International Folk Dance Association   of University City presents . . .
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Turkish Folk Dances

a workshop taught by

Ahmet Lüleçi

April 29 - May 1, 2005
University City (St. Louis), Missouri

No previous experience required  •  No partners needed

Turkish dancing has a rich variety of styles characteristic of the various regions of the country.  Dances from the eastern region are done holding hands, shoulders or little fingers in a line, semi-circle or circle.  The southern region has hopping figures of the Turkmen people of the Taurus Mountains.  The northern region shows movements of fish and of the stormy Black Sea.  The western dances show the pride, confidence, and courage of their peoples.  In the northwest region the music is closer to that of Thrace and adjacent areas of the Balkans, with some gypsy rhythms in the steps.  The women’s dances from the northwest flow smoothly and give a clear contrast to the men’s rougher dances of that mountain area.  In Turkish dancing, the sharp movements of the lower body are often contrasted by a more freely flowing upper body motion.  The dances are propelled by vigorous music which reflects the ruggedly beautiful terrain in which these dances are found, and the charismatic and individualistic people that inhabit Turkey.

Schedule and Prices

See schedule at the right for details.  A weekend dance pass is available for $27 which includes everything in the schedule except for the lunch.  Individual sessions, the lunch, and the Saturday night dance party may also be paid for at the door as indicated in the schedule.  Attendees of ages 10-18 will receive a 20% discount.  Children under 10 are free but must be accompanied by a parent.

You may use the Registration Form to order weekend passes and lunches.  Lunch reservations must be received no later than Saturday, April 23.

Easier dances will be taught on Friday night as an introduction to the workshop.  The Sunday afternoon review session is for workshop attendees only, but other interested persons are invited to come and observe.

About the Teacher

A native of Turkey, Ahmet Lüleçi is an accomplished choreographer, dance teacher, and performer as well as a researcher of Anatolian culture.  He has been performing Turkish folk dancing and music since the age of eight, and has taught extensively since the age of 15.  He has a college degree in music with a specialization in voice, and plays the baglama, davul, and other Turkish folk instruments.  Since 1973 he has participated in international dance festivals and competitions throughout Europe, and he has taught ensembles that appeared in more than 60 national broadcasts.  Among his scholarly works is an exhaustive 400-page study on the folk dances of Turkey, for which he was awarded First Place in a national competition in folk-dance research in Turkey in 1985.

Ahmet came to North America in 1985, and has taught and directed numerous groups in the United States as well as Europe, Asia, and North and South America.  He has served as Director of Dances for Hoy-Tur, long considered one of Turkey's leading folk dance associations, and as a choreographer and leader for the famed Aman Folk Ensemble in Los Angeles.  He is co-founder and co-director of the annual World Music & Dance Camp at Cape Cod.  He is currently artistic director of the Boston-based folk-dance ensemble Collage, which won fifth place at the World Dance Competition in 2003, and has been furthering his goal of making folk dance and music accessible to a wider audience.  He was presented with the 2002 Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts and Humanities by the Assembly of Turkish-American Associates, and has won other choreography awards as well.

Ahmet is in high demand in folk dance camps, and has been featured at the major camps in the United States and Canada. Many of the dances that he has taught are done regularly in recreational folk dance groups in North America.  His trademark is his high energy which inspires those learning from him.  During his previous visit to St. Louis in 1992, Ahmet showed his ability to get even beginners to dance with the same confidence as more experienced dancers.

To hear examples of the type of dance music that will be featured at this workshop, tune in to Music from the Hills on Saturdays from 4:00 to 6:000 p.m. on radio station KDHX, 88.1 FM in St. Louis.  The program is co-hosted by IFDA members John Uhlemann and Gitry Heydebrand.  You can also listen online -- see KDHX's web site at www.kdhx.org.

	Made possible by grants from

Locations

University United Methodist Church (Friday and Saturday):  6901 Washington Ave., University City, Missouri; on the northwest corner of Washington and Trinity south of the Lion Gates on Delmar -- see Yahoo! Map.  Parking is available in the church lot and on Trinity, but please do not park on the residential part of Washington.  Walk by the playground in front of the church, and enter by the door at the inner corner of the L-shaped building.

The Focal Point (Sunday):  2720 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood, Missouri; 1 1/2 blocks south of Manchester -- see Yahoo! Map.  Watch for one-way streets in the area.  Park on street.  Directions will also be available at the Saturday sessions.

Other Information

Lunch on Saturday and Sunday will feature soup and salad.  Dinner on Saturday will be pot-luck.  Contributions of fruits and sweets for snacks during the workshop would be appreciated.

Comfortable shoes are recommended. Dress is casual.

Crash Space is available.  Please contact Diana Blanchard at 314-726-5737 or diana.blanchard@att.net, or indicate your needs on the Registration Form.

For Other Information: Please contact Gitry Heydebrand (phone 314-863-1825, E-mail gitry@aol.com), or Barbara Uhlemann (phone 314-726-5838, E-mail dbarbara.uhlemann@sbcglobal.net).