Fire of Anatolia opens academy in the east

GAZİANTEP - Anadolu Agency

The Fire of Anatolia Art Director Mustafa Erdoğan poses with children during the opening ceremony of the new branch of the troupe’s dance academy. AA photo

The southeastern province of Gaziantep is now home to a branch of the dance academy of Turkey’s internationally acclaimed dance troupe, the Fire of Anatolia’s Dance Academy.

At the opening ceremony of the academy, the Fire of Anatolia Art Director Mustafa Erdoğan said that the adventure of the dance troupe started with Gaziantep plays. He said that their goal was to make a tour of Anatolia starting from Gaziantep, adding, “We are one of the best countries in the world. It is precious for us the value that we represent; this is not a job but a lifestyle for us. What we are doing here is to enable our children to join us in this adventure.”

Erdoğan said that they were open for anyone interested in dance, adding that every person should dance at one stage of his/her life. He noted the importance of dance in education, and added: “We have a magnificent Anatolian treasure. Our goal is to support it with modern techniques and make our children improve in the education life.”

Speaking about opening courses for children, Erdoğan said they sent their trainers to schools outside Istanbul and the trainers worked with them for three years as a social responsibility project.

Four dance academies

“While these children did not have the chance to see the Fire of Anatolia on stage, they started dancing in this troupe. Among them we have chosen 80 children and formed the troupe ‘Kıvılcım’. Later on we generalized it in Turkey and now we have branches in Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya and Gaziantep. Our aim is to go to the east,” Erdoğan said.

He said that they saw Gaziantep as a laboratory working environment. “It is very important to me for these children to join us in the world. Children will be trained here to have the capacity to dance in the most famous musical shows in the world.”

Erdoğan said that dancers felt mentally alert and the children dancing become more successful in school. He said, “The report cards of our children are displayed in the foyer during the shows of the children. This is such a tradition for us. All of them have a letter of appreciation. We follow their success in school. They are like our children.”