Dance of Epics: A Thank to Performers
Posted on April 22, 2024 • 3 minutes • 614 words
Table of contents
The Purpose of the Text
This text is written to thank the dancers and artists of the Dance of Epics curated by Alagöz Culture and Art Community. It was a privilege to attend one of their performances. I want to note my thanks and gratitude to all of them for their outstanding performance.
Their official webpage and Instagram Page.
The Performance and Historical Roots
The performance includes historical figures, including characters from legends of Turkic nations. Noah’s Ark and the Flood, Dede Korkut, Classical Element, Nowruz, Sari Gelin, Tomyris, and Alp Arslan are some of the figures mentioned in the performance. The historical approach has concluded with the republic’s impact on Türkiye, which celebrated its 100. anniversary last year. The historical roots of Azerbaijan and the recent re-establishment of sovereignty in Karabakh are also mentioned.
According to articles about the performance, the performance lasts around 90 minutes. It includes theatrical performances about wars the two countries (Turkey and Azerbaijan) faced throughout their history, the conquests from Central Asia to Minor Asia (Anatolia), Eagle Dance, Zeybeks’ Dance, Caucasian Dance, A performance inspired from Mevlevi’s Sema Ceremony are some of the twenty-one different performances from the event.
A Personal Opinion
I would like to share my personal opinion by disclaiming that I’m not an art critic; I experienced beautiful emotions as an audience. Historical roots should be strengthened, making cultures and nations unique with different perspectives. That performance looks like it was initiated with the purpose of sharing Turkic Legends with new generations. It’s a necessity in a fast-paced, globalized world to understand identities that make people different from each other. At the same time, it is also necessary to understand the similarities that make us human.
From a Turkish historical perspective, mentions the War in Dardanelles in 1915, the establishment of the Turkish Republic after the First World War, the war on terror, which still continues today and people and personnel who lost their lives during these operations, including the coup attempt in 2016 are also remembered and honoured. In some parts, the old games that were played in the past with rock and stones are also mentioned shortly.
Unrelated Points
The points that I find unrelated to the project are mentioning building bridges, tunnels, or manufacturing an automobile model in that project. The pure performance that includes historical figures and legends comes to the point that it is unnecessary and will be forgotten points after a century. Especially at the end, the dance was modern, and the music was Jennifer Lopez’s “On the Floor.” It was good, but I couldn’t locate it in that performance. As I said before, that’s just an opinion of an audience, not a professional art critique.
The night is concluded with Turan Manafzade’s ‘Türkiye 100.’ I think that one is the most beautiful of the marches composed for the 100th Anniversary of the Republic in Turkey that was celebrated last year in 2023.
Conclusion
The costumes look very elegant. Almost all dance types are perfect for people who love performance arts. Folk dances are another excellent aspect of the project to share their history. For instance, the Zeybek Dance, which is still performed today, has historical roots in irregular infantry forces from the Ottoman Era. The folk songs that tell the story behind the songs always have an emotional perspective for the nations.
Lastly, I’d like to thank every performer, dancer and person who contributed to the event and project. I see meaningful historical perspectives in modern art. If you ever have a chance, even a second chance, to visit one of the performances of the Dance of Epics, I’d definitely encourage you to take some time and attend.