[Ponte Alto] Greetings from Sandor the Newbie

[Sándor Vitez]

Hi all!  I am a newcomer to SCA, although I had friends in it throughout my
college days, and since from time to time.

I am a long-time folk dancer, so the dancing is a particular interest of
mine.  I've done English Country workshops with George Fogg over the last
10-15 years, and a little contra dance, but I am primarily a Balkan &
Central European international folkdancer (since 1978).

There are many other things I'd like to explore too - possibly rapier since
I fenced in college on the SMU team.  But I'm an old fellow now (47) so who
knows.  Lots of other Arts & Science things to persue as well!

I plan on going to the Atlantia University this October.  What fun that
looks like!

I've been researching for a couple of months and am of Hungarian heritage
(2nd generation US-born).  So, tentatively, I am taking on a Hungarian
(western Transylvania) persona - No nothing to do with dracula (yuk)!  More
of a Jewish liquor/wine merchant turned Innkeeper & Tavern owner.

Transylvania was the eastern part of Hungary from 600-800 AD until after WW
I. In the late 1400s through 1500s it became an autonomous principality, and
was a bit more tolerant of Jews than the western, Habsburg-dominated half.
So, there were better career opportunities for a Jewish persona in Calvinist
Transylvania (eastern Hungary) than in the Catholic Royal Hungary (Habsburg
western Hungary).

Best opportunities for any minorities were in the Turkish-dominated
south-central Hungary at that time, but that wasn't the culture or costuming
I was after for my persona.

So, I will sign myself,

  Sándor Vitez (Alexander the Gallant (or Brave, Valiant))

or, in Hungary where they put surname first,

  Vitez Sándor

Mundanely,
  Alan W. (Annandale, VA)