The Japan’s enthusiasm for Hungarian folk dancing continues to shine. A recent visit by a five-member Hungarian folk delegation provided folk programming to communities there. Musicians Attila Jakab, Albert Fazakas and Sebastian Bucur (violin, viola, harmonica) accompanied Endre Melles and his partner Julcsi Ádám (representing the Háromszék Táncszínház).
This February’s visit to Kobe, Kyoto, Tokyo and Chiba is, in fact, the group’s second journey to Japan. Initiated by legendary organizer Masunaga Tetsuo, the purpose of these trips is to support communities – participate in local performances with Japanese folk dancers, conduct workshops and táncház programs.
“We pay special attention to the functional aspects of Hungarian folk dancing. We also work on strengthening each group’s foundational knowledge while also helping the advanced dancers achieve higher level of expertise. We prepare meticulously for each program – making sure we meet the needs of the dancers,” says Melles.
Over the course of these two visits, the Hungarian artists have develop strong rapport with the Japanese communities, their dancers, and the leadership. In this two-week trip, the group exposed dancers to dances from Csík, Őrkő, Moldva, and Nyárádmente. For each program, material is prepared according to the needs of each
The tour culminates in Tokyo’s Romafest created and organized by Tetsuo.
“We are very grateful to Masunaga Tetsuo and the Japanese Folklore Association for giving us the opportunity to share our knowledge and engage with the Japanese folk community,” says Melles.
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