Magyar
HUNGARIAN FOLKDANCE IN THE USA
Where there are people there is music; music inspires people to dance; when nations are living in proximity to each they are proud of their culture. Folk music and folkdance may be the most expressive medium and the easiest way to share and better understand different cultures.
Folkdance in the USA is as old as the Indian tribal communities who believed that they can make the rain fall and the sun shine by performing a specific dance for that purpose. Europeans arrived to America and brought their traditions with them, including their ethnic dance. An immigrant can only practice his tradition if he is able to live in an enclave with others who share his own ethnic background. A lone immigrant in America usually adopts the culture around him, may be that one, which assures the most economic advantage. Hungarian emigration to the USA in larger numbers started around the late 19th Century. Since immigrants from the same area had to settle in the same rural or urban settings, Hungarian communities on the East coast were established and they were able to maintain their heritage from the old country, ergo their folk music and their folk dances. However this was not easy, and often short lived.
The Post WWI Hungarian immigration was more successful to establish their enclaves around houses of worship and have formed schools and social organizations for community maintenance and cultural survival. They maintained the culture they brought with them and were not interested in learning or advancing with the obvious cultural changes in their homeland. Other immigrations of Hungarians occurred following WWII, after the 1956 Uprising and in later years when the borders opened to the West. Each immigrant group brought their own folklore with them and sometimes these cultural manifestations dating to the specific time of immigration clashed and caused many misunderstandings within the communities.
As strange as it may sound, the general American public manifested more interest to learn about Hungarian music and dance than the Hungarians. The numbers of the “International Folk-dancers” or “Recreational folk-dancers” easily outnumbered those dancing within the specific communities. They were eager to learn the folkdances of all nations, regardless of political prejudice. The “International Folk-dance” movement in the USA started in the 1920’s and climaxed in the 1970’s. Tens of thousands of folkdance enthusiasts danced several times a week in urban communities and universities. The movement organized itself regionally and held nationwide teaching camps and weekends. The popularity of this activity rooted in the interest and intellectual curiosity of the general American citizens about the myriads of ethnic cultures that could be found in the great melting pot of nationalities in this country. This movement is still present today, but its popularity somewhat decreased due to the media overload which was brought on by the “computer age” and the ease of international travel, which makes it possible to travel to all those countries which were once represented by a 3 minute dance.
Since Hungarian communities were often asked to exhibit their traditions and culture, the need for a performing group was natural. These Hungarian performing groups were always the pride of the community even though most of the time several may have existed in each enclave, depending on the layer of immigration they have originated from. Because Hungarian folklore is so versatile and exciting, these groups were always the “hit of the show” at any ethnic festival and caused a significant amount of delight to the communities and received general support. The level of performance varied but some ensembles in major cities like Detroit, New York, New Brunswick, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles and many in Canada like Toronto and Montreal, as well as most major cities in the Western Territories achieved performances at a professional level. These dance ensembles often received material for their ever expending repertoires from Hungary and many were thus able to keep abreast of the trends in folklore which was changing as a result of new discoveries and scholarly publications. It may be said that these performing ensembles may have had the largest impact on the cultural awareness in most communities and were undoubtedly the source of self-respect to everyone who was part of the Hungarian heritage.
Finally, the performances and tours of professional ensembles and teaching tours of Hungarian artists could be considered an important series of events that always generated excitement and cultural pride to Hungarians living anywhere in the USA. The Hungarian State Ensemble, the Budapest Ensemble, the Rajkó Gypsy Ensemble, the Kodály Ensemble, the Jászság Ensemble, the Ifjú Szivek Ensemble from Pozsony, as well as dozens of smaller folk music bands with or without dancers like the Téka, Délibáb, Újstilus, Ökrös, Tilinkó, Muzsikás, Dűvő, Kálmán Balogh Band, Üsztürü, Tükrös, Szászcsávás and others always created excitement and brought new presentations of traditional folk culture to the community and to audiences in general. The highly professional presentations seen on this continent were very popular and offered examples and assistance to community based ensembles.
In the USA, the American Hungarian Folklore Centrum [established in 1978] and the work of Kálmán and Judith Magyar from New Jersey may be considered a cohesive force to connect all those facets of Hungarian ethnic cultures in America. Hundreds of persons who shared an interest in Hungarian folklore helped to organize such important events as the Karikázó Hungarian Folklore Newsletter [1975 – 1985], Pontozó Hungarian Folkdance Festival [started in 1975], Hungarian Folkdance and Folk Music Symposium [from 1978-2002], and other shows and festivals nationwide.
Kálmán and Judith Magyar have arrived to the USA separately, in the early 60’s and met in the Hungária Folkdance Ensemble, New York, of which they became leaders in a few years. They married in 1969 and began their long journey in popularizing and sharing their wonderful culture with others. Their participation and dedication to initiate and manage many of the events and organizations mentioned above makes it important to reflect on the past events and accomplishments. Their plan to report on an important phase of important American Hungarian history is appropriate since they were participants and eye-witnesses to an important period of Hungarian cultural survival. The fall of the Iron Curtain and the end of the totalitarian communist rule in Hungary requires a different view and methods for cultural maintenance in the ethnic enclaves in America. It is hoped that cultural survival in the future will be easier and even more successful; and that the Hungarian nation realizes that Hungarian folklore may be the most important manifestation and treasure of Hungarian culture, will strengthen their identity and must be preserved and shared with others at all costs.
Kálmán and Judith Magyar
American Hungarian Museum, No. 91, 2004