“Music and dance, just like in Szék” — An evening in the spirit of Szék at the Fonó, in Memory of Dr. Lelkes Lajos.
Date: 29th of October from 7.00 PM - 12.00 AM
Venue: Fonó Budai Zeneház, Budapest
The Hungarian dance house movement was a so-called grassroots initiative that emerged in the early 1970s from the spontaneous desire and enthusiasm of intellectuals, musicians, and dancers. Young people were seeking a genuine, immersive community experience instead of official cultural programs. Dr. Lelkes Lajos (1940–2026) was one of the most important founding organizers and behind-the-scenes figures of the Hungarian dance house movement, yet one who was less well-known to the general public. As the founder and lifelong president of the Kertész Dance Society (now known as the Kertész Dance Society Cultural Association), he played a key role in organizing the very first dance house in Budapest on May 6, 1972, in Budapest—which served as the movement’s starting point—at Liszt Ferenc Square, in what is now the Írók Boltja.
The evening begins with a slide show and reminiscences by Korniss Péter, a photographer and close friend of Lelkes Lajos, focusing on his photographs of Szék and Lelkes Lajos.
The “Present Past” book series, founded and directed by Lelkes Lajos through Planétás Publishing, will be on display; this series represents one of the most important collections in Hungarian ethnography, folk music, and folk dance research, and has now attained significance in the history of science.
After that, a dance party will begin and last until midnight, featuring only traditional Szék music performed by three bands: Üsztürü, Tükrös, and the Csoóri Family Band. If you have any traditional Szék clothing, come dressed in it!
Click here to buy your tickets for the event in advance 
