On Friday afternoon, underneath the Five Angel Statues, Kenyon students and professors moved in the Hungarian Folk Dance Experience. Led by affiliated scholar in Dance Henrik Kovács, the event was a partnership between the Department of Dance, Drama and Film and the Office of Student Engagement. “We are so very fortunate to have [Kovács] here as a Fulbright scholar specializing in Hungarian folk dance; the Office for Community Partnerships and the dance program wanted the larger community to share in the bonding and grounding experience of moving together and in nature with his guidance,” Professor of Dance and Director of the Office of Community Partnerships Julie Brodie wrote in an email to the Collegian.

The email promoting the event stated it was designed to make participants “feel the rhythm of authentic Hungarian folk dance [and] connect with tradition and the earth outdoors.” Taking place entirely in the space in front of Rosse Hall, multiple attendees danced without shoes, something encouraged in the email as well.  

Although the initial number of attendees was anything but small, many more students and faculty joined in as the event went on after passing by the group. Throughout many partner dances, Kovács encouraged participants to switch who they were dancing with. Even though finding a partner to switch with halfway through a motion was already somewhat difficult, Kovács added the challenge of telling people to switch the direction of the circle they were moving in. Many of the dances could be described as chaotic and fast-paced at first, but once participants gained a feel for them and their tempo, they became easier to follow.  

“The Hungarian folk dance culture is very rich. … We danced more than 10 dances barefoot to experience nature, to understand we have to move, and think together for preserving the Earth in peace among every living creature in the universe (under the protection of the singing angels),” Kovács wrote in an email to the Collegian. 

One of the most memorable dances was the “Road of the Devil,” which had participants stomping and running around in a circle, mirroring the layout of the surrounding statues. Every moment of the experience encouraged interaction and community, sometimes with one partner and other times with the entire group. “Everyone can see the joy on the faces during a social folk dance event, which brings people together, moving together as one entity, understanding through their bodies the power of a community,” Kovács wrote. “With the Hungarian folk dances (I think other folk dances have these functions, too) you are part of the community, moving together, but you can dance your own motif without ruining the moving together.”

Kovács concluded the event by saying, “Thank you Mother Earth, thank you for the protecting angels, see you next time.”