Hungarian State Folk Ensemble Wonderful Nativity

The Hungarian State Folk Ensemble's exciting premiere production presents Christmas Eve, the Christmas vigil and the joy and excitement of waiting, the games and traditions of folk origins and the Christian tradition of welcoming the birth of Jesus, as well as the fairytale-like, magical stories which have developed around this day. The audience will have the chance to live through the joyful moments of the last day of advent, from early morning to late evening, from the magical creation of snow by the fairies at dawn to the secret meeting of the snowmen, the preparation of magical honey-scented Christmas foods and the ceremony of setting up and decorating the Christmas tree. With no little humour, the emboldened horses pulling a sleigh, the fierce snowball battles and the paired ice dancers make up the Nativity procession, one of the most popular mystery plays of the Christmas period, where all participants in this magical journey come together at the end of the performance to experience sincere joy together at the arrival of the Redeemer, the incarnation of the Son of God. The Advent dance performance of the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble (Christmas Dawn; Winter Games; Snowman Meeting; Sled Bell; Let's Bake, Bake Something; Christmas Carollers; Beautiful Christmas) creates a true holiday feeling close to the mystery of Christmas that evokes a child's joy in the anticipation of the holiday. Also being featured are an excerpt of Anna Szabó T.'s poem Hóhullás (Snowfall), Michael Praetorius's Suite de Gran Ballet, the 21st piece from his collection Terpsichore, musarum aoniarum quinta, along with Géza Gárdonyi's poem Fel nagy örömre! (Come and Rejoice!). This performance is a joint production of Müpa Budapest and the Hungarian Heritage House - Hungarian State Folk Ensemble.

Program and cast

Performed by:

Hungarian State Folk Ensemble dance group

from audio recording

Martina Szerencsés, Milán Hetényi

Guests:

Choir of the Budapest Singing School (artistic director: Tamás Bubnó, János Mezei)
Rozi Fitos
Tamás Gallai

Creators:

music director, programme curator, composer, artistic director

István "Szalonna” Pál

choreographers

Enikő Kocsis, Dezső Fitos, Gábor Mihályi

costumes

Gábor Michac

set designer

Balázs Cziegler

animation

Vince Varga

dramaturg

Rozi Kocsis

director-choreographer, ensemble director

Gábor Mihályi

music director

Tamás Nyitrai

band director

Ferenc Radic

dance ensemble director

György Ágfalvi

dance ensemble assistants

Beatrix Borbély
Katalin Jávor
Máté Farkas
Zoltán Zsuráfszky Jr.