Scientia Publishing House – Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania

A tánc bűvöletében [Under the Spell of Dance]

This volume is the result of conversations the author has had with dance artist Erzsebet Szálassy Nagy, giving an insight into the artist’s private life, shedding a light onto her family background (her father is the author of the workers’ life István Nagy, her mother is the sister of Béla Józsa, who died in martyrdom whilst incarcerated for his anti-war activities during World War II.), bringing into focus her career as an artist, her preparations for it, and her involuntary change of career, which luckily happened in her retirement years only.
Moreover, the book provides a peek into topics related to the art of dancing, which are more or less hidden from the everyday audience. These are specialized topics that touch on the foundations of ballet, emphasize the role of music in the construction of movements, stress the importance of physical and psychological factors, illuminate the role of the choreographer in the composition of a performance, and point out the importance of the artistic methods of expression in the dramatic construction of ballet.
Photos of her performances provide colour to the book, as well as recensions and reviews in the Appendix, complemented by the chronological listing of the artist’s roles in her repertoire.