The finals of the National Youth Solo Dance Competition were held in Eger, Hungary, between 12 and 14 January. All the students of the Hungarian Dance University (HDU) went through the semi-finals and qualified for the finals where ten of the fourteen participants representing HDU were awarded prizes.
The National Youth Solo Dance Competition is the most important event of the amateur folk dance movement in Hungary. It is held in every even-numbered year, as in odd-numbered years the adult solo dance competition is held in Békéscsaba, Hungary.
From the semi-finals, 43 couples and 43 male soloists advanced to the national finals in Eger where the best competed for the Gyöngygalléros Táncos title (Pearl Collar Dancer title) and the Ezüstpitykés Táncos title (Silver Dipper title). The competition ran from Friday to Sunday. The compulsory dances took place on Friday, the optional dances were held on Saturday, and the awards gala was organised on Sunday at the ECSC Bartakovics Béla Community Centre.
Previously, fewer than 5-6 HDU students participated in the event, but this time there was a real interest.
Dr Béla Ónodi, Head of the Folk Dance Department summarized the excellent performance.
“This competition is a great success for us because of the good results achieved and the number of participants that included 10 boys and 4 girls. The reason why we have to emphasise the number of participants is that this is a competition based on self-preparation and now more than half of the third year group has decided to participate in Eger. It is the students that decide whether to compete, they choose the dance, the archive footage which they use for preparation. If they want us to look at it and give our opinion, we can of course help them to prepare, which is what happened this time, but after an independent decision. This is important because the process is almost part of the professional career. There, too, they have the same kind of work and preparation. There’s not much time to train a new dancer, so the method is the same: here’s a recording, learn it. So it’s a good, real-life work. And the result, that everyone made it to the finals, is excellent. I don’t know any other folk dance company, and I would like to consider our university as a company here, that has been so successful. This is excellent work, an excellent result.”
HDU also offered a new prize at the competition, which is not only unique and elegant in its design, but also very special in its professional content. The prize is not open to HDU students but to those who come from elsewhere. The prize, which was offered for the first time, was awarded to two boys who had not previously considered studying at HDU but who, having realised the opportunity offered by the prize, could easily become HDU students in the future.
Vince Halaj from Jászberény and Szabolcs Tallér from Kosármislény will have the opportunity to join the class of the Folk Dance Department starting in September for a week. If they and the university teachers decide to do so, they can become HDU students without admission.
Congratulations not only to them but also to all the students and their masters who have achieved good results.
HDU students who were awarded the Gyöngygalléros Táncos title (Pearl Collar Dancer title):
Bori Busai
Janka Erhardt
HDU students who were awarded the Ezüstpitykés Táncos title (Silver Dipper title):
Levente Baka
Ferenc Kevin Berki
László Regő Farkas
Áron Kristóf
Zoltán Makula
Gergely Molnár
Solt Benjámin Sándor
Szabolcs Cserveni from HDU received the special prize offered by the Nyíregyháza Dance School.
