THE KUPEC FAMILY

The Kupec family is a renowned Hungarian artistic family from Upper Hungary (present-day southern Slovakia). For decades, they have played a defining role in preserving Hungarian folk dance and music traditions. Their activities are centered in Veľká Ida (Nagyida), where they lead the Ilosvai Selymes Péter Folk Dance Ensemble.

• Mihály and Andrea Kupec – Folk dancers, choreographers, artistic directors of the Ilosvai Selymes Péter Folk Dance Ensemble, and founders of the Ilosvai House in Nagyida. They have received numerous awards for their work in preserving Hungarian folk culture.
• Zsófia Kupec – A folk dancer and educator, actively involved in the professional work of the ensemble and in passing on folk traditions.
• Zsolt Kupec – A television editor and reporter (M2 Petőfi TV) who is also a folk dancer(former Fitos Dezsõ Társulat member), promoting Hungarian folk music and dance culture through his media work.

The family’s lifestyle is closely intertwined with community building; they not only dance and teach but also maintain a cultural center that serves as a stronghold of Hungarian identity in southern Slovakia. They have appeared together at events such as the “New Year’s Greeting from Families” program at the House of Traditions in Budapest, where they presented folk art as a family heritage passed down through generations.

BARANYAI BARBARA

She completed her primary school education in my hometown, Csongrád, at the Music and Arts Primary School. Folk dance was a mandatory subject in the school, even though it was not part of an artistic school framework at that time. Influenced by this, she started dancing with the Csongrád Alföld Folk Dance Ensemble during her school years. After graduating from primary school, she was accepted into the folk-dance program at the Bartók Béla Artistic Vocational School in Békéscsaba. She graduated in 2003, and in 2004, she obtained a vocational qualification as a dancer. In 2002, she received the title of "Gorgeous Collar Dancer" at the National Youth Solo Dance Competition in Eger.

Alongside her schooling, she continued dancing in Csongrád, where as a member of the ensemble, she had the opportunity to perform multiple times at the Folk Dance Anthology, achieving excellent ratings on several occasions. 

Before graduating, in April 2003, she was accepted into the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble. She spent five months there, then continued her career at the Honvéd Dance Ensemble in Budapest starting in September 2003.