International Festival
THEATRE METHODS 05
Between Tradition and Contemporaneity

Bence Vagi (Hungary)
Workshop presentation

"Applying accents of movement
in contemporary theatre with the methods
of early 20th century cabaret performance"

„ We will satirize political events, enlighten mankind, confront it with its stupidity, cure those creeps of their ill-temper...”
(Rudolph Salis)

I believe that there will be a retro movement in the performing arts, looking back to exactly that culture, bringing to life again through songs, musicals and theatre pieces and dance, which was one of the key attractions.

The communication between artist and audience was a lot closer and faster, as they used everyday topics and expression. The songs of this period are bound to provoke a reaction – be it of any kind.

Fads and fashion, sexual mores and political ideologies – all were subject to satire and parody on the cabaret stage. 

What is the relevance of old cabaret to contemporary theatre?

The satirical edge of daily life
Providing a stage for underground political and literary expression and showcasing the works of social critics

The intimacy of the cabaret
Breaking bounderies between the audience and the performer

Drama in three minutes
Creating drama through music, song and dance

Sensuality and sexuality in the cabaret
„Establishments as centres of moral degradation”

Characters and methods of early 20th century vaudeville  
The importance of the Master of Ceremonies and the Diseuse etc.

Warm up
Dance Repetation from „Obscenes” tales of a cabaret

Lets make cabaret together!

BIOGRAPHY

Born in 1981, Bence Vagi started dancing at the age of 6, while he was living in Wuppertal, Germany. After one year of ballet his family moved back to Budapest, Hungary. In 1995 he started taking jazz and ballet classes and special technique for turns at the Ballet & Jazz Centre Budapest. Besides dance he also had vocal training at the Opera Budapest. During his years at high school, he already started working in musical theatre productions such as Edith Piaf, Blood Brothers, West Side Story, The Rocky Horror Picture Show - where he not only was a dancer but the assistant choreographer for the famous Hungarian choreographer Gabor Bako.

In 2000, Bence started a BA (Hons) Dance course at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, where he has been trained in various styles of dance: Contemporary (Cunningham, Graham, Limon), Jazz (Luigi, Horton, Mattox), Street Dance, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Contact Improvisation, Pilates, Ballet and South African Gumboot dancing. He focused especially on training in the style of Bob Fosse.

Besides dancing, he received additional training in singing, acting and lighting design. Furthermore he directed projects involving dancers, singers and designers. His two major dance productions, PURE (Anglican Cathedral 2001) and Code Osziliate (LIPA 2002) were introduced to a broad audience in Liverpool and received outstanding reviews.

Since his graduation in 2003 he worked in Portugal, Belgium and England. In the UK his work focused on “Obscenes” tales of a cabaret, which he choreographed and co-directed with Sabine Bickel. Most recently he finished his choreographic work for Disney’s Alan Menken, Howard Ashman Tim Rice’s Beauty & the Beast at the Budapest Operetta theatre.

Currently he is creating Bartók “ Roman Dances “ for the National Opera of Hungary and co-directing the Rippel Brothers show “ Dream World”.

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