The Maiden Danced to Death

As the heartbeat of life pulses through the stately city of Budapest (lovingly filmed by veteran cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond), Gyula Udvaros is rehearsing his Hungarian folk dance troupe. Though he and his wife Mari have dedicated their lives to this intensely muscular style of dance, their company is about to fold for lack of money. Much more than just their livelihood, dance is woven throughout the fabric of their existence. Suddenly, Gyula's brother bursts back onto the scene. Known now as “Steve,” Istvan emigrated to Canada years ago and became a fast-talking theater impresario. Istvan intends to whip Gyula's troupe into shape for an international tour. But bitter family rivalries soon resurface: Gyula protests that Istvan's harsh work ethic is killing the dancers' joy. As they rehearse “The Red Shoes”—where a young girl is danced out of her community for a perceived sin—the frenetic whirling of THE MAIDEN DANCED TO DEATH becomes a metaphor for life. The Honved Dance Company provides choreographic pyrotechnics. (In English, Hungarian, and Slovenian with subtitles) –B.B.