HUNGARIAN FOLK DANCE LESSON AT A SCHOOL IN AUCKLAND

Recently, I had the opportunity to share something truly special with children in New Zealand.I taught Hungarian folk dance to folk music at a school in Auckland.It was a wonderful experience — and also quite touching — to be able to pass on a small piece of our culture, even this far from Hungary.

How did I end up there?The story began back in March, when I organised a táncház (dance house) for one of our club days. Although I met many people there for the first time, everyone happily joined the dancing — including Judit, whom I didn’t know yet.

Months later, just before the Déryné theatre performance in August, Judit happened to be chatting with some acquaintances right next to me. She mentioned that she works as a PE teacher and sometimes teaches dance to the kids at her school. She said she remembered the choreography from the club day in March, but unfortunately hadn’t recorded it and had since forgotten the steps.

That’s when I joined the conversation and told her that I was the one who created that dance.Judit was delighted — and almost immediately invited me to teach it to her students.

Naturally, as a dance teacher, I gladly said yes.I held two sessions:

First came the younger group — little energy bombs who burst into the room with full force. The first few minutes were all about gathering their attention, but as soon as the music started and we began the steps, they all jumped in with excitement.We repeated the moves many times, but they loved it — especially the part where they had to run into the centre of the circle. Of course, at that point they forgot all about rhythm and just charged in, but their joy and laughter made up for everything.They returned to their classroom smiling and rosy-cheeked.

Next came the older group, bringing a completely different energy: calm, orderly, disciplined.They picked up the steps surprisingly quickly — we pieced the choreography together in just a few minutes.They were very talented and open-minded, and it was clear they were genuinely interested in the new experience.

We finished the session with a bit of free dancing — everyone could move freely and jump out their leftover energy.

For me, it was a huge joy to see Hungarian music and dance come alive in a New Zealand school.It felt truly special to introduce the children, even if just for a short time, to the world of Hungarian folk dance and music — and to show them the joy that lies in cultural exchange.

I believe that moments like these build bridges, spark curiosity, and nurture openness.

Fanni Csényi