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Photo: © Valter Berecz, Hungarian National Dance Ens
family and youth events

Hungarian National Dance Ensemble: Castles, Warriors, Frontiers

Adventure-filled dance drama inspired by István Fekete's novel The Testament of Aga Koppanyi

no interval
Festival Theatre
  • Produced by Müpa Budapest

Ticket prices

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Draw your swords! Valiant Hungarians battling their Turkish and German foes, courage and duels, heroic raids and burning love. These are the subjects of The Testament of Aga Koppanyi, a definative experience for many of us Hungarians both in book and cinematic form. All of this is, however, serves only as a starting point for the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble's dance drama intended especially for young people in which history and the reality of the modern era meet in a theatre-within-a-theatre production, and where the characters alternate between adventuring in the distant past and the world of today.

István Fekete's first adventure novel, set during the period of the Turkish occupation of Hungary, has supplied many generations with iconic reading, its popularity probably reaching its peak with the release of the 1967 film version. While this is not the first time Zoltán Zsuráfszky, the leader of the Hungarian National Dance Company, has tackled a historical subject, with this one he and co-creator Zsuzsa Zs. Vincze expand the framework of traditional storytelling on the dance stage, offering us an opportunity to delve into the everyday life of the troupe as they prepare to perform The Testament of Aga Koppanyi, along with a peek into some behind-the-scenes secrets of the theatre, all while confronting a moral worthy of consideration about conflicts arising from the coexistence of peoples and cultures. The music for this dance drama is the work of composer Benjamin Eredics, also known as a member of the Söndörgő Band, whose piece Castles, Warriors, Frontiers won an award at Müpa Budapest's 2020 Music Competition. Its musical world combines the era of the occupation with folk music, modern instrumental effects and the emotional character of dance music. As the threads of the distant past and the present intertwine, we will get to encounter basic moral truths, such as respect for the opponent, respect for each other and the importance of true friendship. This production intended for young people offers the audience a chance to watch spectacular and virtuosic dances taking place against a colourful and exciting set design.

This production of the Liszt Fest is presented by Müpa Budapest as a joint event with the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble.

Age: 9- year
Presented by: Müpa Budapest

Creators:

  • music
    Benjamin Eredics
  • folk music editors
    László Rossa
    István Gázsa Papp
    band of the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble
  • visual design
    Marcell Iványi
  • set
    Kázmér Tóth
  • animation
    Attila Lőrincz, Ádám Szappanos
  • video technology
    Boáz Konta
  • contemporary dance instructor
    Tamás Topolánszky
  • assistants to the choreographer
    Júlia Paput
    Gergő Sánta
    Attila Tompa
    Attila Tókos
  • choreographers
    Zsuzsa Zs. Vincze, Zoltán Zsuráfszky
  • co-director, screenplay, costumes
    Zsuzsa Zs. Vincze
  • director
    Zoltán Zsuráfszky

Featured musicians (recorded):

  • wind, plucked string and percussion instruments
    Benjamin Eredics
  • piano
    Péter Kiss
  • current and former students of the Folk Music Department of the Liszt Academy
  • Liszt Academy Symphony Orchestra
  • musicians of the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble

Parking information

We wish to inform you that in the event that Müpa Budapest's underground garage and outdoor car park are operating at full capacity, it is advisable to plan for increased waiting times when you arrive. In order to avoid this, we recommend that you depart for our events in time, so that you you can find the ideal parking spot quickly and smoothly and arrive for our performance in comfort. The Müpa Budapest underground garage gates will be operated by an automatic number plate recognition system. Parking is free of charge for visitors with tickets to any of our paid performances on that given day. The detailed parking policy of Müpa Budapest is available here.

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