Folk Dance groups

There are many online videos of Turkish dance and there are many Dutch online forums where Turkish folk dance is a topic.

 

NAZAR

Turkish Folk Dance group NAZAR is an initiative by the Turkish ‘oudercomité Zuid-west’ in Utrecht and was founded in 2001. From the start NAZAR had groups for children (6-10 and 10-16 years old) and youth (over 16 years old). Since 2007 NAZAR also has an adult group (people older than 25). NAZAR performs regularly during events and in a cultural context. Nesrin Aksit is the person teaching at NAZAR. Er zijn regelmatig optredens tijdens culturele evenementen.  

 

El-Ele

The El-Ele Turkish Folk dance group was founded in 1981 and has the following dances from Turkey in their repertoire: Afyon, Antalya, Ardahan, Artvin, Burdur, Bursa, Gaziantep, Karadeniz-kiz, Silifke, Zeybek (Mugla). Dances are performed in choreographies of 8 to 12 minutes. They perform nationally and internationally. Once every four months they organize a dance workshop, also for people who are not members. El-Ele won the Dutch championship Turkish Dance in 2008.

 

OZAN
OZAN was founded in 1984 and is a non-profit foundation which focuses on Turkish, Dutch and contemporary Folk dance and choreography. The basic philosophy and aim Foundation of Turkish Folkloristic Dance and Theatre Group OZAN is to unite dancers from different cultural backgrounds in a common activity through which they can discuss and compare their cultural patterns, and eventually understand each other better. According to Ersin Seyhan, cultural integration can be a reality and folk dance is one of the best ways to achieve it. In authentic folk costumes and embroideries, they present theater acts and folk dances from more than 40 regions of Turkey. The total length of the OZAN program can be as long as 2.5 continuous hours. Each sub-program is a group of 10 to 15 minute dances from a certain region. Separately, available within the group are professional belly dancers, musicians and orchestras. Each year OZAN completes a tour to more than 50 localities in the Netherlands and Europe.

In 2009 the performance Yesterday Today Tomorrow, a troubadour was the central character that explained the story of the development of folklore. The troubadour jumped in time and from one region to another in order to explain dance forms of yesterday, today and tomorrow. It was performed at the Stadsschouwburg Utrecht, Podium Mozaiek Amsterdam, and Artamuse in Geleen.

Dance choreographies from: Hakkari, Bitlis, Yozgat, Artvin, Kirklareli, Bolu, Zigeuner, Teke, Silifke, Silivri, Sanliurfa, Van, Adana, Uskup, Zwarte Zee.

In 2010 the piece Van Halay naar Romen was performed. A troubadour connected the various traditions, habits, music and costumes of diverse regions in Turkey. It was performed at Theater De Kom in Nieuwegein, Podium Mozaiek in Amsterdam, and Stadsschouwburg Utrecht.

Dance choreographies from: Gypsy (Thracia, Istanbul and West Anatolia), Bursa, Kütahya, Balikesir, Zonguldak, Trabzon, Hemsin, Kars, Bitlis and Hakkari.

OZAN is supported by Provincie Utrecht, Gemeente Utrecht, Amsterdam Fonds voor de Kunst, DMO – Gemeente Amsterdam, Gemeente Nieuwegein, Carel Nengerman Fonds, Vlissingen Fonds, Stichting Elisa Mathildefonds, Vereniging voor Industrie en Handel – Nieuwegein.

 

KADER (Black Sea district of Turkey)

In 2003 During the Turkish PARADE at the Vondelpark open air theatre KADER men and women groups from Amsterdam performed dances from the Black Sea region and Eastern Anatolia.

 

Kervan Volksdans Vereniging

Kervan Volksdans Vereniging was founded in 1993. It offers folk dance classes for girls of the ages 6-23. Kervan performs dances from Middle and East Turkey with costumes from those regions.

 

Kervan Gençlik

Kervan Gençlik was founded in 2008. Kervan Genclik uses music and dance to show aspects of Turkish culture from cities like Bursa, Gaziantep, Karadeniz, Artvin and Zeybek. The dances are performed in choreographies of 8-12 minutes and in authentic costumes. They perform during various events, for instance: during a Turkish theme day at the Reinaldahuis in Parkwijk-Haarlem for inhabitants of Haarlem-Oost and an elderly home. Kervan Gençlik were the Dutch champions Turkish Folk dance.

 

Dance group Aziyade

In 2010 they organized a Turkish Gypsy (Roma) dance workshop in Eindhoven and in Hengelo with well known dancer Ahmet Ogren.

 

Almelo Zeybek Ekibi

Almelo Zeybek Ekibi (Almelose Zeybek group) lessons are given by Ayhan Sama. Their first performance was in October 1997. Denizli, the sister city of Almelo, helped them by providing teachers and costumes.

 

Dans van Turkije ‘Köçek, çengi, dansöz’

In 2004 ‘Köçek, çengi, dansöz’ brings dances from Bolu, to Holland. They performed at the Lucent Danstheater in The Hague, De Meervaart in Amsterdam, and Theater Zuidplein in Rotterdam.

 

Zeybekler

Zeybekler from Arnhem won the 2008 Altays Kampioenschappen Turks Volksdansen with the women group. They danced a folk dance from Ardahan.

 

TAKA

Folk dance group TAKA from Zaandam won the 2006 Altays Nederlandse Kampioenschappen Turks Volksdansen.

 

Stichting Lale

Stichting Lale from IJmuiden won the 2009 Altays Nederlandse Kampioenschappen Turks Volksdansen with Adiyaman Yöresi.

 

Volksdans Vereniging Droezjba

Volksdans Vereniging Droezjba is a folk dance group from Eindhoven. They focus on dances from the Balkan or Middle Europe, the Middle-East and Africa. They have a beginners and advanced group.

 

Volksdansgroep Vlissingen

Volksdansgroep Vlissingen performed in Oosterhout at the Turkish Festival in April 2008.

 

Hai La Joc

International dance group Hai La Joc gave a free Turkish dance workshop in 2009 and they developed a new Turkish choreography lead by Ersin Seyhan.

For 30 years international dance goup Hai la joc is one of the main groups for international dance in Groningen. Hai la joc was founded in 1979 by a number of active members from the recreational folkdance association Teu and its name ‘Hai la joc’ means ‘come dance with us’ in Romanian. Originally the focus was on the Balkans, but now also dances from outside Europa are performed. Betsy and Emile Apol are the artistic directors. Betsy Edens is the contact person for Turkish dance.

 

Grup Hazan

In 2007 Grup Hazan from Eindhoven won the 3rd prize at the Nederlandse Kampioenschappen Turkse Volksdans.