Csárdás and the Living Universe
Attila Grandpierre, the Hungarian astrophysicist, musician, and process philosopher writes:
"It is encouraging that comprehensive postmodern science has already proven on exact mathematical grounds that we are existing in a Living Universe that is governed by the same life-principle which is accessible within us in the form of our intrinsic vital instinct. The cosmic creativity and vitality of the life principle can be realized by us when we listen to it."
Grandpierre, known for his work in astrophysics and philosophy, explores the idea that the universe is not a lifeless mechanism but a dynamic, living reality. As both a scientist and musician, he sees creativity and vitality as fundamental cosmic principles—realities we can tune into, not only with our minds but with our entire being. This vision resonates deeply with the rich cultural and musical traditions of his native Hungary, where the Csárdás dance embodies the very rhythm of life he describes. Grandpierre is influenced by the philosopher Whitehead, as am I. I offer below a Whiteheadian appreciation of Csárdás
Contrast: The Pulse of Life
At the heart of Csárdás is its contrast between the lassan (slow, expressive) and the friss (fast, exuberant). This mirrors Whitehead’s idea that reality unfolds through contrasts, where differences heighten the intensity of experience. Just as the Csárdás dancer moves from deliberate, introspective movements to an explosion of energy, reality itself pulses with rhythmic contrasts—day and night, growth and decay, stillness and motion.
Prehension: The Felt Connection
Whitehead’s concept of prehension emphasizes that all entities take in and respond to their surroundings. In Csárdás, every dancer prehends the music, the shifting tempo, the presence of their partner, and the movement of others. The leader anticipates the follower’s reactions, and vice versa, in a continuous process of mutual adaptation. This illustrates Whitehead’s view that all experience is relational, shaped by the past but unfolding anew in the present.
Propositions: The Lure of Movement
Propositions in Whitehead’s philosophy function as lures for feeling, guiding actual entities toward specific possibilities. The dance itself is a proposition—a set of patterns and traditions that invite individual interpretation. Each dancer, while adhering to Csárdás’ structural framework, introduces their own flair, selecting movements from an array of possibilities. This dynamic interplay reflects the way propositions shape human experience by offering potential forms of becoming.
Actual Entities: Each Step as a Moment of Concrescence
Each step in Csárdás is an act of concrescence, a fresh synthesis of past experiences, bodily impulses, and musical cues. Every moment of the dance is an actual entity, integrating influences from history, tradition, and the immediate present. The dancer is not merely executing preordained steps but is engaged in an ongoing act of creation, much as the universe itself is a series of momentary actualizations.
Subjective Form: The Emotional Tone of Dance
Whitehead describes each act of becoming as having a subjective form, a felt quality. Csárdás expresses a spectrum of emotions: longing in the slow passages, euphoria in the fast. The subjective form of each movement is shaped by the mood of the dancer, the rhythm of the music, and the shared energy of the performance. The dance is felt experience, embodying Whitehead’s claim that reality is not merely structured but deeply emotional.
Societies: The Tradition That Endures
Whitehead defines societies as enduring structures composed of actual entities that share a common pattern. Csárdás is not an isolated act but part of an ongoing cultural society. It survives across generations, evolving while maintaining its core identity. Like ecosystems, languages, and galaxies, Csárdás exemplifies a living tradition, persisting through collective participation.
Eternal Objects: Forms of Movement
The steps, turns, and gestures of Csárdás are manifestations of eternal objects, the pure potentialities that structure reality. The swirling of skirts, the stomp of boots, the spin of a dancer—each of these existed in the realm of possibility before being actualized. Just as the universe continuously selects from a range of potential forms, so too does the dancer, embodying these eternal possibilities in each fleeting moment.
Multiplicity
Csárdás thrives in its multiplicity. No two performances are alike; variations emerge from region, personal style, and the energy of the moment. This reflects Whitehead’s assertion that reality is fundamentally pluralistic, with countless actualities unfolding in unique yet interconnected ways.
The Universe in Motion
Beyond its local manifestation, Csárdás illuminates a deeper truth that resonates with Attila Grandpierre's perspective: the universe itself is a dance. Whitehead rejects the notion of a static cosmos in favor of a living, creative process. The rhythm of Csárdás mirrors the oscillations of nature—the cycles of the seasons, the spirals of galaxies, the wave-like behavior of quantum fields.
Just as Csárdás alternates between slow and fast, the universe moves between contraction and expansion, rest and activity. The dance of subatomic particles, the gravitational pull of celestial bodies, the formation and dissolution of stars—these are contrasts woven into the fabric of existence, much like the shifts in tempo that give Csárdás its expressive power.
The Universe Prehends Itself
All things are interrelated in Whitehead’s philosophy. The movement of one dancer influences another, just as planetary orbits affect each other, and consciousness emerges from a vast web of relationships. The universe, like Csárdás, is a grand improvisation where each occasion of experience feels and responds to what came before.
Creativity as the Ultimate Reality
Whitehead identifies creativity as the ultimate principle of the universe. Csárdás exemplifies this through its improvisational nature, where dancers do not merely repeat but transform inherited movements. In the same way, the universe is not deterministic but an ongoing creative advance, a dance of ever-emerging novelty.
The Universe Performs Csárdás
"They learn to think jointly, co-creating the dance." The Csárdás dance tradition in Hungary puts us all to shame who cannot think jointly and co-create our relationships with one another. But we do well to look at these folk traditions for keys to who we might become, if only we have the hearts to listen.
Csárdás is more than a folk dance; it is a microcosm of reality itself. It exemplifies Whitehead’s categories of existence on both the human scale and the cosmic scale. In its contrasts, prehensions, lures for feeling, and creative transformations, Csárdás is a living metaphor for the processual nature of existence. To dance Csárdás is to participate in the larger dance of the cosmos, attuning oneself to the rhythms of a universe that is never static but always becoming.
In this sense, Csárdás is not merely performed in the universe—it is the universe dancing through us, beckoning us to co-create in still deeper and more intimate ways, learning to think jointly.
"The csárdás is a Hungarian dance that is performed by couples consisting of a man and a woman, or, in some regions, of two women. Multiple couples participate in the dance at the same time, forming one large or several smaller circles. Each region has its own themes, gestures and figures, which are improvised according to well-known, established rules and patterns. The csárdás is a universal favourite in both village and urban dance traditions, and is performed during weddings, community events, folk dance events and on stage. It is often accompanied by a string band consisting of violins, violas and double basses. The practitioners are amateur and professional dancers who learn through formal education or folk dances. The csárdás is an expression of the self-organizing and cohesive power of communities. Dancers also sing and must pay attention to their partner as well as to surrounding couples. The partners learn to think jointly as they co-create the dance. The acquired skills can be applied to everyday life, as they improve people’s ability to adapt to others and strengthen their roles in the community. The csárdás also has an integrative social function, creating a sense of collective identity in the communities."
Dancing Toward a Sustainable Future:
Lessons from the Csárdás Tradition
In Hungary, the csárdás is more than just a dance—it is a way of moving, thinking, and relating that affirms the interconnection of mind, body, psyche, and movement. When partners dance the csárdás, they learn to think jointly—not just through verbal communication but through attuned movement, shared rhythm, and bodily awareness. This dynamic interaction offers a powerful metaphor for how communities and societies might co-create a more sustainable future.
In many parts of the world, the challenges of the present—climate change, social fragmentation, and economic instability—require a shift from isolated, individualistic thinking to collaborative, embodied ways of knowing and being. The csárdás, and other forms of participatory dance, show us how this can be done in ways that engage the whole person and the whole community.
Dance as Cultural Resilience
Dance traditions like the csárdás have long been carriers of cultural memory and resilience. In times of hardship, whether political oppression, economic struggle, or war, traditional dance has provided a way for people to stay connected to their history, each other, and their sense of self.
The improvisational quality of the csárdás mirrors the improvisational nature of cultural survival. Just as dancers must adapt to each other's movements, cultures must adapt to changing conditions while maintaining their core identity. The intergenerational transmission of dance traditions ensures that wisdom is passed down—not in a static form but as a living, evolving practice.
In this way, dance is not just a symbol of resilience; it is a practice of resilience—a way of sustaining traditions while creatively adapting to the present.
Dance and Ecological Awareness
Thinking jointly, as the csárdás teaches, is also essential for ecological sustainability. The challenges of climate change and environmental degradation require us to move in harmony with nature rather than against it.
Dance reminds us that movement is relational. Just as dancers respond to one another in the moment, humans must learn to respond to the Earth—to its rhythms, limitations, and possibilities. Many traditional dances, including the csárdás, arise from rural, agricultural contexts where people were deeply attuned to the cycles of the land. When we dance these traditions, we reconnect with ways of being that are grounded in the Earth rather than detached from it.
A world that dances together is a world that listens—to each other and to the planet we call home.
Dance as Spiritual Attunement
In many traditions, dance is not only cultural and ecological but also spiritual. The csárdás, with its fluidity between fast and slow, improvisation and structure, can be seen as a metaphor for spiritual life.
Spiritual traditions often speak of the need for receptivity—to the sacred, to others, to the deeper flow of life. Dance teaches us this receptivity in an embodied way. The mutual responsiveness of dance partners mirrors the relationship between humans and the sacred—one that is not about control but about listening, responding, and co-creating.
The joy of dance itself can be a form of transcendence, a movement beyond the isolated self into a greater wholeness.
A World That Dances Together
In an age dominated by digital screens, hyper-individualism, and disembodied interactions, traditions like the csárdás remind us of something fundamental: we are beings of movement, feeling, and relationship.
To think jointly is to recognize that the future will not be built by isolated individuals but by communities that move together. To dance is to practice trust, adaptability, and shared creativity—all essential skills for navigating an uncertain world. To move with awareness is to rediscover our place within a living, interconnected cosmos.
If we are to create a sustainable and just world, we may need to stop merely talking about change and start dancing our way into it.
