Some Background Information on Transylvanian Dance Camps
The Camps
Getting There - Public Transport
Local Routes by Car
Water
Quality and Type of Atmosphere
Gala Events
Does Anyone Here Speak English?
Personal Atmosphere (& other Basics - Money, Identification)
Experiences of Other First Time Visitors
Choosing Where to Stay
Cars - Road Quality etc
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Basically, the Transylvanian dance camps are week-long get togethers that the locals put on for themselves inviting the best musicians from the region. The scenery at each of the camps is quite different - yet in all cases it is peaceful and clean. The weather is warm and the people are relaxed. All the
camps are held in small villages, with the full cooperation of the locals. The continuing success of the camps has been due to the supportive attitude from the villagers.
For Westerners, there is a strong tradeoff with the cost of living in the low wage Romanian economy. Full board, for an entire week's camp, is usually DM225 (US$110 at current rates of exchange). This means daily portions of: 5-6 hours of lessons (with optional excursions), 3 meals, táncház and - for a small surcharge - a private roof over your head. Outside the villages where the camps are held, from a tourist's point of view, Romania benefits from not having had a confused transition from totalitarianism to its present democratic state. Crime is low: far lower than Russia, or for that matter the US, or even the larger cities in Hungary.
You may also wish to take comfort from the fact that, by going to Transylvania, a far larger proportion of the money you spend will go directly into the soil from which the dances & music have grown.
The Camps:
Basic Format The first camp was held in 1991 and there are now 8 camps running through successive weeks from the middle of July to the end of August. At all the camps, dinner and a táncház will be available on the opening night. There are always both beginners and advanced classes for dancers.
Beginners classes are generally aimed at dancers with little or no previous experience and start with thorough revision of basic csárdás and turning figures. The one probable exception to this is Vajdaszentivány; where both the beginners and the advanced classes assume a greater background than other camps.
Advanced classes assume a strong grounding in the basics of the dances of the region. In a number of the camps, a distinct effort is now made to teach something different (& interesting!) each year. Gone are the days when you worked hard on the first morning and then you could come back a day and a half later and quickly pick up the bits that you had missed in between.
Music classes are invariably for advanced musicians only. (The beginner folk musician may be more likely to prosper at a camp in Hungary.) Generally, the famous musicians who will play in the táncház in the evening will teach during the day. If you are interested in learning a style or a dialect which may not be directly advertised at a particular camp, this can also be arranged. A good initial point of contact in such instances is Sinkó András; who arranges (or has arranged) the teaching at most of the camps. He speaks English well and can be contacted at 4300 Târgu Mureş, str. Cutezanţei nr.4 ap.10, Romania - tel: +40-65-149863.
Place Names: Transylvania is multi-cultural and places all have at least two names (the majority of which are quite similar to each other). Outside of Hargita and Kovászna counties, in most instances, signs for place names are shown only in the Romanian
language.
How to Get There
For those not hiring/bringing cars, all of the camps are reachable by train (either from Budapest or Bucharest) and bus, as follows:
Jobbágytelke: train to Reghin{Szászrégen} - Târgu Mureş{Marosvásárhely} - bus to Jobbágytelke
Magyarlapád: train to Aiud{Nagyenyed} - ex Hungary via Cluj-Napoca{Kolozsvár}/Torda{Turda}, ex Bucharest via Alba Julia{Gyulafehérvár}, bus to Magyarlapád
Sófalva: train to Miercurea Ciuc{Csíkszerada} (changing at Brasov{Brassó} if coming from Bucharest), bus to Sófalva
Gyimes: the train stops in the village (directly opposite the camp registration building also used for lessons & táncház); having changed trains previously at Miercurea Ciuc{Csíkszerada} (and also at Braşov{Brassó} if coming from Bucharest)
Külcsőrekecsin: train to Onesti, bus/car (northeast) to Külcsőrekecsin; alternatively train to "halta" south of Bacău, car (west) to Külcsőrekecsin. This village is in not in Erdély but all in southern Moldva.
Komandó: train to Covasna{Kovászna} - via Braşov{Brassó}/Sfîntu Gheorghe{Sepsiszentgyörgy} - collected by bus/car to Komandó.
Szentkirály: train to Huedin{Bánffyhunyad} - between Oradea{Nagyvárad} and Cluj-Napoca{Kolozsvár}, collected by car to Szentkirály (Sunday afternoon & evening only) otherwise approx 5km walk (see car directions for details)
Válaszút: the train stops at the outskirts of the village (very brief stop) - having previously stopped at Cluj-Napoca{Kolozsvár} and then headed for Baia Mare{Nagy Banya}; walk to main road, turn right & continue along main road to camp site - a former farm (on a hill side) directly on the left hand side (total
walking time 10 - 20 mins) (see car directions for where to register)
Vajdaszentivány: train to Târgu Mureş{Marosvásárhely}, bus to Vajdaszentivány
Bringing a Car?
(Unless otherwise stated, the roads are paved)
Jobbágytelke: drive south-east from Reghin{Szászrégen} see map on website. For those coming from Târgu Mureş{Marosvásárhely}, there is a much better road available for part of the journey. Instead of going North towards Reghin{Szászrégen}, head East for Sighişoara{Segesvár}. At the very edge of Târgu Mureş{Marosvásárhely}, take the road for Miercurea Niradjului{Nyárádszereda}. In the middle of that town there is a "T" junction signposted for Sovata{Sováta}. Take that road until you reach the turning for Simbriaş{Jobbágytelke}. Warning: the road into {Jobbágytelke} itself (& the directly preceding village) leave much to be desired - although there were signs of much needed work being started at the end of the 2000 camp.
Magyarlapád: drive 10km due east from Aiud{Nagyenyed}.
Sófalva: The main road runs through the outskirts of the village. The distinguishing landmark is the church spire towards the Southern edge of the village. Going South from the church, there is a small bar and terrace on the Eastern side of the road. About 25 meters South of the bar (on the same side of the road) is a cobbled road going uphill. Take the cobbled road and the camp registration is in the village hall.
(The hall is set off by several steps and is about 100 meters along the road on the right hand side.)
Gyimes: camp registration is in the village hall, on the right hand side of the main road - directly opposite the train station. If coming from the West, do NOT go via Gheorgheni; as it is understood (from several sources) that - despite the map's indication of road quality -
there would be a serious risk of breaking an axle.
Külcsőrekecsin: leave Onesti heading northeast on the minor roads beyond Gura-Vaii.
If coming from Bucharest, drive towards Bacâu; being prepared to turn off to your left
onto minor roads some 40km south of Bacâu. You will be in southern Moldva (not in Erdély).
Külcsőrekecsin{Fundu Răcăciuni} is at the very end of a valley. Be prepared for dificult driving conditions.
Komandó;: leave Covasna heading east over a mountain. Komandó is at the very end of the road in a valley. Be prepared for variable driving conditions.
Szentkirály: in the center of Huedin {Bánffyhunyad}, take the T junction going South. A few kilometres outside town, the road will curve left with a smaller road sloping off downhill at a 135 degree angle. That is the road to Szentkirály. (There is a sign on the left hand side of the road opposite the
turn but it is very easy to overlook.) The road then crosses railroad tracks almost immediately and becomes a pebbled and then a dirt road at the outskirts of the village. Continue down hill and across the first (small) bridge. Bear left with the main street (beside a brook) and then continue on the main street as it bears
right and across the second (large) bridge, going uphill until the road forks and a building with a low wall running in front of it is directly in front of you. That is the village hall and is where camp registration takes place.
Válaszút: on the North side of the village, on the West side of the road, there will be a small wooden sign saying Dance Camp in English, Hungarian and Romanian. Drive in up the hill and park by the barn on your left. Camp registration is in the house at the end of the driveway. You will be best going up the
main steps on the side of the house furthest from the main road - into the main corridor, turn right and into the first room on your right.
Vajdaszentivány: although the map indicates access is possible from both the North and the East, neither of these roads is passable for most vehicles. One must thus take the road running from the South (through Marossápatak{Glodeni}. On driving into the middle of town, there will be a large open area on the right and
registration is there; in the fresh air.
Water: With the exception of one camp in 1994 (in Visa{Vişea}), there have never been any problems with water purity. Still, if you wish to drink nothing but say Diet Pepsi - or add water purifiers - that is your privilege. You should note that at Jobbágytelke - by arrangement with the villagers - you are universally advised NOT to drink from the public wells. At Sófalva, Szentkirály, Válaszút and
Vajdaszentivány cold water is available at a few seconds' walk from the classroom. At Gyimes, cold water is brought into the classrooms before the breaks start.
Quality and Type of Atmosphere
Jobbágytelke is staged by the Maros Folk Center Foundation - which is an active informal grouping of younger people - none of whom are professionally involved in the folk world. Their organisational skills, however, are formidable. To a certain extent, the camp could be described as a week-long party for the many members of the Foundation, their associates and their guests (you!).
Magyarlapád is a camp which is strongly supported by the local people; including the teachers. Over the years, attendance at the camp has gradually increased.
Sófalva is situated at the side of a sharp valley. It has grown to a camp of 200-300 people, but retains an intimate atmosphere. The teachers are members of Pipacsok - professional group based in Székelyudvarhely{Odorheiu Secuiesc}. A number of professional folk dancers from other ensembles join the camp to learn from László Csaba and to party.
Gyimes has distinctly alpine scenery and is reminiscent of Aspen, Colorado or Switzerland.
Külcsœrekecsin is in Moldavia. It is understood that the atmosphere was lively, if a bit chaotic.
Komandó is on the shores of a mountain lake, in a valley by itself; far from the nearest main roads.
Szentkirály is situated in a plateau. It is the oldest of the camps. Numbers are now limited to 250, with foreigners receiving preference. (The breadth of resources are greater at the other camps and so numbers there are not limited.) Its song contest is the most keenly competed. Berecz András (the
well-known folk singer from Budapest) invariably comes for one or two evenings.
Válaszút, unlike the other camps, is based at and largely held on private property - a former farm inherited by Kallós Zoltán ("Zoli bácsi"). The village itself also differs in that, given the changes since the last
census, it now roughly equally mixed between ethnic Romanians, ethnic Hungarians and gipsies. Zoli bácsi is greatly revered by teenage folk fans in Hungary - who come in great numbers. This may be
why, unlike the other camps, there is always a lecture - before classes are sorted out on the first morning - as to how one should behave at a folk camp.
Vajdaszentivány is organised by Varga János from Sopron in Hungary, but the teaching is largely done by the townspeople. As with all living dances, each townsperson dances it slightly differently, and participants in the camp are exposed to the full range of styles as they are actually danced.
Gala Events
Jobbágytelke & Sófalva - There is some form of Gala element each night of the week.
Magyarlapád - While local dancers do attend Táncházak throughout the week. The Gala element is largely restricted to dance demonstrations on the final evening of the camp. There are also optional local excursions.
Gyimes - Zerkula János plays frequently. Various local dance ensembles appear in the evening
and some of them dance with those at Táncház after the demonstration.
Szentkirály - While some local dancers attend Táncházak throughout the week. The Gala element is largely restricted to dance demonstrations on the final evening of the camp. There are also optional local excursions.
Válaszút - There is some form of Gala element each night of the week. This normally takes the form a few specially invited dancers from a village in Western Mezőség. With the exceptions of Gypsy dancers and the Palatka dancers, these will all tend to be older dancers with the breadth (in some cases) or
the length of the demonstration naturally restricted accordingly.
Vajdaszentivány - There is both a moderate amount of Gala element during the week; including some pleasant street theatre/commedia del arte (performed onstage). The major Gala event is on the final evening.
Does Anyone Here Speak English?
Languages As a general point, people in Romania generally may well not speak much English. If, however, you remember any French or German, this may increase your chances of being well understood. Romanian itself is somewhat related to Italian (and thus, more distantly, to Spanish). Knowledge of Italian may be of some help is guessing the right word to use in Romanian (though not always). "Da" = "yes"; "nu" = "no"; "stînga" = "left"; "dreapta" = "right".
After having arrived at the villages, the same lack of English applies, but the basic lingua franca is Hungarian. A higher percentage of people will speak a foreign language, although not all of them will necessarily wish to use your presence to practice it. Among the locals, it still is a basic aspect of life that if there is 1 ethnic Romanian among a group of 20 Romanians, it will be expected that all will speak Romanian rather than Hungarian.
Thus, at the camps, people will speak Hungarian by preference. (When in Hungary, however, they may well choose to speak Romanian. It was once said to me among a group of ethnic Hungarians that they were about as keen to Transylvania become part of Hungary as they reckoned the British would be to become the 51st United State!) Over the years, the presence of Western non-ethnic Hungarians at the camps has become an accepted feature and people may readily be prepared to offer to speak to you in English.
So, be careful of speaking loudly. To use an old expression, it creates bad vibes, just as much in Transylvania as it does throughout Western Europe, and at breakfast there may be many heavy cases of hangover in the room. It is a feature of many cultures that they will speak their native language loudly in a foreign country on the basis that the locals do not understand what they are saying. In the camps, however, it is quite likely that your English is understood very precisely - even if no effort is made to acknowledge that fact at all.
This site includes a page of "50 important words in Hungarian" which subject to pronunciation (available from a textbook/Hungarian speaker) - may assist with day to day matters at a camp.
Personal Atmosphere (and other Basics)
Romanians, no matter which ethnic group from which they are extracted, are very proud of their country. There is a genuinely positive and curious attitude to Western tourists, and, once having formed an initial contact, people from either community will insist on going out of their way to ensure that a problem of routine is dealt with without incident.
The writer has no family links with Romania, with parents in fact from either side of the Irish cultural divide. The ethnic differences between the two main cultures are far more deeply riven in Romania than in Ireland, although, curiously enough, their separate definitions of "a good time" and their individual approaches to dances and weddings are much closer than those in Ireland.
Money: as most people will be aware, the lei is non - convertible outside Romania. As the fee for the camps is all-inclusive, you may not need to convert large amounts of currency. The camps do attempt to sustain a competitive exchange rate, although it is possible to gain a marginally better rate in the nearest big city. The savings are generally not very large and the comparative time costs of making a side trip to Târgu Mures or Cluj-Napoca (or for finding the extra 30-60 minutes while passing through) may equal the value of the saving.
Personal Identification: as is the case in almost all of Europe, you are expected to have identification on you as a matter of course. For foreigners, this is your passport which you may be expected to produce when registering at the camp. While staying in the camp itself, it is acceptable merely to have it in a safe place.
Experiences of Other First Time Visitors
During the summer of 1999, 45 people from (in alphabetical order) Canada, Hong Kong, Hungary, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United States took a US organised bus trip through Transylvania. Most of the visitors appear to have gone there for the first time. The whirlwind tour of ten days went through Kalotaszeg, Mezőség, and Székelyföld villages.
A summary of some of the experiences of the participants can be found here. Please note that some of the views there are not endorsed by this site. Possibly, certain views can be seen more as expressions of the personal backgrounds of the commenters than as straight reportage.
Choosing Where to Stay
With a Family, in a Hotel or in a Tent? The prices mentioned at the start of this page are on the basis that you are staying in a family's house. It is also possible to stay at a hotel. For these, you will definitely need a car, as they all are at least 10 - 15 minutes drive from the camp site. On the
basis that the overall difference in price is not a significant issue, the possible greater comfort of the hotel rooms may be outweighed by the nearness of a family's house. Changing out of damp clothes and being able to find complete silence for a short afternoon nap can become more difficult if one must drive there and back. It
may also be a strain having to drive to one's bed after a long day. There is access to hot showers for those in tents at Sófalva and Szentkirály. If staying in a tent, however, it may be a definite advantage, however, to be either a heavy sleeper and/or one who requires few hours of sleep.
Family Houses When staying in a house, the families are keen to assist (although at most only their children will be able to speak any foreign language) and you will be staying in their best room(s). Accommodation is normally 2 per room, and, in terms of quality/nearness to the camp, it is first come first
served. (If you are not traveling with your partner, enquire when registering whether you are in a double or single bed.) Also enquire about hot water - as, when available, the tank is heated by a special stove. The person who shows you to the house will be glad to translate (if necessary) so that it is clear when you will
wish to bathe/shower. Indoor plumbing is not a universal feature - although it can be found at all camps other than Válaszút - enquire before you are taken to the house.
Cars - Road Quality etc
While it is definitely practicable to rely on public transport, far greater flexibility can be realised by hiring a car. Particularly, if one wishes to make brief side trips to particular villages.
Note that a by-product of Romania having repaid its international debt during the 1980s is that reinvestment in the infrastructure (and particularly the highways) is only slowly being brought up to date - as contrasted to Hungary where the positions regarding international debt and highways are at the opposite extremes. Thus journey times from Budapest to almost all the camps are the same, if not less, than those from Bucharest. Consequently, subject to clarifying one's insurance coverage, it may be worth staging one's journey from Budapest.
Lead free petrol is widely available in Romania - generally known as blei frei or "fără plumb". One of the very few instances where general common sense does not keep one out of all foreseeable trouble, is that it is expected that the driver retains control of the cap to the petrol tank. The writer did not appreciate the sublety until his 21st refill when it was pointed out that his cap was missing!
In common with most East European countries, the acceptable blood alcohol limit in both Romania and Hungary is 0.0%. There are also radar controlled speed traps in certain villages and on the outskirts of cities, with on the spot fines. (There may be consternation if you attempt to pay in foreign currency - particularly where the police are issued with prenumbered receipt tickets which they exchange for the value of the fine.)
In Romania, speed limits are at US levels. Where there has been reinvestment in the roads, the likelihood of surprise road checks is greatly increased (perhaps in light of the greater possbility of speeding). In Hungary, by contrast, speed limits are at (higher) Western European levels. If natives of Hungary are caught doing more than 10% over the speed limit, their licence is confiscated and they are required to wait 6 months before putting their name on the list for a new driving test.
Be sure to note that in Hungary, it is MANDATORY to have one's headlights on at all times except when driving in towns during daylight. When overtaking on a rural road in the summer haze, the common sense behind this law may be regarded as a Godsend.
Last modified Sunday, 20-Aug-2000 20:14:35 GMT