Washington DC Turkish Folk Dance Troupe

The dances of Southeastern Turkey openly bring forth the cultural aspects of the area.  The dances show the celebration, struggle, persistence, and the fight for life.  Whether it is the music, costumes, or the footwork in the dances, they all signify the culmination of the vibrant lives and wishes of the people they represent.

The first dance is Kartal (Eagle) and is only performed by men.  The dance depicts the story of a hunting eagle and its struggles in nature. The next dance is Delilo.  This is the most common dance of the region.  It is traditionally danced when a family goes to ask for the hand of a bride.  The dance is usually perfumed in lines and is accompanied by quick arm movement.  The dancers hold hands by their pinky fingers.  The continuous movement indicates the journey to the girl's home and the quick arm movements represent the wish that the marriage proposal is accepted quickly.  The song that accompanies the dance also tells the story of a boy asking his father to get his bride for him. The next dance is Çaçan, which is named after a woman of that name.  This dance incorporates a great deal of intricate footwork.  The choreography depicts a person going after a bucket that has fallen into a well.  This is quickly followed by Çepik, which shows two people fighting.

The next dance is Esmerim (my Dark One).  The song is about  dark girls, which is the most common in their area.  The movements of bending and running forward signify those people running towards love.  The sudden turns show how they reached their goal of claiming their love, and their steps in place tell us that their lovers will return again. The final dance is Halay.  This is also a very active dance.  It symbolizes unity and good news.  The footwork gets more intricate as the song continues.  It starts with Tek ayak, which is a simple halay, then Çift Ayak, which adds an extra step.  It leads to Meyremo, where the men dance alone and are bent forward as they dance.  Then it suddenly stops, and the music starts for the last part,  Keso, where the men end with hooking their right leg over their right arm and opening the circle to line.