Fonó Wednesday: Dances from Magyarpéterlaka

Magyarpéterlaka (Romanian: Petrilaca de Mureș) lies about 20 km northeast of Târgu Mureș, in the hilly region between the Mureș and Nyárád rivers. This area is one of the most important centers of traditional musicianship in the Upper Mureș region.

Due to the village’s distinctive position on the edge of two regions, the musicians of Magyarpéterlaka catered to the musical needs of communities in both the Upper Mureș Valley and the Nyárád Valley. Along the Mureș, including in Magyarpéterlaka, two types of turning dances were performed, whereas only one was danced in the Nyárád Valley. As a result, unlike other musicians from along the Mureș who distinguish between the music for these two types of turning dance, the musicians of Magyarpéterlaka blend some of the melodies of the sebes forduló and the korcsos.

The easiest way to tell the music for these two dances apart is to pay attention to the tempo and the viola accompaniment. The sebes forduló is faster than the korcsos. Its accompaniment has a smoother rhythm, while that of the korcsos is more sharply accented and broken.

The new theme for Fonó Wednesday is the dance tradition of Magyarpéterlaka, with the series starting on October 28.

Partners rotate regularly during the dance classes, so you are welcome to come on your own or with a partner. Everyone is warmly welcome!

Bands:

Stenk Band

Attila Horváth and his students (from the Óbuda Folk Music School and the Ward Mária School, Secondary School and Specialist Secondary School of Music in Budapest)

Instructors:

Beginner group dance instructors: Szilárd Palagyi and Alíz Nemcsényi

Advanced group dance instructors: Kristóf Kele and Kamilla Nagy

Singing instructor: Krisztina Bauer

To mark the 100th anniversary of Zoltán Kallós’s birth, the singing classes will expand their repertoire to include songs collected by him, paying tribute to the memory of Uncle Zoli as the end of the year approaches.

Ticket price: HUF 2,300 in advance, HUF 2,900 on the day of the event