Credit: Hungarian Dance Club

The Cercle Culturel des Institutions Européennes (EU Cultural Circle) is the umbrella organisation for around 35 clubs and associations affiliated to the European Institutions in Luxembourg.

From music and theatre to chess and wine, there is a variety of clubs for individuals with different interests. Membership, and participation in the clubs' and associations' activities, is also open to people not working in the European Institutions.

In this series of articles, Chronicle.lu explores some of the different clubs and associations of the Cercle Culturel, including their main activities, interests, membership and events.

First up is the Hungarian Dance Club where Chronicle.lu talked with Dora Gudlin, Artistic Leader.

Chronicle.lu: When and why was the club founded, and what are its main goals and objectives?

Dora Gudlin: The club was founded in 2010 by Hungarian EU civil servants with the objective of practising and presenting the very rich and unique Hungarian folk dance and music heritage in Luxembourg. The club applies the special folk dance teaching and practising method – called "Táncház" in Hungarian ("dance-house" in English), which is a unique model for the transmission of intangible cultural heritage, recognised since 2011 as part of Unesco heritage.

The method consists (of) the following: participants acquire dance knowledge from experienced members or tradition bearers by direct observation and imitation, to the accompaniment of live music, while using their own individual level of creativity to develop their competence and dancing ability. The dancing is complemented by singing instruction, handicraft activities and ethnographic presentations.

The method is based on what was experienced at the end of 19th/beginning of the 20th century by the first folk music and dance researchers, such as Bartók Béla or Kodály Zoltán, the famous Hungarian composers who started a systematic fieldwork in the villages to record folk music and folk songs (ethnomusicology) leading to a collection of more than 10,000 tunes already at that time. After the first video tape records, Hungary started to film tradition bear dancers in their home villages, which is the basis for learning the dances even these days.

The main goal of the club is to practise this unique heritage and live it in our modern life. As one of the fathers of the Hungarian folk dance movement said (Ferenc Sebő), "traditions must be not fostered because they are not sick and neither should they be guarded as they are not prisoners; our traditions can only survive if we immerse ourselves in them".

That is the reason why our group is focusing for six years now (on) children who became part of our group through their parent's member(ship of) our club. Children find pleasure and fun in folk culture, allowing them to have real friends, making it possible to continue keeping this culture live.

Chronicle.lu: What is the main language of the club and how many nationalities are members of the club?

Dora Gudlin: The main language of the club is Hungarian, however we have members with dual nationalities (e.g. Hungarian-French, Hungarian-Polish, Hungarian-Czech, Hungarian-German, Hungarian-Indian, Hungarian-Cuban, etc.)

Chronicle.lu: How often do you meet and where?

Dora Gudlin: The group meets every (week), on Friday evenings between 19:00-22:00, practising in Kirchberg in a sport hall, ensured by Cercle Culturel des Institutions Européennes.

Chronicle.lu: What is your main target audience?

Dora Gudlin: Initially, the target audience were adults (expatriates) living in Luxembourg, however, as the initial members of the club became parents, the club slowly transformed to a children's dance group, targeting mainly children between 4-15 years, accompanied by their parents to the rehearsals and to the events the groups is participating in. The mixed age children's groups and the participation of parents allow applying the above mentioned Unesco heritage method, i.e. that the members learn from each other by observation and imitation and share joyful moments together around folk culture. The adult members of our club observe with satisfaction the various benefits of Hungarian folk dance for children, such as the development of social, physical, psychical, musical and linguistic skills.

Chronicle.lu: How has membership grown over the years and has membership increased since Cercle Culturel began admitting members who are not working in EU institutions? What percentage of your members are not employed by the EU institutions (if known)?

Dora Gudlin: The initial number of ten to twelve adults increased significantly over the years. Our club counts now approximately 40 children and their parents. Approximately 75% of the adult members are working in the EU institutions.

Chronicle.lu: What events are your club planning or participating in during the coming months?

Dora Gudlin: The children group is producing (on) average ten dance performances a year in important cultural events of Luxembourg, such as Bazar International; Europe Day of 9 May organised by the European Commission; Colorissimo festival organised by the commune of Sanem; yearly Hungarian cultural event in Heffingen (the Luxembourgish sister village of the Hungarian village of Csókakő); cultural events of Cercle Culturel des Institutions Européennes; annual international folk dance festival in Wormeldange (and) different commemorations or festivities organised by the Hungarian "Munkácsy" association at the occasion of Hungarian national days.

On top of the performances, our club organises twice a year a three day special dance course for its members with professional, qualified and awarded folk-dance artists and teachers invited from Hungary.

The club is also collaborating closely with the Hungarian section of the European School II by organising dance teaching activities in the Hungarian nursery and primary classes, as in Hungary, folk dance teaching is part of the school curriculum.

In the coming months, our group will perform at the International Bazar on 15 November; at a Christmas charity event organised by the European Schools of Luxembourg; at a Hungarian Christmas event organised by "Munkácsy" association and in January will dance at the Hungarian day in Heffingen. We are also already booked for the next editions of Colorissimo festival in Sanem, next September.

In the future, our group wishes to perform also outside of Luxembourg, as there is a very active Hungarian network regrouping folk dance groups outside of Hungary, within the EU, organising folk dance festivals or other folk dance events. This would be very enriching and motivating to our children members, allowing them to see that other children in other countries outside of Hungary are also practising this cultural activity.

Our club also wishes to create a traditional costume collection for children and continue collaboration with invited professional folk dance artists and teachers from Hungary.

Chronicle.lu: How can someone who is interested in the club's activities become a member?

Dora Gudlin: The club is open for new members. Apart from contact details communicated via the website of the Cercle Culturel des Institutions Européennes, our club has also a Facebook page.

The name of the children group is "Hatekicsi", referring to a lyrics of a Hungarian folk song with the meaning of: "whatever you are small or big, you belong to us". Creating a community in which children spend quality time together is one of our main goals. Children became friends and spend time together outside the rehearsals as well: most of them are playing an instrument (we organise music concerts as well with the participation of our members) and/or members of sport clubs. A group of children also participate during the summer holidays in special summer folk dance workshops in Hungary.

The club is open to new members; as from October, a starter level group has been launched for children, on top of the existing advanced level group.

Chronicle.lu: Are there different classes/different levels for beginners through to more experienced members?

Dora Gudlin: Yes, we have two children's groups (beginners and advanced).