Hungarian State Folk Ensemble to Play Jones Hall, 10/11

The Hungarian State Folk Ensemble will return to Houston for one night only on Friday, Oct. 11, at 8 p.m. in Jones Hall, presented by Society for the Performing Arts.

The company of 85 dancers and musicians will perform its latest program, Hungarian Rhapsody. As a musical genre, the rhapsody is characterised by its tumultuous rhythms, strong emotion, impassioned surges of thought and freedom of expression. Hungarian Rhapsody incorporates all aspects of the genre, but also portrays inspiration from folk music and folk dance tradition to create its own unique performance.

When performing, the Ensemble includes images of the peasant traditions of the Hungarians and other groups of its region in dynamic succession, offering a compelling look into this singular, kaleidoscopic, yet oddly unified thousand-year-old culture as expressed in the acrobatics of the men's dances, the lyricism of the girls'dances and the virtuosity of couples' dances. Hungarian Rhapsody is a journey through time - from the present to the past and back again and demonstrates that this culture is ongoing and of great significance.

A celebration of Hungary's rich history, the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble's choreography is based on authentic dances - many of which date back hundreds of years - from villages all over the country. The music which inspired Hungarian and international classical composers including Liszt, Bartók and Kodály, will be performed live on-stage by the Folk Orchestra, as well as the Gipsy Orchestra. The five members of the Folk Orchestra play authentic, traditional instruments and perform Hungarian folk music at its highest artistic level. The world-famous Gipsy Orchestra plays dance accompaniments and performs alone.

Founded in 1951, the Ensemble is revitalizing Hungarian culture by performing traditional dances all over the world. It has performed in 44 countries across four continents, and has thrilled millions of people over the past five decades.

Part of SPA's International Series, this performance is generously sponsored by Reliant, H-E-B, United Airlines and BMC Software.

Tickets range from $25-$75 and can be purchased online at www.spahouston.org, by phone at 713-227-4772 or at the courtyard level ticket office at Jones Hall located at 615 Louisiana St. Hours of operation: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday. For groups of 15 or more, call 713-632-8113.

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