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It is a great pleasure to welcome "Zoli" back to St. Louis. Zoli learned dancing at an early age in Somogy County, Hungary, and is currently the artistic director of the prestigious Bartók (dance) Ensemble in Budapest. He has taught extensively in the United States and Europe, and is very popular with American dancers. He has a wonderful way of making Hungarian dance fun and accessible, and teaches the fundamentals thoroughly. He has received numerous awards, including a 1989 Fulbright scholarship for teaching folk arts and dancing to children. Some dancers have been fortunate to see his incredibly smooth and elegant teaching videotape (with Katalin Juhász) of Somogyi and Mezõségi Táncok.
See also photograph and more information on Zoltán Nagy by the Táncház Egyesület (Dance House Guild) of Budapest.
Karen has had extensive teaching and performing experience in Hungarian dancing and singing. She has assisted Zoli on several occasions, and appears with him in a commercial videotape. We can only describe her Kalotaszegi Csárdás as superlative. Karen says it's her favorite.
The fact that Jómóka, of Salt Lake City, is one of the only táncház bands in the country is irrelevant -- it is also one of the best. It would definitely be our first choice if we had a choice. They are wonderful performers of Hungarian music in general and Transylvanian music in particular. They have traveled and studied music in Hungary and Romania, and they have delighted dancers at many workshops and parties in the United States. We are extremely fortunate to have them to round out our all-star cast.
Kalotaszegi Csárdás is simultaneously one of the smoothest, most beautiful and most exciting Hungarian dances. It is a dance that you can love to do all evening, and does not require frenetic effort, yet it can be as simple or as fancy as desired. This workshop will teach material at various levels, with some material accessible to all dancers.
Notes by Rex and Nancy Couture
Views and opinions expressed on this page are strictly those of the International Folk Dance Association of University City, which is not sponsored by or otherwise connected with Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.
URL for this site (home page): http://www.stlouisfolkdance.org