Performances / Nagyvárad Dance Ensemble/ 2025-2026
Based on the novel of the same title by Zsigmond Móricz
Butterfly
Translated by::
The story offers a glimpse into the life of a small rural community shaped by poverty and strict social conventions. In this world, marriage was often less about love than about securing a livelihood and preserving family property, while society's expectations weighed upon the young like an inherited prison.
Set on the Great Hungarian Plain, impoverished day labourers breathe in the dust of the threshing machine. In this harsh and unforgiving environment, two young people fall in love. The plain blossoms around them. Their parents, relatives, and almost everyone around them oppose their relationship, while the young man is burdened by the expectation of marrying a wealthy woman. The lyrical power of Butterfly (Pillangó) reaches its climax at the most dramatic moment, when the young man jumps from the cart, leaving his fiancée behind to choose true love. Written in the rugged yet expressive language of ordinary people, the play tells the story of two poor lovers whose passion is worthy of Shakespeare.
The story unfolds through the symbolism of Hungarian folk dance. The whirl of wedding celebrations, work songs portraying everyday village life, and joyful dances gradually become increasingly oppressive. At first, the dance scenes between men and women reveal the beauty and strength of rural life: the vitality of the csárdás, the passion hidden within the couples' swirling movements, and the vibrant energy of communal festivities. As the story moves into darker waters, the meaning of these movements changes as well. The musical score draws on the ancient world of Hungarian folk songs, enriched by distorted, darker harmonies that seem to summon the spirits of the past and the burden of guilt.
Our folk dance theatre production seeks answers to the following questions: Can pure love be embraced even when it defies every social convention? What do we lose, and what do we gain, when we dare to be ourselves and stand by a love that everyone else opposes?
Cast of characters:
Director: