Karikázó, 1979. július - 1980. április (5. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)

1979-07-01 / 1. szám

11To serve God, country and fellow man continues to be its aim, as scouting is not just an organization: it is a life­style, never to be outgrown!" ( Quotation from the program booklet) SZÍNES szőttes HUNGARIAN TAPESTRY HUNGARIAN FOLKLORE PROGRAM PRESENTED BY THE HUNGARIAN SCOUTS OF THE GREATER METROPOLITAN AREA REVIEW BY : KALMAN MAGYAR Those who attended this performance cn March 25, 1979 at the Lamb Theater, in Midtown, Manhattan, just around the corner from famous Broadway,could wit­ness an outstanding, new accomplishment by the Hun­garian Scout movement. Hungarian scouting in the Western World started following World War II. in an immigrant camp in West Germany, where a nucleus of Scout leaders joined forces to continue the ideals of Hungarian scouting in the Free World. The Hungarian Scout Organization expanded to all five continents and grew stronger as years passed. It became and remains to be the only worldwidely co­ordinated educational body, committed to helping young Hungarians to learn about their culture and to teach them to adopt to their surrounding society ef­fectively. The appreciation of nature, respect towards fellow man, participation in sports and many other activities are all part of the Scouts' program. A uniq ue and demanding task it is to have developed and manage such a widespread organization. To illustrate this, one just has to imagine the differenc­es in the circumstances for camping between the jun­gles of South America and the well-developed camp­sites of Upstate, New York. May camping be different; ye-t all Hungarian scouts will learn the same history, folk song and dances. One is stunned by the fact that at a Hungarian Scout World Jamboree, second and third generation Hun­garians from various parts of the world are able to communicate with each other in the same language, without being muted by the limits of tongue of the country they live in. Such an experience affirms the appreciation of Hungarian language and culture edu­cation and its importance becomes more conscious. Why did I discuss the Hungarian Scout movement at such length, when I set out to report on the successful "SZÍNES SZŐTTES" performance?- In order to un­derstand the program in question in its proper con­tents, one must be familiar with the purpose it serves. Stage performance is essential during the formative years of a person. The stage always presents certain unforeseen, spontaneous situations, which demand im­mediate decisions. An exposure and experience in this kind of decision making process will aidaperson in bridging over many difficult situations of his or her adult life. Periodic performances, as part of the Hungarian Scout education is well recognized. Of course, the ex­tent to which is emphasised depends on local talent. The Hungarian "Regös" (Rover) Scouts of New Brunswick, N. J . have been in the mainstream of the Hungarian folklore movement of the Western World for over ten years. Their influence left a significant mark not only on the greater Metropolitan area troops, but more widely as well. They assisted such far-away places as Cleveland, Ohio, Winnipeg and South - Ame­rica. The group has performed exceptionally well in all the Pontozó Festivals and they were winners of the Trophy in 1976. The weighing lesson to be learned from these enthusiastic young people is that if they are allowed to exhibit their knowledge derived from the search for their folk heritage, their involvement in the Scout movement grows deeper and longer. To no surprise therefore, the animating force of the "Színes Szőttes" program was the New Bruns­wick R e g o s Scout E n s e mb 1 e . (Artistic Direct­­oriTamás Teszar, Dance Director: Sándor Bajusz) To this viewer, if not the most showy, but the most exciting item on the program was the folk ballad of " Sallai Szép K a t a ", in the presentation of the Hungarian Scouts of Passaic, N.J.A pow­­erfully dramatized story of a rich, beautiful girl, who pays with her life (by "being danced to death)fbr chos­­ing wealth over sincere love. (What is a seemingly logical choice in our present day life, is not so in the world of folk ballads). Judith Keresztes and Csaba Kertész dramatically acted and danced the roles of the rich girl and poor lad. Although this was by far the best Hungarian ballad presentation I had seen of the few ones thet were put on stage in America, I believe we still have not found the best format for exhibiting this form of folklore. The interpretation was somewhat oversimplified and a true conflict or the real meaning of the cruel con­clusion were not sufficiently suggested to leave an impact on the audience. "Erdélyi L e g én y e s " (Me z o s e’g i Sűrű & Ritka T e mp o )-Transylvanian Lads' Dancq, was one of the favorite numbers of the audience, choreog­raphed by Sándor Bajusz, new Dance Director for the N.B.Regös Ens. This presentation was far the most authentic dance to be seen during the show. It gave an excellent example of how a talented and in­terested dancer - taking sufficient time to learn au­thentic figures and movements-can create a well rounded, even if somewhat rudimentary composition. More young, practised dancers should take this ini­tiative, especially since the research sources are readily available in America today for solid, authen­tically founded choreographies. cont'd.on p. 3

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