The Golden Era Of Turkish Oryantal Dance
with Anne-Sofie Vermeersch
LIVE Sunday, February 16th 11:00 AM PST / 2:00 PM EST
+ 30 Days streaming access
The Yeşilçam period – often regarded as the Golden Era of Türkiye – was defined by its rich cultural expression and signified a transformative movement for dance. Turkish oryantal and other foreign dance forms were brought to the screen, reaching a broad, international audience. In response, traditional elements increasingly blended in with new stylistic adaptations.
Turkish dancers made their way into the world, establishing their beautiful art form abroad and gaining recognition. Costumes also evolved alongside the shifting socio-political climate; ranging from lavish Turkish net-beaded costumes to the high-cut glitzy, vibrant outfits typically associated with Turkish dancers in past decades.
We’ll explore how the media depicted dancers and put some of them on the main stage. The legacy of some famous yet internationally lesser-known dancers will be highlighted in this lecture.
This insightful lecture will offer a deeper understanding of the art form’s roots and its enduring legacy, and showcase unique items collected by Anne-Sofie over the years.
In this lecture you will learn…
- How oryantal dance costumes evolved throughout the mid-20th century.
- Who’s who in the Turkish dance scene: from Kudret Şandra to the queen of zills Tülay Karaca.
- How dancers were publicly perceived in Türkiye and how Turkish media depicted them.
- How international influences impacted oryantal dans.
- About the role of dancers in daily life and festivities.
- How the stylisation and techniques evolved during this tumultuous time period.
Purchase 30 days streaming access to this replay for $40.
About Our Presenter….
Anne-Sofie combines her role as a senior scientist in veterinary and human medicine
projects with her passion for dance and music. In 2018, she began taking raqs sharqi classes
after being inspired by a video of Didem performing a drum solo, and she hasn’t stopped
dancing since. As she delved deeper into raqs sharqi, Anne-Sofie grew curious about the
origin of certain movements, costume styles, music and the cultural background. At that
point, she started avidly collecting Turkish memorabilia from the 20th-century such as
vintage photos, postcards, books, magazines and VHS tapes, allowing her to gain valuable
insights into the rich history and evolution of Turkish dance. She is part of a local dance
troupe formed by Maya Sapera of the Maya Sapera Dance Company, performing folkloric
dances as well as raqs sharqi.