Founded in 1985, the Bogáncs folk ensemble is at present the oldest active Transylvanian children's folk ensemble. Aiming at perpetuating Transylvanian vernacular culture by acquainting the Highschool's students with folk music and dance, the ensemble generated the birth of several groups: in 1990 the Kisbogáncs, in 1999 the Apróbogáncs (the Bogáncs ensemble's groups for smaller children) were founded. The first generation of Bogáncs dancers, who graduated in 1993, founded Zurboló, the "adult" ensemble of Bogáncs. In 1996 the Zurboló's Replacement group came into being, and in 2001 the Bogáncs's Replacement group was founded. Therefore in the past 20 years more that 800 children and youngsters have danced in our ensembles and the current membership of our groups is around 150.
The Zurboló dance ensemble of the Brassai Foundation, Cluj-Napoca was founded by the first graduated generation of the Brassai Sámuel Theoretical Highschool's Bogáncs folk ensemble in October 1993, under the leadership of Csongor Könczei.
We primarily focus on Central Transylvanian Hungarian, Romanian and Gipsy folk dances, at first studying and learning them in detail, then integrating them in our forthcoming performances. The profile of our ensemble is also shaped by folk dance theatre performances.
To support, help and coordinate this significant number of children and young adults, it was necessary to found a suitable institution that would provide an organized institutional structure for their activities. For this aim the Bogáncs - Zurboló Association was founded in autumn 2002, which tries to provide a proper material and spiritual basis for them. The association provides a background ensuring the efficiency of activities in order to preserve the unmistakable spirit that has characterized these ensembles along the past years.
