Strings, Stew & Subatomic Particles – Back in Brussels with the Viola·Dance·Ensemble

We first met these brilliant folks at the Viola·Dance·Ensemble in Brussels back in September 2023, and since then they couldn’t get rid of us however hard they tried. We play, we cook, we fly like a rook when it comes to a hook up with folksters alike, be it in in Belgium, England or Skype…

Because this is a place:
– where the ensemble leader browses folk costumes and dressmaker’s mannequins between work Zoom calls,
– where the fate of a G string matters more than coffee,
– where dancers drum and saxophonists burst into Hungarian folk song before jumping into a men’s solo,
– where a sour potato stew crisis is solved not with sugar or bicarbonate of soda, but with cheerful ease (and yes, the suspicious batch was thrown away and replaced with a “safety stew” 😊),
– where Dutch, French, English and Hungarian all flow effortlessly during performances and táncház sessions.

Wednesday: We celebrated the Viola Ensemble’s 5th birthday.
Thursday: We studied melodies collected by Gergely Agócs – and we realised this wasn’t just self-indulgent harmonising after all.
Friday: We performed a one-hour violin-viola duet beside a particle accelerator, joined by beautifully dressed dancers Borbála Máté and Ferenc Robinek following Bori’s invitation.
Saturday: Together with Enikő and Nándi, we played at a joyful táncház organised by Viola Dance Ensemble.

A true highlight was meeting the one and only Ricsi Vastag Bácsi – a captivating character with a treasure trove of teaching methods, who’ll happily give a workshop even in the middle of the night if needed.

From him we learned that the kampósbot is not a fokos, and that while a Hungarian sheep’s leg may not fit through it, a Brussels sheep’s just might.

Weekend highlights also included:
– Tamás Ferencz meeting Ferencz Tamás,
– Nándor Kiss gets introduced to Kiss Nándor,
– Magyar Enikő’s alter ego remaining in London,
– Vörösmarty Bence is too unique to have a duplicate – which is exactly why we’re extra protective of him.

Thank you for the friendship, the patience, and the many wonderful moments: Robinek Ferenc, Máté Borbála, and the entire Viola·Dance·Ensemble.

We’re already looking forward to seeing you again!