Folk Dance and Music Camps in Transylvania as a Subject for Anthropological Research in Dance (Accepted)

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
The paper aims to introduce Transylvanian folk dance and music camps investigated from a dance anthropological viewpoint. The main topic of the proposal is to present research done in three different summer camps, including the description of the aim of the event, the organizers, their goals, the participants, programs, day and night dance occasions. One week-term camp consists of several dance events such as rehearsals, the so-called táncház, dance houses, and folk taverns, folkkocsma during the nights. The campers learn the region specialized dances during the day in 3 groups: beginners’, intermediate, and advanced dancers’ cohorts. The dances are being taught by professional folk dancers, teachers who have deep knowledge in the specific dance practice. The táncház gives an opportunity for the pupils to practice the movements that they have acquired during the day. Besides, at the folk tavern, the participants can freely carouse by singing, dancing, drinking and making conversations. Since 2014, I make observations with different approaches in the examined fields. The hypothesis of the ongoing research is that camps can be investigated as a micro-environment for the Hungarian revival movement. Camps can be studied from touristic aspects, and the investigation may raise the question of dance transmission as well as the issue of the encounter with authenticity and traditional culture during a cult sacred time and space. The applied research methods are participant observations, semi-structural- and deep-interviews, questionnaires, thick descriptions, and video materials.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Anna Székely studied at the University of Szeged at the Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology. She did research on a Hungarian village’s dance traditions, and customs in the 1940-50s. She finished the Choreomundus international master in dance knowledge, practice, and heritage. She does fieldwork in Transylvanian international folk dance and music camps, festivals, dance houses and folk dance competitions where she investigates the issue of authenticity. She has two master’s degrees. She participated in the Erasmus Intensive Program: Movement of Past and Present in Trondheim, Norway. Her interest is in the Hungarian traditional folk dance and the revival movement.