The SPIRIT OF HUNGARY performed by the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble was specially created by artistic director, choreographer, Zoltán Zsuráfszky to commemorate the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. The Exclusive North American Tour of this production was organized by: Centrum Management – Kalman Magyar, director. The year 2016 was, both the 60th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution, and also the official year of Polish Hungarian Brotherhood as designated by Poland and Hungary.
Therefore, it is only fitting that the Chicago performance was at the Copernicus Center Theatre in conjunction with other 60th anniversary events. Throughout modern history these two nations had supported each other in times of adversity. 1956 was no different as events in Poland were the spark for revolution in Hungary, and also, the first to provide humanitarian aid to the revolutionaries was Poland.
The organizing Co-Sponsors of the SPIRIT OF HUNGARY in this Chicago venue included the Copernicus Center, the Consul General of Hungary, the Consul General of Poland, the Tatra Mountain Foundation and the Polish Hungarian World Federation.
IN MEMORIAM 1956 – 60 years October 19, 2016
The first part of the show featured contemporary and thematic dances commemorating the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, the historic uprising against Soviet dictatorship. Fearing a brutal repression, thousands of Hungarians escaped their country, settling in the West, most in the USA and Canada, where they made great contributions to the economic and political development of their host countries. The Ensemble’s choreography payed homage to this historic event and to those immigrants who had to leave their country, reaching our shores to find a safer, better life.