If you’ve never heard of ‘Gypsy dancing’, Juice Vamosi thinks that’s precisely the point.
“There’s nowhere else online to watch it,” he said. “That’s why it’s going viral.”
He’s right. The traditional Romani dance group he co-runs, Kakosan, has clocked over 25 million views on TikTok and Facebook, captivating people across the globe with lightning-fast footwork, proud expressions, and a fiery joy that leaps through the screen.
But beyond the shimmer of sequins and music is something deeper. These dances are not just performances, they’re declarations.
“When two Romani people dance,” Juice said, “they’re not just dancing with each other.
“They’re competing to best express a celebration of an identity that’s so often hidden from the outside world. The dance becomes a vibrant, fiery act of resistance and joy.
“A way to say: ‘We are here. And this is who we are.’”
Kakosan and Greater Manchester’s Romani Community
That joy is hard-won. In Britain today, Romani and Traveller people remain the most discriminated-against ethnic group in the country. According to a University of Birmingham/YouGov study, nearly 45% of people surveyed admitted negative views of Gypsies and Irish Travellers. Across Europe, the numbers are even worse.
Juice has felt this stigma firsthand. “I’ve been monitoring this since 2015,” he said. “It’s consistent. We’re the most disliked ethnic group in the UK and Europe. I go to the doctor, to fill up petrol, and I’m treated like a criminal.”
The name of their dance charity, Kakosan, comes from a traditional Romani greeting. “It’s the first question between two Gypsy people meeting,” Juice explained. “You’re really asking: ‘What cast do you belong to? What group?’ It’s a way in. A cultural key.”
That idea, of opening doors and breaking barriers, runs through everything Kakosan does. Run by Juice and his wife Maria Palmai from Oldham, the charity offers language classes, food workshops, dance rehearsals, and school outreach to educate people about Romani life.
Their message is simple: Romani culture is beautiful and alive. But for far too long, misunderstood.
How to challenge Romani racism?
Based at the Bolton Socialist Club thanks to the tireless support of trustee Neil McAllister, Kakosan has become a thriving hub for dancers and families from across the North West. “We’ve got people coming in from Bolton, Oldham, Preston, Blackburn, Rochdale, and Horwich,” Juice said.
“We meet regularly – and we mix generations. Our youngest dancer is five. Our oldest is sixty.”
Watching their TikTok clips, you’d be forgiven for assuming they’re professionally trained. But behind the glamour is grit. Juice credits dance instructor Michael Syletsky, an international performer, for coaching the group.
“It’s fast. It’s competitive. And it’s never just for show. It means something.”
What it means, Juice said, is pride.
“The kids we work with? They’re starting to walk taller. They’re proud to represent our culture now. They grab the mic. They speak on camera. They get standing ovations. At Factory International, a five-year-old girl from our group danced, and the crowd got to their feet. That tells you something.”
A culture hidden in plain sight
Despite centuries of presence in the UK, Romani people remain woefully underrepresented in national life. Few schools teach their history. Few public figures identify openly as Roma. And very few institutions platform their voices – until recently.
The Kakosan group are currently collaborating with the Whitworth Art Gallery on what Juice calls “an amazing exhibition – the first Roma-themed one in Manchester.” At its heart are the works of renowned artist Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, whose tapestries subvert centuries-old depictions of Roma people as sinister outsiders, instead celebrating their stories and spirit.
“She’s changing those stereotypes,” Juice said. “She puts emotions, characters, and histories back into the picture. Her work has been shown from Japan to New York – and now here, in Manchester.”
The exhibition runs until September and includes dance, music, and storytelling. The day before Kakosan’s big performance at Góbéfest, Manchester’s celebration of Central and Eastern European culture, they’ll present a story called Bendyalo, about a young Gypsy boy who travels to Manchester to get educated and bring knowledge back to his community.
“It’s based on a real story passed down through generations,” Juice said. “It’s about hope.”
‘The only place we go is McDonald’s’
There is a painful paradox at the heart of this cultural flowering. For many Romani people, everyday life in Britain remains one of invisibility and exclusion.
“You don’t see Gypsy families in restaurants. Or pubs. Or schools. Or public buildings,” Juice said. “We live in deep isolation. McDonald’s is the only place you might see us together.”
In this context, Kakosan’s workshops become radical acts. “People watch our videos and say: ‘Where is this club? Can I come too?’ They want to join. And that’s amazing. But it’s also sad – because there aren’t any dedicated Romani community centres in all of Greater Manchester.”
The long-term dream, Juice said, is to build one.
From campsites to the classroom
Many of Kakosan’s members, especially women, have faced extreme marginalisation. Some arrived in the UK from parts of Eastern Europe where Roma people were barred from school or even shot for stepping into towns.
“We had a group of women who couldn’t read or write,” Juice said. “Now, thanks to Maria’s work, they sing. They’ve performed at the Whitworth. That’s their first taste of education.”
Maria’s name is mentioned often, and always with love. “None of this would be possible without her,” Juice said. “She handles the women’s groups, the social media, the kids – everything. In our culture, family decisions override individual ones. So the fact we run this as a family? It builds trust. That’s why it works.”
Their home life and charity work blend seamlessly. “We’ve got four kids, three boys and a girl. Our youngest is two. We’ve also got two grandchildren, so a big family. But our community sees our whole family leading this. It’s not just Juice, the educated guy with three degrees. It’s a family, like theirs.”
Changing the story around Romani communities
Juice is also a filmmaker, and his work has appeared on the BBC and Channel 4. His documentaries, like Gypsy Matchmaker and Keeping Up With The Khans, explore controversial topics like forced removals, racism, and life expectancy gaps.
He produced an extremely poignant BBC Documentary with Stacey Dooley exploring anti-Romani prejudice in Hungary, which you can find out more about here
“When people see my films, they think it’s fake,” he said. “That’s how deep the misunderstanding runs. They can’t believe this is real life, that people are still being treated like this.”
He’s filmed everything from racist mayors to children whose only dream is to become a school cleaner, not because they lack ambition, but because they’ve never been allowed to imagine anything more.
“That’s what we’re changing,” he said. “Through dance, through art, through language. We’re showing our kids, and the world, that we are human. And we are here.”
Come and join in with Kakosan
On the 21st of June, Kakosan will perform at Góbéfest in Cathedral Gardens with a group of 15 young dancers. It’s a chance to experience Romani culture firsthand – and to be part of something beautiful.
“Our message is: Come and join us,” Juice said. “Celebrate with us. Learn with us. Be curious.”
Later in the year, the group hopes to secure more funding, create a dedicated Roma arts centre, and, one day, build a school. “The schools we visit now tell us the kids are buzzing. They say, ‘Why don’t you open your own?’ Maybe one day, we will.”
Until then, you’ll find them dancing at Bolton Socialist Club, hosting language classes, cooking up traditional Romani food – and uploading viral videos that break through centuries of silence.
“We’re not here to beg for pity,” Juice said. “We’re here to show you something beautiful. And if we can break even one stereotype, then it’s worth it.”
You can find out more about Kakosan on their website by clicking here
See Kakosan at Góbéfest
Kakosan will be performing at Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, Saturday the 22nd of June, 4PM. You can find out more about Góbéfest by clicking here.
The Whitworth Gallery will be showcasing Roma-Polish artist Małgorzata Mirga-Tas’s work, produced in collaboration with Kakosan. Mirga-Tas creates elaborate, colourful, textile-based compositions that feature striking portraits of Roma people, originating from the artist’s response to art history and research into the photographic archives, both public and personal.
These include portraits of survivors of the Holocaust, during which hundreds of thousands of Romani people were killed.
The artist creates works using fabrics, some of which belonged to the individuals on display, chosen to best reflect their personalities. It’s open until the 7th of September, you can find out more about that here
Follow them on TikTok at @kakosan.
