A World Re-Created : the life of the Hungarian ballet dancer, dance educator, and choreographer Kalman Solymossy in Australian emigration

Tongori, Ágota (2022) A World Re-Created : the life of the Hungarian ballet dancer, dance educator, and choreographer Kalman Solymossy in Australian emigration. TÁNC ÉS NEVELÉS / DANCE AND EDUCATION, 3 (2). pp. 125-156. ISSN 2732-1002

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Abstract

After fleeing Hungary due to his participation in the 1956 revolution, Kalman Solymossy left behind his renowned status as a dancer of the Budapest Opera House and had to start his life from scratch. Dance held a central position in Solymossy’s life, whatever the circumstances. Although there was no demand for dancers when he arrived in Australia, his everlasting optimism, endurance and courage helped him stick to the path he had chosen, leading him to establish the largest ballet school of his time in Australia while educating and supporting dancers, many of whom later chose dance as their profession. With his choreography and his presence on TV, Solymossy significantly contributed to the cultural life of Australia and its Hungarian community. The present article is based on primary, secondary and tertiary sources, relying mainly on convenience sampling of the available resources accessed through both Australian and Hungarian online archives. This study presents a critical period in Solymossy’s influential career and highlights a number of uncertain aspects of his life, topics which have so far been sparsely examined.

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