Istanbul, 17 February (HNA) – Ege University State Conservatory of Turkish Music Turkish Folk Dances Department Ekin Dance Company will present its new work BACI to the audience in Izmir on 23 and 24 February. Ceyda Tanc Dance Company will also participate in the performance with a contemporary dance show titled “GIRLS”, which will be staged for the first time in Turkey.

On Friday, 23 February, the show at Ege University MÖTBE Campus Cultural Centre will start at 20.00. On Saturday, 24 February, at 20.00, the show will be held at the Ahmed Adnan Saygun Art Centre Grand Hall. Both events will be free of charge.

A unique cross-cultural collaboration bringing together Turkish folk dance (Ege University) and UK contemporary dance
(Ceyda Tanc Dance) highlighting global gender inequalities by challenging traditional gender representation in dance. This innovative way of working with Turkish folk dance will subvert traditional gender roles to address contemporary and cultural issues relating to dance and gender.

We will develop new ways of interpreting cultural dances to resonate with contemporary audiences. Combining contemporary dance with Turkish folk dance and its many global influences will promote the intersection of cultures & build bridges between Eastern & Western dance forms.

Turkish dancers, students, and UK dancers will share their choreographic practices and create a new performance work highlighting the adversity displaced women face. Traditional Turkish folk dances reference the stories of refugees spanning over a century. Tanc’s recent work reflects on the continued problem of displacement today, finding inspiration in the emotional resilience of female refugees.