Turkey’s cities celebrate International Dance Day

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

The International World Dance Day celebrated in many different provinces of Turkey. Folk dances from different regions attract audiences to the dance halls. DHA photo

Turkey celebrated April 29 World Dance Day yesterday with a number of events in cities across the country, paralleling similar events around the world.

Dancers performed in Istanbul at Sapphire mall while Ankara State Opera and Ballet staged a performance of Murad V, the music of which was composed by well-respected Turkish musicologist Emre Aracı. The libretto of the ballet blogs to Aracı, while the choreography was created by Armağan Davran and Volkan Ersoy.

The Istanbul State Opera and Ballet will continue to celebrate the day in the coming weeks with a number of ballets.

The event kicked off at noon with performances by area dancers and groups before leading into 20-minute “teach-in” classes at 1 p.m. There were dancers from a wide range of styles, including, hula, hip hop and contemporary.

Çukurova University in the southern province of Adana also marked the day, with the school’s Mithat Özsan Amphitheater playing host to a number of different folk dances. Salsa, tango and roman dancing styles were the main highlight of the day in Adana. İzmir State Opera and Ballet celebrated the day with the Snow White ballet, which was organized for children.

About World Dance Day

The date was suggested by the International Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI) to commemorate the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, the creator of modern ballet.

Every year, an outstanding choreographer or dancer is invited to deliver a message which is circulated throughout the world. The person is selected by the founding entity of the International Dance Day.

The goal of the “International Dance Day Message” is to celebrate dance, revel in the universality of the art form, cross all political, cultural and ethnic barriers and bring people together through the common language of dance.