Turkish Folk Dance
Thought I booked a whirling dervish performance through my hotel in Beyoğlu. In Istanbul communication isn’t always easy, since few people speak English. The person I usually ask for help was unavailable, and the concierge who helped didn’t understand me. Instead of the Mevlevi Sema Ceremony, he booked a cultural show of Turkish folk dance. The surprise turned out to be an incredibly entertaining Saturday evening!
The talented dancers performed expressive harem, traditional, and belly dances from diverse cultures and regions in Turkey:
- Ottoman Palace Dance
- Zeybek Dance Aegean Turkey
- Thracian Roman Gypsy Dances
- Shaman Dance
- Halay Dance Eastern Turkey
- Belly Dances
- Azerbaijani (Azeri) Dance
- Balkan Region Dances
- Horon Dances Anatolia Region
The music, choreography, and costumes were extraordinary! I had a front seat, and the strength and talent of the young dancers was impressive. The principal belly dancer performed several flawless solos. The fire dance was spectacular!
Amateur photography – no flash – was allowed. I plan to start using video but need to practice. Parts of the dance performance would have made incredible video. You can search the Internet for video versions of most dances performed last night.
Hodjapasha is in Fatih District. The captivating venue is a transformed 15th-century Hamam. The performance area has a circular glass dance floor and a musician stage. Spectators sit around the circular floor surrounded by dramatic lighting and decorations that turn the intimate space into a mystical setting!
I saw a sema performance several years ago in Istanbul and wanted to attend another. Sema, a custom inspired by Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi, a 13th century Muslim saint and Anatolian mystic, is a religious ceremony. Although sema performances are exquisite, the folk dances last night opened a new chapter of Turkish culture and tradition. They helped me understand the diverse regions of Turkey and their ethnic influences!
A surprise “Turkish delight”! Glad you were treated to such an event full of color, movements and culture.
Very nice indeed! ;o)
Looks like a happy accident. I used to have a Turkish friend who ran an exercise class based on belly dancing. It was a lot of fun! And recently I had a little try on the doumbek drum. I love the sound.
It was a very interesting evening – still would like to see another Sema ceremony – the real thing is amazing!!!