Black Pearls

The Honved dance Company is performing at the Skirball Theater on September 30th and also on October 4th at the Fall For Dance Festival.
The show of the Honvéd Dance Company „Black Pearls” found expression influenced by the following basic concept: it should be unique and exciting to observe side by side the various styles of gypsy culture and to be able to view its numerous aspects that were meant for not a homogeneous public. Indeed, one should be able to discover its contrasts and Relationships.
The Honvéd Dance Company and its choreographers have chosen their selections from the gypsy dances of the Carpatian Basin. They do perform original dances and dances conceived by their own choreographers which were imbued with inspiration and feeling. The program will showcase by 14 dancers, with accompaniment by a folk trio and the Lindri Trio playing original gypsy music.

Honved is a symbiosis of related arts: a unity of effects, dynamic diversity and a variety of genres. The company is a complex of various sections: choir (Honvéd Male Choir), two different kinds of dance ensembles (Honvéd Dance Company, Budapest Dance Ensemble). Three chamber orchestras (gipsy orchestra, Hegedős Ensemble, Budapest Ensemble) and the department of solo singers and actors make up the Honvéd Art Ensemble. (The name of the ensemble - „Honvéd” meaning „defender of the homeland” in Hungarian - comes from Ministry of Defence that founded the company in 1948 with the intention to set up the representative cultural institution of the Hungarian Armed Forces.)
The Honvéd Dance Company was born in Bartók’s and Kodály’s spirit in 1982. As Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály brought folk music from its authentic appearance to the concert stage so did director-choreographer Ferenc Novák, founder of the group. From the elements of folk dance he created drama on stage. He managed to win young artists as partners for his work: he succeeded in engaging at Honvéd Ensemble nearly the entire graduating class of the Academy for Dance making dance history with this step. He founded the Hegedős Ensemble to provide musical accompaniment to his dances.
With his dramatic works for dance theatre Novák created a new school and a workshop where many young choreographers get the opportunity to show what they know.
Several of his students venture daring, experimental projects creating expressive or even surrealistic choreographies from the authentic material.
The „mother tongue” of the group of 35 dancers is the folk dances of the Carpathian Basin. They build up their manifold repertoire including grandiose dance dramas, folk comedies, classic tragedies, fairy tales etc. from the elements of this language.
Beside the common roots, all their works are distinguished by exceptional dynamic, the virtuosity of the dancers, the spectacular scenery and the rich colours of authentic folk costumes. That is why the world famous dancer, Pina Bausch invited the Honvéd Dance Company to the international celebration of her company’s anniversary in Wuppertal.