Gábor Mihályi, a Hungarian dancer and choreographer awarded with the Kossuth Prize and the Gyula Harangozó Prize, a Meritorious and Excellent Artist, a perpetual member of the Company of Immortals, spoke very highly in about the work being done at the Hungarian Dance University.
The Excellent Artist, leader and permanent member of the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble, made the following remarks about the work at the Hungarian Dance University, particularly regarding the folk dance artist training programme of the Department of Folk Dance:
Nowadays, almost all of our new members come from the Hungarian Dance University. There they don’t only learn folk dance, but also ballet, contemporary and modern dance, as well as historical ballroom dance. They are also taught art theory and music theory. So they are not only physically but also intellectually more refined — when they come here, they know exactly what needs to be done.
Gábor Mihalyi (on the left)
Mihályi believes that by reinterpreting traditions in a contemporary way and renewing the stage presentation of folk dance, dance remains alive and relevant rather than becoming a museum artifact. He emphasized that dance not only entertains but also educates, and it is important for the audience to leave a performance with thoughts to take home.
