Dear Hungarian Folkdancers and Musicians Throughout The World,

No doubt you are familiar with the Táncháztalálkozó, the National Táncház Festival and Fair, which has been the premiere annual event of the Táncház movement since 1982. Year after year it brings together dancers, musicians and authentic practitioners from villages throughout the Carpathian Basin. The two day event draws tens of thousand of visitors and participants to the Papp László Sports Complex in Budapest.

We are happy to see that Hungarians from abroad have been coming home for this event in ever greater numbers in the past few years. We hope that this is a reflection on the quality and drawing power of Táncháztalálkozó. More significantly, it is an indication of your dedication in maintaining our traditions, establishing or nourishing the local organisations that help preserve our culture in Hungarian communities around the world. We’d like to acknowledge your work with this invitation to dance and play music together.

The organizers of the 30th Anniversary Táncháztalálkozó and the Táncház Egyesület (Dance-house Guild) cordially invite dancers and musicians from abroad to take part in a stage event. We’d like to have you participate in a special tribute on Sunday afternoon, April 3, as part of the Táncháztalálkozó main stage program. Our plans call for a 10-15 minute performance, which would feature dancers and musicians from aboard who have signaled their intent to participate. Naturally we welcome non-Hungarians dancers and musicians who are proficient in our traditional arts.

The material to be presented will be from Szatmár and Mezöség. Participating dancers will not have to learn a choreography but should be familiar with improvising in these two dialects. There is no age limitation and there’s no need to have a partner, though that would be ideal. Musicians will need to be able to play in the style of the two dialects. Once we’ve received your intent to participate we will send you the required tunes so you can prepare. We will hold one practice only, on the morning of the performance.

We trust that this initiative will be successful and hope that many of you will be inspired to take part. We ask you to signal your intent to participate at your earliest convenience, so that we can keep you updated. Send emails to cimbi@plus.hu in Hungarian or to Ildiko Erdös, erdosildi@vipmail.hu in English.

Please let us know your country and dance group or if you are a musician, which instrument you play.

The deadline for the intent to participate is March 10, 2011.

Best Regards,

Élö Forrás Hagyományőrző Egyesület (Living Source Heritage Preservation Association),
Táncház Egyesület (Dance-house Guild)