phrase to aid in creating a dance’s rhythmic drive. They mesh with phrasing of the lead violin, which tends to decorate phrasal endings and cadences with ornamentation, emphasizing the square nature.

Community Dance Events

[12] Community dance events occurred at one time on a regular weekly basis. Content included multiple repetitions of the local dance cycle, a group of dances in specific tempos which were played together in a certain order and sometimes separated and abridged. Responsibility for the flow of the event then as now rests on the shoulders of the prímás, who uses his own observations, directives from organizers and others, and familiarity with performance conventions to decide when to begin dance cycles and which sections to play. As the event proceeds, the prímás manipulates the content and length of cycles, shaping them to the interest and energy level of the dancers, modeling timing on many levels at once. Csongor Könczei notes that “The fact that the majority of professional village musicians playing traditional folk music are also good dancers can be considered well-known in Hungarian folk dance research” (2000, 294).^[15] This skill aids musicians in providing needed music and pacing.

[13] Dance cycles generally consist of men’s and couples’ dances. I will discuss how individual dancers and musicians use their volcabularies, nuance, and gesture to shape the dance and respond to each other first in a men’s dance, the Kalotaszegi Legényes, then in a couples’ dance from the neighboring Mezőség region.

Band and Dancer Interaction in the Kalotaszegi Legényes

[14] Sometime during the evening as part of a dance cycle, individual men dance with the band in front of the community. One of the most developed of these dances is the Legényes (“lad’s dance”) from Kalotaszeg. Illustration 2 shows dancer Ferenc Bíro Fekete performing this dance with local musicians in an archival film clip collected during an afternoon shoot.

Illustration 2: Ferenc Bíro Fekete, Bogártelke (Băgara jud. Cluj) April 10, 1969.[16]

[15] According to understood “rules” (performance conventions), men dance a series of improvised pontok (pl.) points or dance phrases corresponding to the musical phrase) using steps, leg and body lifts and slaps, jumps, and other movements. In devising a counterpoint to the band’s piece, dancers often play with and against on and off-beats. The dance uses opening figures, interludes, and cadential structures in four short motives in eight bars to make a pont.^[17] The archival recording in Example 2 shows dancer Ferenc Bíro Fekete performing a series of eight pont.

Example 2: ”Legényes.” Performed by Ferenc Bíro Fekete, Bogártelke (Băgara jud. Cluj).^[18] (see Ft. 688.4+ (Item ID) at https://neptanctudastar.abtk.hu/en/dances) or https://youtu.be/Yj5xP24oBoY.) For analysis, please refer to Illustration 3.

Illustration 3: “Legényes” Ferenc Bíro Fekete Performance with Music and Dance Phrases.[19]

[16] The musical structure consists of a two-part verse, in which the second part repeats: ABB. Each part is the length of a pont: 16 beats, in two phrases and four 2-bar units. Three repetitions of the full verse (ABB) make room for 9 pont (the dancer performs 8 pont and walks away in the last two measures.) Example 2A renders this clip with a vertical line at the beginning and middle of each phrase (every 4 bars) to facilitate understanding both the musicians’ and dancer’s phrasing. Note this phrasing, cadence formulas and pickups into the next phrase.

Example 2A: „Legényes.” Performed by Ferenc Bíro Fekete – Vertical lines delineate 4-bar segments (https://youtu.be/9UYKVOP7RY4).

[17] Example 2B adds letters designating the repetition of musical motives within each phrase. Note that they are arranged differently in each; in the first, (A1 A2)(A1 A3), and in the second (B1 B2)(B2 B3). This creates tension and variety when paired with the Legényes form, as will become clear with Examples 2B and 2C.[20]

Example 2B. „Legényes.” Performed by Ferenc Bíro Fekete – 4-bar segments and musical form marked^[21] (https://youtu.be/3AXdFxMBwSk).

[18] The Legényes dance form consists of 16 beats or four 2-bar units arranged abbc.[22] Here, a is an opening motive, b introduces a new idea that might repeat or vary itself as the second b, and c is an ending motive with a cadence. Example 2C adds letters denoting these dance divisions.

Example 2C: „Legényes.” Performed by Ferenc Bíro Fekete – 4-bar segments, music and dance phrasing, and dance motives marked.^[23] (see YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWgvHp4_d2A).

[19] This video demonstrates typical dance motives for each division of the pont and also the ways in which these ideas can be shaped and at times functionally interchanged. György Martin posited that the use of a standard opening motive (as seen in each of Fekete‘s pontak) allows the dancer a moment to think and plan the rest of the pont (Martin 2020, 495).

[20] B-motives vary throughout the example and demonstrate a range of opportunities for motivic invention, variation, and contrast. Additionally, attention to detail is taken by dancers to introduce and combine these small variations into a unified and coherent whole. In the example above, the motive I designated as b2 in pont 2 is immediately mirrored beginning with the other leg, but modified (mod)[24] and reversed to the other foot (rev)(0:11), with a close on the second beat of measure 14. In pont 3, the modified motive b2mod is repeated beginning on the right foot (0:18), but instead of mirroring it, the dancer uses a slapping motive for the second b motive (b3, 0:205). In the fourth pont, the interior b motives repeat those of pont 2 (0:265). Later, pont 8 uses the b2 motive (0:58) and immediately mirrors it (b2 mod (rev) as in pont 2. In pont 5, the dancer turns around for the first b motive (b4, 0:345), and does a heel figure for the second b motive (b1, 0:365), which I believe is a repeat of motive b1, as in measures 5-6 of pont 1. The dancer steps on the beat, moving forward and back on b1 and b2 in pont 6. In pont 7, he introduces a c motive or cadential figure in the b position, repeating it for the second b position and modifying it for the c cadence.

[21] Cadential or c figures in this example take one of three forms. In pont 1 and pont 4 (the return to part 1 of the music), Fekete holds and kicks his right leg, which I think is a signature movement. Pontok 2 and 5 end with slaps, while pontok 3, 6, 7, and 8 end with a close on the penultimate beat. Martin posited this full stop and rest was necessary to prepare the body for the beginning of the next pont (Martin 2020 492). Both the musicians and dancer use all their devices to reinforce the phrase structure, and to emphasize and play with the beat, for example, the dancer’s kick, slaps and jumps in c motives. Particularly notable is the band’s use of rhythm, accent, and physical movement to mirror and explicate figures the dancer chooses to end the pont, just as the dancer hits with the musical beats, for example at 0:08 and 0:16. One may even observe phrase building which mirrors the other part, For example, in pontok set to the Part 2 of the music, both musicians and dancer use the repetition (BB and bb) in phrase 1 into phrase 2 to reverse or intensify movement at 0:11, 0:42, and 0:58.^[25] Phrase structure is also emphasized as the violin anticipates the return of part 1 of the music at 0:475 and 0:24.

[22] The following two dancers, considered masters of the form, demonstrate different uses of its rhythmic potential. In Example 3, István Mátyás Mundruc demonstrates a clear delineation of the Legényes form while infusing it with a wealth of motivic ideas. In Ft 616.6, he explores nuances with his boot gestures and appears to express a sense of humor in the focus on feet and seeming to wait to see what will come at 0:28, 0:47 and 1:02. He seems to be playing with the musical material, perhaps choosing figures to match the melodic gesture.

Example 3: ”Legényes.” Performed by István Mátyás Mundruc, Magyarvista (Viștea jud. Cluj) .”^[26] (See Ft.616.2-616.8 at https://neptanctudastar.abtk.hu/en/dances).

[23] The predominate pont opening lifts on the beat and steps on the off-beat. This lift and subsequent off-beat emphasis is an intrinsic part of the expressive vocabulary of the male or lead dancer and is perhaps even necessary for regaining stability after the close of the previous pont. (Martin 2020, 492) (The on-beat rise in the body is itself a characteristic of dance from this area.) While Mundruc generally adheres to a square phrase structure for the pont, stepping or gesturing on the beat even when stepping on the off-beat, the dancer Poncsa in Example 4 takes a freer approach.

Example 4: “Legényes.” Performed by Fekete János, Jr. Poncsa, Bogártelke (Băgara jud. Cluj).”^[27] (See Ft. 637.1-637.11 at https://neptanctudastar.abtk.hu/en/dances.

[24] In Ft. 637.5 (below) for example, Poncsa plays against the rhythm, repeatedly emphasizing the off-beat. Poncsa is also ready to turn a step pattern into an opening motive (0:03) or build an entire or much of the pont on one motive (0:35). One way to learn legenyes was to first learn motives and later how to put together a pont.(Martin 2020, 493) Here Poncsa successfully puts together a sequence in which pontok demonstrate different degrees of regularity and invention and yet form an integrated whole. This shows the strength of the form, that it can carry ideas that play against each other. These examples demonstrate how a dancer can find means for personal expression and be recognized for himself within formal constraints.

Band and Dancer Interaction in a Mezőségi Couple Dance

[25] The relationship between the band, prímás, and village is often longstanding, perhaps over generations. Within the couples’ dance, prímások (pl.) develop ways of playing with the dancers, bringing in favorite songs and pacing the speed and content of individual sections as they lead into each other, as seen in Example 8. The prímás strategizes by watching the dancers, observing which dance they want and their level of energy. In one particular discussion, a prímás advised another to wait until dancers really want to go on to the next tempo, and then wait a little longer.^[28] A prímás can also tease the dancers by seeming to come to an end, but then continue. However, the dance must end before everyone is exhausted or begins to lose interest.

[26] Couple dance figures include changes of direction that play with and against the musical phrase structure. This relates to how the beat and musical phrase is felt within one’s body and how the couple feels the beat together, which can also vary by village.^[29] Men may punctuate ends of phrases with closing figures like those in the men’s dances. As with men’s dance, a couple’s dance can become personal as men work out their own patterns and individual figures.

[27] In contrast to Kalotaszeg, which has a significant Hungarian population with an independent traditional dance and music culture than the surrounding Romanian villages, the population of Mezőség is mixed with hardly any villages having a Hungarian majority. The Mezőség traditions outlined here apply to local Romanians, and to some extent Roma as well. It is not an “independent” Hungarian music and dance culture as in Kalotaszeg, rather the main characteristic of Mezőség folk music and folk dance is its interethnic nature.

[28] The couple dances in Mezőség consist of a number of elements among which the couple moves seamlessly. These include a rest pattern in which the woman crosses back and forth in front of the man, various figures in which the man takes the woman’s hand and turns her, often preceded by tossing her behind or in front of him; and couple turning figures. See the archival films in Example 5. This example is silent, but examples with sound will follow.

Example 5: ”Ritka Szökős.” Performed by János Fodor Selyem and Erzsébet Fodor Jánosné Fodor, Visa (Vișea jud. Cluj)[30]. (See FT. 802.18a-c at https://neptanctudastar.abtk.hu/en/dances or https://youtu.be/FerQH2FERFE).

[29] Improvisatory possibilities within the couple spring from their matching of skill, knowledge of figures, and their ability to regulate to each other. Turning figures are similar throughout the region, but each village has slight variations that may include surprise and teasing between the pair. Couple dance cycles in Mezőség generally consist of four dances, which can be thought of as four sections joined together: akasztós or lassú cigánytánc, ritka csárdás, szökös, and sürü csárdás. (Example 1 includes three of these dances.). The first is a slow dance, the following three use similar musical and dance material, each section speeding up to the next where a new tempo begins. Songs alternate with various interludes (közjaték) and patterns made up of formulas and various cadential figures. Interludes, alternating with song strophes, allow thinking time for the band to decide the next song, and some help to articulate the larger structure. Certain interludes function to end sections of the dance, modulating to the dominant or exhibiting strong cadences, piling up almost like a codetta. Prímások insert repetitions of these interludes into the body of the dance form, to not only structure the music but also to drive dancers to the finish. These interludes are heard by dancers with a sense of familiarity and arrival, and then as a reminder to dance harder and perhaps in front of the band before the section ends (Olson 2016). Example 6 is a pieced example of a dance from an event on August 3, 2010 in Visa (Vişea jud. Cluj), Romania, showing tempo changes and how songs and interludes fit together.

Example 6: Cut Version of Party in Visa, August 3, 2010^[31] (see YouTube video: https://youtu.be/PVPd8r9_-hM).

[30] The following cuts are annotated in the video:

How the dancers rush onto the floor, negotiating for a place in front of the band. (0:14)
Transition between the two dances, Szökös, and Sürü csárdás in which the brácsa switches from dűvő to esztam bowing with an immediate speedup; this is unclear but sorts itself out within a bar. The two brácsa bow with the same stroke, but in opposite directions. This clip also shows a way of tipping the musicians. (0:56)
The band speeds up using particular interludes, one in a high tessitura that I identify as cadential (which is marked multiple times with 3), and one of a low tessitura with undivided note values. (1:23, 1:59, 2:30)
The interjection of a song at the request of a dancer, “Elmúltak a mézes hetek,” a village favorite. (2:55)

The ending. Please note that the material used to end was used frequently in the parts marked “3.” (3:30)

[31] The band not only plays for the group, but for each payer individually. Dancers line up for their own time in front of the band.^[32] The band responds to each, forming a personal connection and accompanying that particular dancer through tempo, timing, and reinforcing the accentuation of his movements.^[33]

[32] In their article, Quigley and Varga (2020) discussed their work with a prímás from Szék, Filep Márton Pali Marci. Pali Marci noted that many dancers, especially those from a táncház background in Hungary, do not understand that they must dance as if they were a part of the band: “Something is happening every second. In the music, the rhythm, beat, pulsation, and accent. That’s why it’s good for someone to know how to listen, to stay constantly together, not just now and then, to hit together, and then again, all the way to the end. Like pistons at work, it’s not possible to miss two hits, because it has to go on. In that way it makes sense . . .” (129).

[33] This is Quigley and Varga’s “choreomusical intimacy,” and it is the moment that breaks the boundaries between dancer and musicians. This feeling of intimacy runs deeper than a momentary connection. István Kosbor, a dancer at a revival event in New York, told me he felt at certain times the prímás, Kálmán Magyar Öcsi, was calling him personally to come dance in front of the band.^[34]

[34] In Example 7, the dancer becomes so involved in connecting with the band and hitting the beat that at the end he seems driven to gestures outside the form (at 0:44), to an affirmative response by the prímás Náci Mácsingó.

Example 7: Enthusiastic Dancer in Visa, August 3, 2010,”^[35] (see YouTube video: https://youtu.be/NnLVVNzl6Rg).

Illustration 4: Dancing in front of the band, Visa, July 20, 2022.[36]

[35] Example 8 is another instance of connection between band and dancer in which each works to hit the beat exactly together, to the satisfaction of all parties and observers. The band also expresses appreciation of the dancer’s efforts, and the prímás, Martin Kodoba “Florin”, looks back at him approvingly.

Example 8: “Band and Dancer Interactions in Visa, July 20, 2022”^[37] (see YouTube video: https://youtu.be/iEt9-HqoazE).

[36] The second couple in Example 8 (at 00:51) demonstrates a different kind of focus, as the man enjoys his interaction with his partner, refraining from elaborate steps and looking at her even as he connects with the band. This element of partner interaction and inclusion is a striking aspect of dancing with men from Visa and other villages, and it deserves more attention.

[37] In conclusion, although this article can only be an introduction, I hope to have shown that what makes the event called táncház is the rhythmic and gestural interaction between musicians and dancers that pushes the process forward, creating musical form and content. I have sought to demonstrate the role and importance of metric organization in many contexts, as well as the constant reference to rhythmic guideposts during improvisation. In addition, I have discussed how “hitting the beat” brings together band and dancer, creating a connection that transcends personal backgrounds and crosses social barriers.

[38] Here are some possibilities for future research suggested by the material in this discussion:

Return to the tapes and explore how particular gestures in music and dance may inspire correspondence. One of the conventions of Legényes and couple dances is that the dancer may choose the song to dance to, suggesting that individual dancers find musical analogues to their improvisations.
A focus on longer dance movements to evaluate the structure, effect of pacing, and the prímás’ musical choices to better understand how dancers build a longer dance, as well as their influence on the musical structure.
Using older village dancers as a physical record of dance when it was a fundamental element of village life, specifically to find the rhythm held in the body.^[38] One way is to dance with the older women who come to watch at dance camps in Transylvanian villages.[39]
Valorizing and seeking out the musician’s point of view when describing dance and characterizing a dancer’s performance.

Careful engagement with the táncház view that one should only improvise with materials from village dancers saved on tape. As noted, this catalog is not large or complete because of technical and field-time limitations during collection in the late 1900’s^[40] Perhaps the degree to which these forms have already changed can be evaluated, as well as the contributions of specific dancers and dance teachers to our understanding. In addition, we could consider granting modern dancers the historical Legényes dancer’s prerogative of developing some pont that are uniquely theirs.[41]

REFERENCES

Balogh, Balázs and Fülemile, Ágnes. 2008. “Cultural Alternatives, Youth and Grassroots Resistance in Socialist Hungary — The Folk Dance and Music Revival.” Hungarian Studies, 22:1-2. https://epa.oszk.hu/01400/01462/00038/pdf/EPA01462_hungarian_studies_2008_1-2_043-062.pdf.

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Kelemen, László. 2008. “The First Decade of the Hungarian Dance-House Movement in Transylvania – A Subjective History.” Hagyományok Háza (Hungarian Heritage House.) https://hagyomanyokhaza.hu/en/subjective-history-dance-movement.

Kőnczei Csongor. 2000. “A Zenei és Táncbeli Improvazálások Összefüggései.” (“Connections between Music and Dance Improvisations.”) Kriza János Néprajzi Társaság Évkönyve 8: 294–301. https://kjnt.ro/szovegtar/pdf/KJNTEvk_08_2000_CzD-KV_szerk_13_KonczeiCs.

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———. 2020. Selected Papers of György Martin. Edited by János Fügedi, Colin Quigley, Vivien Szőnyi, and Sándor Varga. Budapest: Hungarian Heritage House. http://db.zti.hu/neptanc_tudastar/pdf/biblio/l01928.pdf

Mihó, Attila. 2019. “In Search of Connecting Playing Techniques: Research Results on the Hungarian Fiddle Tradition by a Professional Musician.” 45th International Council for Traditional Music Conference, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand (July 11-17, 2019).

Olson, Judith E. 2012. “Living or Dead—How Different Groups Doing Táncház Imagine their Roles in the Future of Hungarian Traditional Music and Dance.” International Musicological Society Congress, Rome (July 2012).

———. 2016. “Analyzing Traditional Hungarian Dance and Music: Developing a Framework from the Needs of Performance.” Analytical Approaches to Traditional Music Conference, The New School, New York, NY (July 2016).

Overholser, Lisa. 2023. “Taylor, Mary N. 2021. Movement of the People: Hungarian Folk Dance, Populism, and Citizenship. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. 316 pp. Illus.” Hungarian Cultural Studies. Journal of the American Hungarian Educators Association 16 (2023) DOI: 10.5195/ahea.2023.551. https://ahea.pitt.edu/ojs/ahea/article/view/551.

Pávai, István. 2020. Hungarian Folk Dance Music of Transylvania (Translation of Az erdélyi magyar népi tánczene, 2013). Budapest: Hungarian Heritage House, MMA Kaidó.

Pávai, István. n.d, “Erdély a néprajz- népzene- és néptánckutatás tájszemléletében cimű tanulmány térképmelléklete nyomán” [“Map of Transylvania from the perspective of Hungarian ethnographic, folk dance, and folk music research”]. “Erdély a magyar néprajz-, népzene- és néptánckutatás tájszemléletében.” https://folkradio.hu/folkszemle/cikk/44/erdely-a-magyar-neprajz-nepzene-es-a-neptanckutatas-tajszemleleteben. Taken from:

———. 2006. “Erdély a néprajz- népzene- és néptánckutatás tájszemléletében cimű tanulmány térképmelléklete nyomán” [“Map of Transylvania from the perspective of Hungarian ethnographic, folk dance, and folk music research”]. Zenetudományi Dolgozatok 2004-2005 Budapest Intézet: 210 [216]. https://zti.hu/files/kiadvanyok/ZenetudDolg/ZenetudDolg_2004-2005.pdf.

———. 2020. Hungarian Folk Dance Music of Transylvania (Translation of Az erdélyi magyar népi tánczene, 2013). Budapest: Hungarian Heritage House, MMA Kaidó.

Quigley, Colin and Varga Sándor. 2020. “Peasant Dancers and Gypsy Musicians: Social Hierarchy and Choreomusical Interaction.” The World of Music (New Series) Vol. 9, No. 1: 117–138.

Taylor, Mary N. 2021. Movement of the People: Hungarian Folk Dance, Populism, and Citizenship. In New Anthropologies of Europe. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Varga, Sándor. 2011. “Változások egy mezőségi falu XX.századi tánckultúrában.” [”Changes in the Dance Culture of a Mezőségi Farming Village in the Twentieth Century.”] PhD diss. Eötvös Loránd University, https://doktori.btk.elte.hu/hist/vargasandor/diss.pdf.

———. 2017. ”Use of Space in the Dance-House in the Mezőség Region.” Dance, Senses, Urban Contexts. Dance and the Senses. Dancing and Dance Cultures in Urban Contexts: 29th Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Ethnochoreology. Edited by Kendra Stepputat. Graz: ICTM Study Group on Ethnochoreology – Institute of Ethnomusicology – University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. 104–112. http://real.mtak.hu/72693/1/Use_of_Space_in_the_Dance_House_in_the_Mezoseg_Region_u.pdf.

Virágvölgyi, Márta. 2000. “Legényes.” Kalotaszegi Legénysek. Budapest Néptáncosok Szakmai Háza, p.24.

FILMOGRAPHY

Note: For films in Néptanc Tudástár BTK Zenetudományi Intézet, if cited searches fail to work, go to https://neptanctudastar.abtk.hu/en/dances and insert Ft. number in “Item ID.”

Giurchescu, Anca; Martin, György et al, collectors. 1969. “Karikázó.” Performed by Keresztesi Mária et al, (Alsó-Fehér [Magyarlapád] jud. Alba), May 26. Video, Ft.681.25, 3 min., 36. Néptanc Tudástár BTK Zenetudományi Intézet (Knowledge Base of Traditional Dances, RCH Institute for Musicology). https://neptanctudastar.abtk.hu/en/dances?C=%5B%22Anca%20Giurchescu%22%5D&SearchResult=2.

Judyolson1. AAWM 25 Example 2: „Legényes.” Performed by Ferenc Bíro Fekete, Bogártelke (Băgara jud. Cluj). Adapted from Néptanc Tudástár BTK Zenetudományi Intézet Ft.688.4+ (April 4, 1969), dance video 1 min., 13 sec. https://youtu.be/Yj5xP24oBoY.

———. AAWM 25 Example 2A: ”Legényes.” Performed by Ferenc Bíro Fekete – Vertical lines delineate 4-bar segments. Adapted from Néptanc Tudástár BTK Zenetudományi Intézet Ft.688.4+ (April 4, 1969), dance video 1 min., 13 sec. https://youtu.be/9UYKVOP7RY4.

———. AAWM 25 Example 2B: ”Legényes.” Performed by Ferenc Bíro Fekete – 4-bar segments and musical form marked. Adapted from Néptanc Tudástár BTK Zenetudományi Intézet Ft.688.4+ (April 4, 1969). Dance video 1 min., 13 sec. https://youtu.be/3AXdFxMBwSk.

———. AAWM 25 Example 2C: ”Legényes.” Ferenc Bíro Fekete — 4-bar seg, music and dance phrasing, motives. Adapted from Néptanc Tudástár BTK Zenetudományi Intézet Ft.688.4+ (April 4, 1969), dance video 1 min., 13 sec. https://youtu.be/7SKrSdSkVJ4.

———. AAWM 25 Example 3: ”Legényes.” Performed by István Mátyás Mundruc, Magyarvista (Viștea jud. Cluj). Copy of Konyvtaros. Magyarvistai legényes – Mátyás István “Mundruc” – kalotaszegi táncdialektus YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qwb3UCXd98. Combines Ft. 616.3, 616.4 and 616.6 from Martin, György et al, collector. 1967. “Legényes.” Performed by István Mátyás Mundruc, Magyarvista (Viştea jud. Cluj), September 1. Martin, György et al, collector. 1967. https://neptanctudastar.abtk.hu/en/dances?Names=%5B%22leg%C3%A9nyes%22%5D&Sources=%5B%22M%C3%A1ty%C3%A1s+Istv%C3%A1n+%5C%22Mundruc%5C%22%22%5D.&SearchResult=4. [This video at: https://youtu.be/4JgHIYU9JY4.]

———. AAWM 25 Example 5: ”Ritka Szökős.” Performed by János Fodor Selyem, Erzsébet Fodor Jánosné Fodor. Taken from Kallós, Zoltán and Pesovár Ferenc. 1964. Video Ft.802.18a-c. 1 min. 8 sec. Video Ft 802.16a-b. 53 sec. Néptanc Tudástár BTK Zenetudományi Intézet (Knowledge Base of Traditional Dances, RCH Institute for Musicology). See also ”Szökős.” Performed by József Kiss [and wife], Visa (Vișea jud. Cluj). Video Ft.802.16a-b.

———. 2010. AAWM 25 Example 6: “Cut version of Party in Visa, August 3, 2010.” Dance video by author. Posted November 6, 2023. YouTube, 3:34. https://youtu.be/PVPd8r9_-hM.

———. 2010. “AAWM 25 Example 7: Enthusiastic Dancer in Visa, August 3, 2010.” Performed by Magyarpalata Banda, Náci Mácsingó, prímás (Visa (Vișea jud. Cluj), performers from Magyarpalatka (Pălatca jud. Cluj). Dance video by author. Posted November 6, 2023. YouTube, 1:11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnLVVNzl6Rg.

———. 2022. “AAWM 25 Example 8: Band and Dancer Interactions in Visa, July 20, 2022.” Performed by Magyarpalata Banda, Florin Kodoba, prímás (Visa (Vișea jud. Cluj), performers from Magyarpalatka (Pălatca jud. Cluj). Dance video by author. Posted November 6, 2023. YouTube, 1:34. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEt9-HqoazE&t=5s.

Kallós, Zoltán and Dénes, Zoltán, collectors. 2003. 2003. “Palatkai banda — lassú cigánytánc, szökős és sűrű csárdás.” Performed by Lőrinc Kodoba, Călin Matingo, and Ştefan Moldovan (Visa (Vișea jud. Cluj), performers from Magyarpalatka (Pălatca jud. Cluj), April 26. Video, 8 min., 55 sec. Posted March 27, 2020 by Minden, ami népzene. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTGSOLCBnUY. Folklór Adatbázis attributed, but not found on that site.

Also at:

Judyolson1. “AAWM 25 Example 1: Palatkai banda — lassú cigánytánc, szökős és sűrű csárdás.” Music video. Posted November 9, 2023. YouTube, 8:55. https://youtu.be/xFFR0X6zY2g.

Kallós, Zoltán and Pesovár, Ferenc. 1964. ”Ritka Szökős.” Performed by János Fodor Selyem and Erzsébet Fodor Jánosné Fodor, Visa (Vișea jud. Cluj), April. Video Ft.802.18a-c. 1 min. 8 sec. Néptanc Tudástár BTK Zenetudományi Intézet (Knowledge Base of Traditional Dances, RCH Institute for Musicology). https://neptanctudastar.abtk.hu/en/dances?C=%5B%22Kall%C3%B3s+Zolt%C3%A1n%22%5D&SearchResult=13.

———. 1964. ”Szökős.” Performed by József Kiss [and wife], Visa (Vișea jud. Cluj), April. Video Ft.802.16a-b. 53 sec. Néptanc Tudástár BTK Zenetudományi Intézet (Knowledge Base of Traditional Dances, RCH Institute for Musicology). https://neptanctudastar.abtk.hu/en/dances?C=%5B%22Kall%C3%B3s+Zolt%C3%A1n%22%5D&SearchResult=13.

Martin, György et al, collector. 1967. “Legényes.” Performed by István Mátyás Mundruc, Magyarvista (Viştea jud. Cluj), September 1. Video, Ft.616.2, 1 min., 38 sec.; Ft.616.3 1 min., 45 sec.; Ft.616.4, 1 min., 26 sec.; Ft.616.5, 1 min., 40 sec.; Ft616.6, 1 min., 44 sec.; Ft.616.7, 1 min., 46 sec., Ft.616.8, 1 min., 22 sec; Néptanc Tudástár BTK Zenetudományi Intézet (Knowledge Base of Traditional Dances, RCH Institute for Musicology https://neptanctudastar.abtk.hu/en/dances). https://neptanctudastar.abtk.hu/en/dances?Names=%5B%22leg%C3%A9nyes%22%5D&Sources=%5B%22M%C3%A1ty%C3%A1s+Istv%C3%A1n+%5C%22Mundruc%5C%22%22%5D.&SearchResult=4.

———. 1968. “Legényes.” Performed by Fekete János, Jr. Poncsa, Bogártelke (Băgara jud. Cluj), July 28. Video Ft.637.1, 1 min., 12 sec.; Ft.637.2, 1 min., 22 sec.; Ft.637.3, 1 min., 34 sec.; Ft.637.5, 1 min., 15 sec.; Ft6137.7, 1 min., 16 sec.; Ft.637.8, 1 min., 40 sec., Ft.637.10, 51 sec, Ft.637.11, 59 sec; Néptanc Tudástár BTK Zenetudományi Intézet (Knowledge Base of Traditional Dances, RCH Institute for Musicology https://neptanctudastar.abtk.hu/en/dances). https://neptanctudastar.abtk.hu/en/dances?Names=%5B%22leg%C3%A9nyes%22%5D&Sources=%5B%22Fekete+J%C3%A1nos+%5C%22Poncsa%5C%22+ifj.%22%5D.

———. 1969. “Legényes.” Performed by Ferenc Bíró Fekete, Bogártelke (Băgara jud. Cluj), April 4. Video Ft.688.4+, 1 min., 7 sec. Néptanc Tudástár BTK Zenetudományi Intézet (Knowledge Base of Traditional Dances, RCH Institute for Musicology). https://neptanctudastar.abtk.hu/hu/dances?Names=%5B%22leg%C3%A9nyes%22%5D&Sources=%5B%22Fekete+B%C3%ADr%C3%B3+Ferenc%22%5D.

FIELD EXPERIENCE

2000-2019, 2021-24. Participation at dance camps and village events in Transylvania.

1980-2025. Dance and violin instruction with village and táncház musicians and dancers in Transylvania, Hungary, United States, and Canada.

1983-present: Organizing táncház and Hungarian community events in New York.

[1]. https://folkradio.hu/folkszemle/cikk/44/erdely-a-magyar-neprajz-nepzene-es-a-neptanckutatas-tajszemleleteben and Zenetudományi Dolgozatok 2004-2005 Budapest Intézet: 210 [216], https://zti.hu/files/kiadvanyok/ZenetudDolg/ZenetudDolg_2004-2005.pdf. Romania map is Shutterfly Stock Vector no. 1471565718.

[2]. Throughout the 20^th century, many researchers from a wide range of backgrounds focused on this material, including musicologists, ethnochoreologists, choreographers, folklorists, empresarios, and physical education specialists. The interaction of researchers and dance practitioners in the field and the specific encouragement of ethnochoreologist György Martin provided major impetus for the táncház movement discussed here.

[3]. See (Balogh and Fülemile 2008) and (Taylor 2021) for excellent discussions of the origin of the táncház movement, including social and political aspects. While many táncház participants felt they were just pursuing a fun aspect of their heritage, others recognized the subversive nature of the activity. Travel and participation in Romania involved the danger of being detained or worse. (Kelemen 2008).

[4]. The Register of Good Safeguarding Practices allows states, parties, communities and other stakeholders to share successful safeguarding experiences and examples of how they surmounted challenges faced in the transmission of their living heritage, its practice and knowledge to the future generation. These methods and approaches should be useful as lessons and models that can be adapted to other circumstances, including those in developing countries. https://ich.unesco.org/en/register. The 2011 decision to include the táncház method reads in part: The Táncház (‘dance-house’) model of teaching folk dance and music combines traditional forms of acquisition with modern pedagogical and academic methods. Participants acquire dance knowledge from experienced members or tradition bearers by direct observation and imitation, to the accompaniment of live music, while using their own individual level of creativity to develop their competence and dancing ability. https://ich.unesco.org/en/decisions/6.COM/9.8

[5]. For example, László Felföldi states, “Individual ‘dancing creativity’ is a skill developed during a dancer’s life career, which enables the dancer to manifest community knowledge in an individual way, depending on his physical and mental abilities, his momentary disposition, and the expectations of the audience,” (2008, 183).

[6]. Although I have never seen reference to a formal decision of this sort, I have found this rule to be axiomatic within every dance group I have been associated with. A few people, “experts,” are informally allowed their own figures, but they do not become part of the canon. Some years ago, Călin Orza invited people to a legényes meetup, to which dancers were to bring two new pont in addition to some learned from film. He received a small response and people seemed afraid to come, as I discussed in my presentation at IMS Conference 1-7 July 2012, Rome.

[7]. (Varga, 2011) explores historical and social background to these changes.

[8]. This observation is supported by (Quigley and Varga 2020, 132).

[9]. These include often-viewed films of István Mátyás Mundruc and János Fekete Poncsa (see examples 3-4), as well as most clips in the primary database for this material: https://neptanctudastar.abtk.hu/. In Example 2, you can see the researcher telling the dancer to turn away from the band and toward the camera.

[10]. Even today, I am seeking others who record and study the relationship between the band and dancers throughout the scope of an entire dance cycle. In my opinion, the core of the interaction, the intensifying moments of mutual influence, and the motor of rhythm lie in this progressing relationship.

[11]. When villagers at events spontaneously begin to sing, musicians who jump in to accompany them must match the singer’s pitch. In my experience, some villagers do not seem to be able to match a band pitch, although the singers in Example 1 master it.

[12]. In which case one might play a dűvő rhythm and the other esztam.

[13] This example also shows the manner in which Roma musicians accompany village singers. For a detailed discussion of parts within the Transylvanian folk band including instrumental use, bowing, rhythmic patterns, and expressive use of rhythm, as well as many other musical and instrumental aspects of Transylvanian practice, see (Pávai 2020).

[14]. Zoltán Kallós and Zoltán Dénes, 2003, collectors, performed by Lőrinc Kodoba, Călin Matingo, and Ştefan Moldovan (Visa (Vișea jud. Cluj), performers from Magyarpalatka (Pălatca jud. Cluj)), April 26, video, 8 min., 55 sec., posted March 27, 2020 by Minden, ami népzene, (more information in Bibliography).

[15]. “Az a tény, hogy a tradicionális népzenét játszó hivatásos falusi zenések többsége jó táncos is egyben, közismertnek tekinthető a magyar néptánckutatásban.” Kőnczei is in turn citing István Pávai (1993), “Az erdélyi és a moldvai magyarság népi tánczenéje,” https://kjnt.ro/szovegtar/pdf/KJNTEvk_08_2000_CzD-KV_szerk_13_KonczeiCs.

[16]. MTA Zenetudomanyi Intezet Néptánc Adatbázis – Filmtár, 688 4+ (April 10, 1969). November 11, 2023. Dance video, 1:13. See Ft. 688.4+ (Item ID) at https://neptanctudastar.abtk.hu/en/dances) or https://youtu.be/Yj5xP24oBoY.)

[17]. For research purposes, pont are usually notated In Labanotation, for example, in György Martin, 1980, “Improvisation and Regulation in Hungarian Folk Dances,” in Selected Papers of György Martin, 2020, György Martin et al, edited by János Fügedi, Colin Quigley, Vivien Szőnyi, and Sándor Varga (Budapest, Hungarian Heritage House): 475-519, http://db.zti.hu/neptanc_tudastar/pdf/biblio/l01928.pdf. This collection of articles by Martin and essays relating to his work provides excellent background for the study of Hungarian dance. ( This article was first published as György Martin, ”Rögtönzés és szabályozódás a magyar néptáncokban,” Népi kultóra Népi tarrsadalom XI-XII, edited by Gyulza Ortutay (Akadémiai Kaido): 411-49.)

[18]. MTA Zenetudomanyi Intezet Néptánc Adatbázis – Filmtár, 688 4+ (April 10, 1969). Dance video, 1:13.

[19] Musical text taken from (Virágvölgi 2000).

[20]. In the first case (A1 A2)(A1 A3), the secondary cadence at A2 divides and calls attention to the contrast in the first and second parts (bb) of the middle section of the pont. In the second case (B1 B2)(B2 B3), the musical form mirrors the motivic organization of the Legényes pont.

[21]. Adapted using the above.

[22]. Please note that I am using capital letters for musical form and small letters for dance form.

[23]. Ibid.

[24]. The modified form uses a close on the 3^rd beat instead of allowing the foot to rise to facilitate the next step.

[25] Please note Example 2C above is far short of a complete analysis of the motives of the dance part; it is just intended to visually suggest a correlation between music and dance gestures and give an idea of how elements can be modified and reinterpreted and echo among different pont within a short performance.

[26]. Martin, György et al, collector, 1967, “Legényes,” performed by István Mátyás Mundruc, Magyarvista (Viştea jud. Cluj), September 1. Video, Ft.616.2, 1 min., 38 sec.; Ft.616.3 1 min., 45 sec.; Ft.616.4, 1 min., 26 sec.; Ft.616.5, 1 min., 40 sec.; Ft616.6, 1 min., 44 sec.; Ft.616.7, 1 min., 46 sec., Ft.616.8, 1 min., 22 sec; Néptanc Tudástár BTK Zenetudományi Intézet (Knowledge Base of Traditional Dances, RCH Institute for Musicology). See also YouTube video: https://youtu.be/4JgHIYU9JY4, which combines 3 of the segments. Filmed by György Martin. November 6, 2023. Dance video, 4:36. Ft.616.6 begins after the second final cadence at 2:54 minutes)

[27] Martin, György et al, collector. 1968. “Legényes.” Performed by Fekete János, Jr. Poncsa, Bogártelke (Băgara jud. Cluj), July 28. Video Ft.637.1, 1 min., 12 sec.; Ft.637.2, 1 min., 22 sec.; Ft.637.3, 1 min., 34 sec.; Ft.637.5, 1 min., 15 sec.; Ft6137.7, 1 min., 16 sec.; Ft.637.8, 1 min., 40 sec., Ft.637.10, 51 sec, Ft.637.11, 59 sec; Néptanc Tudástár BTK Zenetudományi Intézet (Knowledge Base of Traditional Dances, RCH Institute for Musicology).

[28]. Claire Bright referring to a discussion with Ildikó Magyar Hajdu-Nemeth, personal conversation with author, June 2,2022 Forest Hills, NY.

[29]. This has to do with the manner and speed at which one moves to another position, elevation of the body, and other aspects of motion. It also relates to partnering and how information is passed physically between members of a couple. It is an intriguing aspect I have experienced in dancing with men from different villages, and I believe it warrants further study.

[30]. Zoltán Kallós and Ferenc Pesovár, April 1964. Video Ft.802.18a-c. 1 min. 8 sec. Video Ft 802.16a-b. 53 sec. Néptanc Tudástár BTK Zenetudományi Intézet (Knowledge Base of Traditional Dances, RCH Institute for Musicology). See also ”Szökős,” performed by József Kiss [and wife], Visa (Vișea jud. Cluj), (Video Ft.802.16a-b.)

[31]. November 6, 2023, dance video by author, 3:34.

[32]. For a discussion of community interaction in relation to a band within dance events, including a kinetic diagram of the dance space, see (Sándor Varga, 2017).

[33]. This example illustrates an important difference regarding the dancer-musician relationship between traditional and revival scenes, revealed by differing uses of space. At the beginning of the clip, local men try to get in front of the musician, literally pushing and pulling their partners, who are members of a revival dance group visiting the village. In the local dance culture, the place in front of the musician is extremely important, and throughout the clip they continue to dance in front of the band whenever they can. Although revival scene dancers also enjoy this position, they are more in the habit of dancing to the music regardless of their position on the dance floor. For instance, starting at 2:50, you can see members of the revival dance group dancing “out of range” from the band. Here, they can only hear the music, but cannot order music. They cannot see the gestures of the musicians, and the musicians cannot follow the movements of the dancers visually because they are too far from each other.

[34]. Personal conversation, July 28, 2008.

[35]. November 6, 2023. Video by author.

[36]. Video by author. Taken from YouTube video: https://youtu.be/iEt9-HqoazE. Uploaded November 26, 2023,

[37]. Video by author.

[38]. I offer this suggestion out of my own experience in dancing with older village dancers, having observed that even though dances from different villages may have the same figures, the feeling within the beats and moving to the next beat is often different. These subtleties are not obvious, and can only be learned through partnering. They may be lost soon without such research.

[39]. These folks are often under-utilized in researching genres where men are the main participants or leaders. Women and girls also have had their own pattern of engagement with expressing rhythm, for example, girls dancing with foot rhythms to go with their singing in the village of Magyarlapád (Romanian: Lopadea Nouă jud. Alba) present one case of how rhythm can blend the mediums of music and dance and structure each. “Karikázó.” [Girls’ circle dance from Magyarlapád (Lopadea Nouă jud. Alba [Alsó-Fehér])] (see Ft.681.25 at https://neptanctudastar.abtk.hu/en/dances?C=%5B%22Anca%20Giurchescu%22%5D&SearchResult=2). (Giurchescu and et al 1969).

[40]. Exceptions include efforts within the Zenetudományi Intézet to document some dancers through the span of their lifetimes and works like György Martin, 2004, Mátyás István ‘Mundruc’: Egy kalotaszegi táncos egyéniségvizsgálata (Mátyás István ‘Mundruc’: an examination of a Kalotaszeg Dance Talent),

[41]. For example, when I asked András Betlendi about two pont in his legényes performance, he told me he had found one, and one came to him in a dream (Personal conversation, ca. 2010).

[1]. The táncház (lit dancehouse) was the venue for the social dance events of the peasants in Szék (Sic, jud. Cluj), a Hungarian village in Central Transylvania, Romania until the 1990s, and the term was taken up by folk revivalists. While other villages used similar terms such as táncosház or táncolóház (approx. house for dance), since the 2000s, the term táncház has since been increasingly applied to village dance events where urban revivalists and villagers dance together. Non-archival materials in this article were generally filmed in this context.

Analytical Approaches to World Musics

Analytical Approaches
to World Musics

AAWM Journal 13/No. 1 (2025)