György Martin was born on 5 February 1932 in Budapest. Between 1951 and 1955, he was a folk dancer. At the Csokonai Folk Dance Group, where he was active, he was called the “engineer dancer” because his dancing style was very punctual and precise, and he learned the smallest steps, as well. He was studying Hungarian literature, grammar, and ethnography and museum studies at Eötvös Lorand University. His professors were Gyula Ortutay and István Tálasi. Between 1953 and 1956, he worked at the Hungarian Institute of Folk Art [Népművelési Intézet] as a folk dance researcher.
In 1964, he wrote his dissertation. He was a member of the Folk Music Group of the Hungarian Academy of Science [MTA Népzenekutató Csoportja]. Later, he was head of the group. In 1974, he became the scientific leader of the Music Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Science [MTA Zenetudományi Intézet]
He started to collect materials concerning folk dance and folk music in the territory of the Carpathian Basin in 1951. In his work, he always focused on comparative folk dance research. His research on folk dance and folk music is unique and extraordinary. He also supported the folk dance house movement. He died in 1983. In 1993, the society which undertook to organize and represent amateur folk dancers chose his name.
