By Károly Demeter
As June 2027 draws near, marking the conclusion of her fourth transformational year leading the Bátori Néptáncegyüttes, Panni De Cheke Qualls stands at the edge of the scout house in Falls Church, VA, watching the youth affiliated with the D.C. Hungarian Scouts move across the wooden floor. For De Cheke Qualls, guiding these young dancers was never merely about teaching steps; it was about opening a portal to self-discovery.
“Being young means pushing boundaries—physically, mentally, and spiritually,” De Cheke Qualls reflects, watching them sweat and laugh through a demanding choreography. “Dance (of any kind) is deeply connected to feeling this sense of freedom and liberation—pushing physical limits and seeing where that takes you.”
That spirit of boundless exploration defined every season of her four-year tenure. Under her wing, the ensemble built a rich rhythm of shared life, embarking on memorable field trips, spending this September’s last weekend immersed in tradition at the Scouts’ Regös Camp, and returning to the New Jersey Hungarian Festival each June. They also attended the North American Pontozó in Cleveland last spring.
Each year, De Cheke Qualls invited guest teachers from Hungary to introduce a new choreography or to teach a workshop – Bence Hajdu (KCSP), Hajnalka Bába Kecskés and Gergõ Kecskés, Hajnalka Guti-Izsó and Lajos Izsó. Most recently László Tihanyi, expert educator and dancer came from Cleveland. With each successive year, the material became more complex – first Sárközi, then Túrkevei, Szilágysági, and now Mezõségi.
Watching the dancers thrive through these opportunities, De Cheke Qualls saw firsthand how movement transforms a young person’s world.
“My hope for young people is to feel this sense of abandon, and creativity—now and for a lifetime,” she says. For her, the ensemble was a welcoming home built on shared roots rather than flawless performance. “Folk dancing connects people of all walks of life and is a source of unity and community. You don’t have to be good or great to love it, it is for everyone and anyone.”
Her devotion to that community was made tangible in every detail, often through quiet, labor-intensive craftsmanship. In the summer of 2025, when regular rehearsals paused, De Cheke Qualls spent countless hours at her sewing table, hand-crafting twelve authentic Szilágysági costumes for the women and embroidered blue aprons for the men. Throughout her tenure, she was anchored by the steadfast support and partnership of scout leader Éva Dömötörffy, whose leadership in the scouting community provided the solid rock needed to let the ensemble soar.
De Cheke Qualls views this work as part of a universal human calling. “Hungarian folk dancing happens to be what I know and that’s my vehicle to share the love, if you will (it used to be tennis) —but it could be any folk dance and culture that pushes your boundaries—West African, Caribbean, Asian, Indian or Polish.”
As the time to pass the torch to new leadership gets closer, De Cheke Qualls feels only warmth and gratitude for the Bátori Néptáncegyüttes experience.
“I’m incredibly grateful to the dancers and their parents for our journey. There was a lot of support from the get-go. We started from the basics, and worked our way through multiple choreographies – with each year, the dancers raised their game. Being around young people is a tremendous privilege – they have unparalleled life-force and potential – we can learn a lot from them.”
Her parting message to her dancers remains clear and inspiring: “Whatever your ‘door of entry’ into the dance world, as long as you do it with focus, passion and discipline, it will grab you and take you to beautiful places.”
Photo credits: Panni De Cheke Qualls
