The name of Sándor Petőfi and folk culture, Hungarian folk song and folk dance are inseparable. There is no one we can bring up from the 19th century - a time when national traditions were discovered - who would have had an impact on our folk culture quite as strong as Petőfi: few people know that what is often believed to be a centuries-old folk song is in fact a Petőfi poem set to song. The Hungarian National Dance Ensemble has long been deeply involved with Hungarian mythology, whether historical, literary, folk heroes or legends, and the Petőfi Bicentenary year serves as an excellent occasion to present the life and works of the reform-era poet giant in a dance theatre. The performance of the ensemble headed by Zoltán Zsuráfszky and Zsuzsa Zs. Vincze recalls the episodes of Petőfi's journey with spectacular, colourful dance images, cheerful and touching dance scenes. The glorious heroes of John the Valiant and the amusing characters of The Hammer of the Village also make an appearance, while we are given a bundle of the great poems, too. In this rich visual show, the young artist of the National Theatre, Péter Herczegh brings the poet's spirit to life. The poet who, in the words of Zoltán Zsuráfszky, "will always remain a comet, a genius, who shows the way with his revolutionary spirit, his soul, his poems.”

Presented by: Müpa Budapest